New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Picks and Prediction for Sunday, February 22, 2026
It’s a battle of Eastern Conference teams on the hardwood as the New York Knicks travel to the Windy City as they take on the Chicago Bulls Sunday night and we have you covered with our Knicks vs. Bulls prediction. New York fell 126-111 at home to Detroit in their previous contest Thursday night, losing outright as a four-point favorite. Chicago was in action at home in a Central Division clash with the Pistons Saturday night in the front half of a back-to-back. The Bulls fell 110-101 at home to Toronto Thursday night in their previous game, failing to cover the line as a 6.5-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Bulls own a 131-120 advantage, but the Knicks picked up a 128-116 home win in the most recent matchup November 2, 2025. This article was published prior to the conclusion of the Bulls’ game with the Pistons Saturday night. Read more about this Knicks vs. Bulls prediction! When the going gets tough, our NBA Picks get winning!
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Knicks Trying to Gain Ground in Atlantic Division
New York fell for the third time in five games as they were gunned down by the Pistons at home in their first game out of the All-Star break. The Knicks entered Saturday 35-21 and stood second in the Atlantic Division, 1.5 games behind the Celtics for the top spot. They were fourth in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, seven games behind the Pistons for the top spot. The Knicks stood five games clear of the Magic to avoid the play-in tournament. Against Detroit, New York scored the game’s first five points and led 9-2 early only to trail 28-26 after the opening quarter. The Knicks never got even the rest of the way, trailing by 10 at the half, by 11 after three quarters and by as many as 19 en route to the loss New York shot 47.1% from the floor, including eight of 35 from beyond the arc, and allowed Detroit to shoot 51.6% in the contest. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
For the year, the Knicks are 8th in the league in scoring offense with 117.9 points per contest entering this game. New York is 4th in the league in rebounding as they collect 46.2 rebounds per game while they are 10th in the league in assists by dishing out 27.1 dimes per contest. The Knicks are 8th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 112.1 points per contest. Jalen Brunson (27.1 points, 6.1 assists) and Karl-Anthony Towns (19.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists) are the key scoring options for the Knicks this season. OG Anunoby (16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds), Mikal Bridges (15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, four assists), Josh Hart (12.1 points, 7.5 rebounds), Miles McBride (12.9 points), Jordan Clarkson (9.1 points), Tyler Kolek, Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Jeremy Sochan and Ariel Hukporti are key contributors for coach Tom Thibodeau. New York is 10th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 47.2% from the floor as a team. The Knicks are 4th in the league in threes per game as they knock down 14.9 triples a night while they are 3rd in three-point shooting by hitting 37.6% of their attempts from beyond the arc. New York is solid at the charity stripe, ranking 13th in the league by cashing in 78.9% of their attempts.
Key Injury Report for Knicks:
- Guard Miles McBride (ankle) is out.
Chicago Playing Second Game of Back-to-Back
Chicago entered Saturday’s game with Detroit on a seven-game losing skid as they play the second game of a back-to-back here. The Bulls entered Saturday 25-32 on the year and stood fourth in the Central Division, 18 games behind the Pistons for the top spot. They were 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, 6.5 games behind Philadelphia for the final guaranteed playoff spot and 1.5 games behind Charlotte for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Chicago is 3-6 in the second game of back-to-back situations with a –7.8-ppg scoring margin (112 ppg, 119.8 ppg against) in those situations. The Bulls are 15-13 at home with a -1.8-ppg scoring differential (115.7 ppg for, 117.5 ppg against) entering Saturday. Chicago is 16-23 with a -4.5-ppg scoring margin (114.4 ppg for, 118.9 ppg against) against Eastern Conference teams entering Saturday.
For the year, Chicago stands 11th in the league in scoring offense with an average of 116.5 points per contest. The Bulls are 13th in rebounding as they collect an average of 44.7 boards a night while they are 4th in assists by handing out an average of 29.1 dimes per contest. Chicago is 26th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 120.4 points per game this season. Josh Giddey (18.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists), Anfernee Simons (14.5 points), Matas Buzelis (15 points, 5.4 rebounds), Collin Sexton (14.3 points) and Tre Jones (12.4 points, 5.8 assists) are solid scoring options. Jalen Smith (10.1 points, seven rebounds), Patrick Williams, Guerschon Yabusele, Nick Richards, Jaden Ivey, Dalen Terry, Rob Dillingham, Isaac Okoro and Julian Phillips are looked at to provide valuable minutes as well. As a team, Chicago is 13th in the league in field goal percentage as they knock down 47.3% of their shots on the year. The Bulls are 6th in the league by knocking down 14.6 three-pointers per contest while they stand 8th by hitting 36.5% of their attempts from beyond the arc on the year. Chicago is an above average team at the charity stripe as they are shooting 78.9% as a team on the year, putting them 12th in the league.
Key Injury Report for Bulls:
- Forward Zach Collins (toe) is out.
- Guard Jaden Ivey (knee) is out.
Knicks vs. Bulls Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ricky Tran | +4,795.00 |
| 2 |  Nick Parsons | +4,721.00 |
| 3 |  Mark Ruelle | +3,688.00 |
| 4 |  David Delano | +3,140.00 |
| 5 |  Trent Bets | +2,534.00 |
Knicks vs. Bulls Spread Pick
- Knicks (4 units)
New York has been up and down of late but is still in striking distance for the top spot in the Atlantic Division as they stand just 1.5 games behind the Celtics. Chicago has dropped seven straight entering Saturday and plays the second game of a back-to-back, plus their third game in four nights here. The Bulls overhauled their rotation at the trade deadline but their new pieces haven’t really jelled yet to this point. Throw in a back-to-back and three games in four nights doesn’t help matters for Chicago, even with no travel involved. Take the Knicks in this contest as a result as they get back in the win column.
Knicks vs. Bulls Over/Under Pick
- Under (4 units)
New York entered Saturday night having seen the over post a 28-28 mark on the season in their opening 56 games. The Knicks are 8th in scoring offense, 3rd in offensive efficiency, 8th in defensive efficiency and 24th in tempo with 97.8 possessions per game. Chicago has seen the over post a 28-27 mark in their 55 games on the year. The Bulls enter this one 11th in the league in scoring offense, 21st in offensive efficiency and 5th in tempo with an average of 101.6 possessions a night. They are a dismal 26th in scoring defense and 26th in defensive efficiency on the year. With the Bulls missing so many pieces we saw earlier in the year and fatigue being a factor, this one winds up at a slower tempo. Take the under in this contest as a result.
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