The 26-year-old boldly predicted he would run 19.10 in the 200, which would break Usain Bolt's 2009 world record of 19.19, though that long shot would only conceivably come in Friday's final.
Lyles was ill with Covid ahead of last month's U.S. trials.
"I try to make all my races look as easy as possible, even if they aren't," said Lyles, who is seeking to become the first man to do the sprint double since Bolt in 2015.
The 19-year-old Knighton has a personal best of 19.49 - second fastest in the field - and season's best of 19.72.
"Noah Lyles will attack the world record, and maybe, if I push him hard, he could set it."
Persons:
Noah Lyles, Aleksandra Szmigiel, Lyles, Bolt, Andrew Hudson, I'm, Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton, Knighton, Bednarek, Britain's Zharnel Hughes, John Regis's, Tebogo, Andre De Grasse, Lori Ewing, Mitch Phillips, Pritha Sarkar
Organizations:
Athletics Centre, Rights, London Diamond League, Thomson
Locations:
Budapest, Hungary, U.S