New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls Picks and Prediction: Brunson and KAT Put a Struggling Bulls Squad Out of Its Misery
The New York Knicks, sitting 3rd in the Eastern Conference at 36-21, travel to face 12th-placed Chicago at United Center on Sunday, February 22, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET. With the Knicks riding a 7-3 stretch in their last 10 games behind Jalen Brunson's 27.0 points per night and a top-six defense holding opponents to 112 points, this matchup pits a legitimate Eastern contender against a Bulls squad mired in an eight-game losing streak at 24-33 and bleeding 120.5 points per game on a defense ranked 26th in the league, as New York opens as a 10.5-point road favorite with the total set at 231.5 in a contest that has blowout potential written all over it.
OC Staff - February 22, 2026, 3:00 PM EST
3 Minute ReadNew York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls Picks and Prediction: Brunson and KAT Put a Struggling Bulls Squad Out of Its Misery
Knicks vs Bulls Recent Performance
New York comes in at 36-21, sitting third in the East, and just pulled off one of the scrappier wins of their season, a 108-106 edge-of-your-seat home victory over Houston where Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 25, Jalen Brunson added 20, and OG Anunoby chipped in 20 more. The Knicks are 7-3 in their last 10 and playing some of the most efficient basketball in the league right now. Their defense holds opponents to 112 points per night (6th in the NBA), and their outside shooting ranks 3rd in the league by three-point percentage. Road record sits at 14-13, which won't blow anyone away, but they've proven they can win ugly in hostile buildings. This team closes games.
Chicago is cooked. The Bulls sit 24-33, 12th in the East, and have dropped eight straight. Their last outing was a 126-110 embarrassment at home to the Detroit Pistons, a third-quarter collapse that had Bulls fans watching the tank speedometer more than the scoreboard. The defense gives up 120.5 points per night (26th in the NBA), and they don't have a consistent stopper anywhere on the roster. Matas Buzelis (15.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is the most exciting thing happening in Chicago right now, and that's both impressive for him and deeply concerning for the franchise. Billy Donovan is managing a rebuild whether he calls it that or not.
Knicks vs Bulls Head to Head
The Knicks grabbed a 128-116 home win over Chicago back on November 2, 2025, the only matchup between these teams this season. New York is 1-0 on the year against the Bulls and covered in that game by 12 points. In the all-time regular season series, Chicago owns a 131-120 advantage, though history feels irrelevant when one team is eight games into a freefall. Recent form and situational angles do the heavy lifting here.
New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Sunday, February 22, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network, NBCS-Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
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Knicks vs Bulls Odds
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Knicks vs Bulls Team News
New York is relatively healthy heading into the United Center. Brunson (27.0 PPG, 6.1 APG) and KAT (19.9 PPG, 11.8 RPG) are the engine and the second engine, with Mikal Bridges providing a sneaky third gear, averaging 21.6 points per game across his last five road outings. OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson round out a rotation that doesn't have many soft spots. Coach Mike Brown's defense-first system has this group playing like a legitimate contender, and KAT shooting nearly 67% in the Houston win is a reminder of what this offense looks like when it's clicking.
Chicago is banged up and running thin. Jaden Ivey is out with a left knee injury, which strips one of their more dynamic offensive threats from the lineup. Josh Giddey is active and will facilitate the offense, and Buzelis and Collin Sexton (14.1 PPG) give them enough to stay competitive in bursts. Tre Jones (12.2 PPG, 5.9 APG) handles distribution when Giddey sits. The problem is the defense, ranked 25th-to-26th in the league depending on the metric, which gets torched by teams that can shoot from outside. The Knicks shoot from outside.
Prediction: Knicks 122, Bulls 110
New York is the sharper, deeper, more disciplined team in this matchup, and Chicago's eight-game skid is a structural problem, not a bad-luck stretch. The Bulls give up 120.5 points per night and don't have the personnel to fix it mid-season. Brunson attacks mismatches, KAT dominates the glass (expect a 6.2% offensive rebounding advantage to generate extra possessions throughout the night), and Bridges arriving hot from road trips turns this into a three-headed nightmare for a Chicago perimeter defense that ranks among the league's worst. The Knicks win this one comfortably.
That said, 10.5 points is a large number on the road, and the Bulls have covered in two of five games as 10.5-plus underdogs this season. Chicago can score (116.4 PPG, 11th in the league) and they move the ball well (68.5% assist rate). They're 17-15 in clutch situations, meaning they won't roll over. The projection gap here is closer to 7-8 points in reality once home court gets priced in, which puts the spread in interesting territory.
Best Bet: Over 231.5 (-128) Click here to get the best odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
Both teams combine for 234.1 points per game on average, already clearing this total. Chicago's defense surrenders 120.5 per night and ranks 26th in the league, and without Ivey slowing Brunson's driving lanes, the Knicks should carve through this defense with ease. Brunson over 26.5 points is a line worth a look too, priced at -116, and this matchup is exactly the kind of spot where he pours in 30. The Bulls have also hit the Over in four of their last five games. Add in the Knicks' 3rd-ranked three-point shooting against a Chicago perimeter defense giving up open looks on a nightly basis, and this game has shootout written all over it. Points stack fast tonight.
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