The final day of the NBA regular season is here, and all 30 teams are in action.
The Bulls travel to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks in Game 82 for both squads, but the motivation level is different for both teams.
Chicago has already locked up the ninth seed in the Play-In Tournament and will host the Hawks in a one-game playoff for a shot at the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks will likely finish as the second or third seed, needing a win plus a Milwaukee loss to Orlando to grab the second position.
This will mark the third meeting between the Knicks and Bulls in a 10-day span to close the season.
The two squads split a pair of games at United Center, with the Knicks rolling past Chicago, 128-117, on April 9 as 5-point favorites.
Sunday’s number has ballooned all the way to 15.5 points, as the Bulls will likely rest some of their key players.
Chicago escaped past Washington on Friday, 129-127, without top players DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in the lineup.
The Knicks rallied to beat the Nets on Friday, 111-107, but failed to cover as 11-point home favorites.
Betting on the NBA?
It marked the first non-cover for New York as a double-digit favorite in the past four opportunities.
It’s hard to think what the Knicks’ motivation is regarding seeding, since so many different scenarios can unfold on the final day.
This is too many points to lay, even against a Chicago team that doesn’t need to win for seeding.
The play: Bulls +15.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
