NBA: Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks meet in the second of direct back-to-back games. The first one saw the Bulls beating the Hawks in Georgia, and now it is time to see them square off in Illinois. Troubles are overwhelming the Hawks, who are now without Bogdan Bogdanovic and several other players. Their results were pretty bad in recent times, but given all the circumstances, Nate McMillan’s unit couldn’t do any better. Meanwhile, the Bulls are on fire, having four triumphs in a row and posting excellent offensive performances.

Preview

Atlanta Hawks (15-18, +290) lost Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Solomon Hill, and several other players because of COVID-19 protocols. So Trae Young’s comeback has been void due to all these absences.

The Hawks have only two wins in the past six games, and are coming into this event following back-to-back defeats, in New York vs. Knicks and the latest one at home against the Bulls, 130-118. Atlanta allowed the Bulls to shoot 54.8% from the field, which was the biggest reason for their failure.

Cam Reddish scored 33 buckets, the team-high, while Trae Young dropped 29 with nine assists, shooting 12-for-12 free throws. Bogdanovic had 20 and Gorgui Deng 12. It was apparent that the Hawks lacked offensive diversity, which is their biggest strength.

Chicago Bulls (21-10, -370) have four consecutive victories and look very, very sharp. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve scored 130 or more points in two of the last three events, against the Rockets and the Hawks.

But that is not a big deal when you have DeRozan and LaVine, two guys who are among the best attackers in the NBA. DeRozan is the fourth-best scorer in league with 27.4 buckets, while LaVine drops 26.4 and is one place behind his teammate on the list. DD had 35 points and 10 assists against the Hawks, while LaVine delivered 30 with nine dimes.

We need to underline Nikola Vucevic’s productivity. The big man had 24 points with 17 boards and six dimes, being the one who does all the dirty work, controlling the paint, and protecting the rim. That is why head coach Billy Donovan often praises the All-Star center.

Head to Head Games

In the 2020/21 season, the Hawks won all three games, sweeping the big rivals. As mentioned previously, the most recent game in this campaign (December 26) saw the Bulls rolling over the Hawks in Atlanta, 130-118.

The home team opened the game better, winning the first quarter, 36-31, but collapsed afterward, when the Bulls took over the control.

Prediction

The Bulls are massive favorites here, and we believe that they won’t have any trouble in beating the shorthanded Hawks. Though the problem, in this case, is that the profits on this pick are too low. That’s why we suggest betting on the hosts to cover an 8-point spread. Chicago’s roster is much deeper, and apart from that, the Bulls have two lethal scorers who won’t have a proper competitor on the other side. The spread will go up as time goes by, so react quickly and take this offer while it lasts.

Pick: Bulls -8

Check out the preview for the game Clippers vs. Celtics.