Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Picks and Predictions Dec 27
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls betting preview for Monday, December 27. At the time of posting, the Bulls are holding steady as a 5.5-point road favorite in Atlanta, with the total sitting at 210 points.
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| Mon, Dec 27 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Chicago Bulls -5.5 at Atlanta Hawks |
| Total: | 210 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:10pm ET / 4:10am PT |
| Arena: | State Farm Arena |
| TV: | NBA TV / Fox Sports Southeast |
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Analysis
The Chicago Bulls make a short trip to State Farm Arena for a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the NBATV Monday night doubleheader. A watered-down version of the Hawks got a Christmas day beat down in New York, as the Knicks prevailed 101-87.
Meanwhile the Bulls got a star back from Covid protocols, only to add a new name to the list. The Bulls are coming off a 113-105 victory at home yesterday against the Indiana Pacers. This will be the first of four meetings between these conference rivals that includes the second game of consecutive meetings Wednesday in Chicago.
After 30 games the Chicago Bulls have earned themselves a 20-10 record, good for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have have won three straight games and seven of their past ten while working thru Covid issues.
Zach Lavine just returned from Covid protocols by tagging himself in for Lonzo Ball to tag out. Ball will be out along with Tom Bradley, Alfonzo McKinnie and head coach Billy Donovan. Three of the Bulls games were canceled over the past week or so, two due to their Covid issues and one due the Raptors.
Alex Caruso has been out with a hamstring injury and that appears to be the case again tonight. Chicago has performed consistently, they rank 12th in scoring and 9th in defensive rating on the season.
This will be the 2nd game of a back-to-back after last night’s win against the Pacers. However the Bulls have thrived in that role recently, as they have covered five of their last seven on the 2nd of a back-to-back.
The Atlanta Hawks have an extensive injury report due to being hit hard by Covid. Atlanta has 11 players out for this game, most notably Trae Young, John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter and DeAndre Hunter. The Hawks will need to get production from unlikely sources if they have any chance to beat the Bulls.
With so many players out Cam Reddish will be their leading scorer with 12.1 points per game. Followed by Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic who each average a little bit over 11 points a game.
The Chicago Bulls are favored by 5.5 points with a total of 210. The Atlanta Hawks started the season with an amazing track record at home, but have failed to cover in their last 8 home games. Chicago has covered the spread in 8 of their last 10 games as a road favorite.
The Bulls have been amazing in the second game of back-to-backs and they should be well rested as they hadn’t played since Wednesday prior to last night. The Bulls are missing Ball and Caruso, but still have their big three. On the other hand the Hawks are decimated, with their top two scorers out, as well as several key role players.
Our official play will be to lay the six points with the Chicago Bulls. It’s just been the theme recently, fade the team that is extremely short-handed.
Official Play: Chicago Bulls -5.5
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Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Preview from GoldSheet
Atlanta has ten players in protocols as of Sunday, with John Collins and Jalen Johnson the newest additions to a group that also includes Trae Young and Kevin Huerter. Collins was about the last true piece of the Hawks puzzle available on Christmas Day at MSG and responded with 20 points in the 101-87 loss to the Knicks, but Nate McMillan now has to find some more bodies for 10-day contracts, and might have to give Kevin Willis or Dominique Wilkins a call as a last resort.
This quick trip home for one game vs. the Bulls precedes a six-game trip that also starts at United Center on Wednesday, and Chicago looks in a bit better condition at the moment with three wins on the trot, and Zach LaVine back from protocols to score 32 in Sunday’s home win over the Pacers.
Though not all hands on deck for the Bulls, who recently had three games postponed (including a pair vs. the Raptors because of cross-border factors), and with Lonzo Ball now in protocols as well as HC Billy Donovan, but enough of the core is present with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic to have a much-more familiar look at the moment than Atlanta. Trust the Hawks to have a more-normal look the next time the Bulls come to town on January 24. Play Chicago.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Monday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls clash, from a betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Monday’s NBA games, including this Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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