The New York Knicks have fallen off the face of the earth from an offensive perspective, and they could be in a lot of trouble when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
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SCHEDULING
The good news for the Knicks is that they've got a couple days off in a row to get ready for this one. That means Carmelo Anthony, who sat out over the weekend with migraines, should be good to go once again.
The Bulls, who have won three games in a row coming into this one, will have just one day off.
Live bettors should note that these two teams are playing again at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, so this game might be a little closer to the vest, especially if things are getting out of hand one way or the other.
KEY MATCHUP
The Bulls have the ability to go big with their lineup, but they've instead played with a generally smaller lineup ever since Joakim Noah went down for the season with a shoulder injury. Pau Gasol is going to have a lot of pressure on him trying to defend against Robin Lopez, but the real concern we have for Chicago is who's going against Melo and Kristaps Porzingis.
Both Mike Dunleavy and Taj Gibson are going to be giving up four or five inches to their bigger foes, but the best way to take care of the two elite level scorers the Knicks have is to make them play defense and defend out on the perimeter. Both Porzingis and Anthony really struggle to keep up with smaller players, particularly those who are quick with the ball at the top of the key in isolation.
Part of the reason the Knicks have failed to break 90 points in their last four games is because Porzingis and Anthony have been either really bad or just flat out not in the lineup. Porzingis has averaged just 11.7 points per game in his last three, and he didn't play against the Lakers on March 13. Melo hasn't scored more than 20 in his last three, and he missed the game over the weekend against Sacramento.
If these men are kept under wraps and are forced to play top notch defense against Dunleavy, Gibson and the rest of the Bulls forwards, there's a good chance Chicago is going to be able to run away and hide in live betting from a slumping New York squad.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
It shouldn't be surprising that the Knicks have played five straight under games and unders in 11 of their last 12 overall. They've only scored more than 94 points once since March 5, and they've averaged just 95.0 points per game in this run of a dozen games, a number which would be much lower if not for an outlier 128-point effort against the Suns.
Chicago has gotten firmly back on the right side of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The team is 6-3 SU and ATS in its last nine games, including going on the road and beating the Raptors as 9.5-point dogs in this run. Live bettors certainly have to recognize the hotter of these two teams will be wearing red on Wednesday night.
Access live betting from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneylines are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker right now! Bet on the NBA today as the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls square off Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the United Center. The matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN.
