Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

NBA regular-season action will resume on Thursday night with a heavyweight Eastern Conference bout between the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. Coverage begins from United Center in Chicago at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Score Prediction

Bulls 121, Hawks 114

Best Bets

Bulls -3.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Hawks vs. Bulls Predictions

After finishing fifth in the East with a record of 41-31 SU last year, Atlanta stumbled out to a surprisingly poor start to this season, as the Hawks opened with a frustrating 17-25 SU and 15-27 ATS skid – despite getting tagged as favorites in 25 of those matchups.

The Hawks have played solid basketball since the midway point of January though, considering Atlanta enters Thursday riding a sturdy 11-5 SU and ATS run – while scoring 116.9 PPG and allowing just 111.2 PPG across that span.

On the other hand, Chicago absolutely dominated to open to the season, as the Bulls kicked things off with an impressive 26-10 SU and 22-14 ATS run – with five of those SU victories coming in matchups they were underdogs in.

The Bulls have been ravaged by health issues since mid-January though, considering Chicago is just 11-10 SU and 12-8-1 ATS across their last 21 games – which includes a 2-5 SU record without All-Star SG Zach LaVine, and a record of 9-5 SU with him during that timeframe.

I’ll lay the points with Chicago here, as the Bulls are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS since Lavine’s return, while generating 121.7 OPPG during that span – likely presenting a difficult task for a Hawks squad that’s surrendered 114.1 DPPG across their latest 4-5 SU skid.

Hawks vs. Bulls Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Hawks vs. Bulls Betting Resources

• Matchup: Central vs. Southeast
• Date: Thursday, February 24, 2022
• Venue: United Center
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• TV-Time: NBA League Pass - 8:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks Betting Analysis

• SU: 28-30
• ATS: 26-32
• O/U: 32-26

The Hawks entered this season with relatively high expectations following last year’s unexpected trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, as Atlanta dominated the Knicks in a five-game first-round set, and then stunned the top-seeded Sixers in the second – before inevitably falling short against Milwaukee.

Atlanta has been incredibly inconsistent since New Year’s Day though, considering the Hawks enter Thursday riding a frustrating 12-11 SU and ATS skid – while averaging 114.7 OPPG and allowing 113.6 DPPG defensively across that span.

Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis

• SU: 38-21
• ATS: 35-23-1
• O/U: 32-26-1

After finishing 11^th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, Chicago went out and made some aggressive acquisitions during the offseason, which resulted in a fully rejuvenated Bulls squad, as Lavine now finds himself partnered up with a stout supporting cast that includes DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and other considerably talented counterparts.

The Bulls recently stalled due to health concerns though, considering Chicago sits just 11-10 SU and 12-8-1 ATS across their last 21 games – but half of those SU losses came in the absence of LaVine (5).

Hawks vs. Bulls Head-to-Head

The Hawks swept a three-game regular-season set against Chicago last year, with all three matchups staying under the total set for Thursday’s affair at an average of 220.3 PPG. The Bulls are 2-0 SU against Atlanta this season though, with both contests soaring over the total at an average of 248 PPG.

Key Players to Watch

• ATL: Trae Young - PG (27.8 PPG, 3.9 REB, 9.3 AST)
• ATL: Clint Capela - C (10.7 PPG, 12.1 REB, 1.4 BLK)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - PG (24.6 PPG, 4.9 REB, 4.5 AST)
• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SG (28.1 PPG, 5.2 REB, 5.1 AST)

Hawks vs. Bulls Betting Conclusion

After cruising into the All-Star Break riding a five-game win streak, the Bulls enter Thursday’s contest as four-point home favorites over the Hawks at United Center – marking the fifth time Atlanta has been an underdog across their last ten games.

I’ll lay the points with Chicago here, as the Hawks return from All-Star Weekend riding a bumpy 4-5 SU skid, while surrendering a lofty 114.1 DPPG across that span – setting the stage for a tough road matchup against a Bulls squad that’s scored 120+ PTS in five of their last six games (121.7 OPPG).

Hawks vs. Bulls Betting Trends

• The Hawks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games.
• The Bulls are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 matchups against Atlanta.
• The total has gone OVER in fourof the last five Hawks' games.
• The Bulls are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 12 Bulls' games.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson