Is Jalen Brunson Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Knicks vs. Mavericks)

UPDATE: Jalen Brunson will return on Wednesday against Dallas.

New York's Jalen Brunson will return to action tonight against the Dallas Mavericks (9:30 pm ET on ESPN) after missing one week with a Grade 1 ankle sprain.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2025

New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson has missed the team's last two games with a Grade 1 ankle sprain, but it appears he could make his return on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks have upgraded Brunson to questionable for this matchup after he missed matchups with the Miami Heat (twice) on Friday and Monday. Brunson missed a lot of time with an ankle injury last season, but it appears that this one is not as serious.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) is upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game vs DAL, Knicks announce.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) November 18, 2025

Brunson worked out on the floor before the Knicks' loss to the Heat on Monday, and New York would love to get the All-NBA guard back in action against a beatable Dallas team.

The Knicks are 0-4 on the road this season, and they'd love to flip that script with a win as road favorites tonight.

Jalen Brunson getting pregame work in. Looks like we could see him in Dallas? pic.twitter.com/Af0hkrlst7
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) November 17, 2025

That's another sign that Brunson may suit up, as the Knicks are favored by 5.5 points on the road even with the star guard and OG Anunoby both on the injury report.

This season, Brunson is averaging 28.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while leading the Knicks to a 7-4 record in the 11 games he's appeared in. New York is just 1-1 in the games that Brunson has missed.

If the star guard returns on Wednesday, he could be worth a look in the prop market in this matchup.

Best Jalen Brunson Prop Bet vs. Mavericks

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jalen Brunson OVER 26.5 Points (-105)

Dallas currently ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive rating, but I'm buying Brunson in this matchup against his former team -- if he's able to suit up.

Brunson is averaging 28.0 points on 20.8 shots per game this season, knocking down 46.7 percent of his shots from the field. In addition to that, the star guard has cleared 26.5 points in seven of his 11 games this season, putting up at least 30 points in six of those matchups.

With OG Anunoby (hamstring) out for this game, the Knicks are going to need someone to step up as a scorer, as they struggled to get things going on Monday against Miami.

Brunson should see a pretty usual workload if he's ruled in for this matchup, and Dallas lacks an elite guard defender to put on him. Sure, the Mavs have a lot of wings and frontcourt players, but it's unclear who would matchup on the Knicks star in this game.

I think Brunson can reach his season average on Wednesday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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