Hawks vs. Bulls: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Hawks vs. Bulls Odds
| Hawks Odds | +1 |
| Bulls Odds | -1 |
| Over/Under | 239 |
| Date | Mon, Jan. 23 |
| Time | 8:00 p.m. |
| TV | NBA TV |
The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls will start the new week with a matchup at the United Center on Monday evening. Entering play, Atlanta (24-23) is 1.5 games ahead of Chicago (21-24) in the Eastern Conference, with both teams currently occupying a play-in position in the standings. Tonight, oddsmakers are expecting a competitive game between these two teams, pricing the Bulls as 1-point home favorites on the spread.
Atlanta Hawks
Capela’s impact
In four games since Clint Capela returned from injury, the Hawks are 3-1, with their lone defeat coming by four points against the Charlotte Hornets. On the season, Atlanta is 18-13 with Capela in the lineup, but only 6-10 when he is out of commission.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the team ranks in the 66th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 56th percentile in defensive efficiency with Capela on the floor this season, compared to the 29th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 45th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Young finding his groove
Prior to December 15, Trae Young was shooting 40.8% from the floor and 28.5% from beyond-the-arc, per Kevin Chouinard. Since that point, Young has scored 25 points or more in 12 of 16 games, during which Atlanta is 10-6.
In Atlanta’s first 29 games this season, they ranked 23rd out of 30 teams in offensive efficiency, scoring 110.3 points per 100 possessions. In their last 16 contests, they rank fifth in offensive efficiency, scoring 117.1 points per 100 possessions.
Chicago Bulls
Who are the Bulls?
In their last 20 games, the Bulls are 10-10, ranking 18th in the NBA in Net Rating in that span, having been outscored by 0.4 points per 100 possessions. During this period of mediocrity, Chicago ranks 14th in offensive efficiency and 21st in defensive efficiency, with seemingly no identity on a night-to-night basis.
Struggling to defend the perimeter
Playing at home this season, Chicago has been ineffectual defending the perimeter of the floor, ranking 26th in opponent three-point attempts per game and 21st in opponent three-point percentage. Hosting the Golden State Warriors less than 10 days ago, they allowed Klay Thompson to hit eight shots from beyond-the-arc, with the Warriors shooting 21-of-51 (41.2%) as a team from distance.
Chicago could have difficulty in this area of the game once again on Monday, facing an Atlanta offense that ranks eighth in three-point percentage across their last 18 games.
Hawks vs. Bulls – Picks & Predictions
The primary concern for bettors considering a wager on the Hawks this evening is that this organization is 43-58 on the road since the beginning of the 2020-2021 campaign. In 24 games to begin this season, Atlanta is 11-13 on the road.
Compensating for the fact that the Hawks have not proven themselves capable of consistently closing-out games away from home, bettors should turn their attention to the first half of this contest. Chicago has played only one game in the last seven days, which was a contest in Paris against the hapless Detroit Pistons. It has been a considerable amount of time since Chicago played a team of Atlanta’s caliber, which could lead to a slow start for the home favorites in this spot. Factor in potential jet lag from Chicago’s international travels and Atlanta becomes a worthwhile wager for the first 24 minutes of this contest.
PICK: Hawks ML – 1H (-105, FanDuel)
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