The NBA has nine games on the scoreboard this Friday, including an NBA TV doubleheader that tips off with the Chicago Bulls visiting the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This will be the teams’ final meeting of the regular season. The Knicks won their last matchup in New York, 128-116, and have taken two of the first three games of the series. Ahead of the series finale, let’s break down both sides of the Eastern Conference matchup and find a few strong player prop bets to back.
The Knicks are heavy 14.5 home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with an elevated game total of 237.5 points.
The Knicks are looking for win No. 50 this season, coming into the night at 49-28, good for third in the East. New York has been especially strong at home, posting a 27-9 record at MSG. Meanwhile, the Bulls are attempting to avoid losing 50 games this season. They are 29-47 with six games to go and have lost nine of their last 11, including five straight. On Wednesday, the Bulls lost by 19 to the Pacers, while the Knicks coasted to an 11-point road win over the Grizzlies.
The Bulls have Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Mac McClung, Lachlan Olbrich, and Guerschon Yabusele as probable for Friday’s contest, while Nick Richards is questionable, and Jalen Smith and Anfernee Simons remain out. For the Knicks, only Karl-Anthony Towns is on the injury report, listed as questionable with an elbow impingement.
Bulls at Knicks Best Prop Bets
Josh Giddey Over 17.5 Rebounds + Assists (-119)
Josh Giddey is averaging 17.6 combined rebounds and assists per game this season, and he’s probable to return after sitting out Wednesday’s contest with hamstring tightness. Rebounding swiftly from an early-season ankle injury, Giddey has cleared 17.5 rebounds-plus-assists in five of his last six games — and 12 of his last 14.
Save for Monday’s 17-rebounds-plus-assist performance against the Spurs, Giddey has only had one other performance falling below the prop line, which was in limited action against the Raptors. Giddey has crushed this prop line in two of three matchups with the Knicks this season, topping out at 23 combined rebounds and assists in early November. While he only had eight rebounds-plus-assists in his latest meeting with New York, he played just 23 minutes.
If Giddey and the Bulls can keep this game close, he has a good chance to get at least 18 rebounds and assists in his return. When available, Giddey’s numbers have been strong, making him a good spot to start your player prop bets Friday night.
OG Anunoby Under 19.5 Points + Assists (-108)
With Karl-Anthony Towns questionable, the Knicks’ props are a little hard to lock in. But whether KAT plays or not, OG Anunoby is likely to stay under this prop line. Anunoby went over it with 28 points and assists on Wednesday against the Grizzlies, but that was without Jalen Brunson (ankle), who will be back in action on Friday.
Anunoby has averaged 18.9 combined points and assists this season. Before Wednesday’s big game, he fell below the prop line in 12 of 19 games (63%).
Even if KAT sits, the extra work would likely go to other players, such as Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges, rather than Anunoby. While he does have the ability to step up if needed, he will likely slide back into a complementary role due to Brunson’s return.
Tre Jones Over 22.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-108)
Tre Jones has been very involved in the Bulls’ rotation alongside Josh Giddey since the trade deadline. Anfernee Simons may have cut into his playing time, but Simons has been out with an injury, leaving Jones with plenty of work to do.
Jones has averaged 21.9 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) this season, but that number has ballooned to 25.7 PRA over his last 17 games. He has cleared this prop line in 12 games during that stretch, including six straight before playing fewer minutes in Wednesday’s blowout loss.
With Giddey back in the fold, he and Jones should run a much more efficient version of Chicago’s offense on Friday. If they keep things competitive, Jones is a strong candidate to clear his PRA line against the Knicks.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Josh Hart Over 12.5 Points (-123)
If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) for the Friday night matchup, one way to boost the odds even higher is to take the over on Josh Hart’s attainable scoring line. Adding this as the fourth player prop into the mix boosts the SGP all the way up to +900 for these four Bulls-Knicks bets.
Hart is averaging 12.2 points per game this season, clearing this prop line in five of six games before a quiet performance without Brunson on Wednesday. Hart averaged 13.8 points across 13 games in March, including a 33-point explosion against the Pacers. If KAT is out, Hart should help fill in the gaps. Even if Towns plays, Hart still has a good shot to score at least 13 points against the Bulls.
