Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

Regular-season NBA action will resume on Thursday night with a captivating Eastern Conference showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. Coverage begins from State Farm Arena in Atlanta at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

Score Prediction

Bulls 116, Hawks 110

Best Bets

Bulls -1.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Bulls vs. Hawks Predictions

After finishing 11^th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, Chicago bounced back with an excellent start to this season, as the Bulls opened 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 decimated by health issues since mid-January though, considering Chicago enters Thursday riding a bumpy 12-12 SU and 13-10-1 ATS stretch – which includes a 2-5 SU record without All-Star SG Zach LaVine, and a record of 10-7 SU with him.

On the other hand, Atlanta stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start to the 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 boasts a sturdy record of 12-7 SU and ATS across their last 19 games – while scoring 115.9 OPPG and allowing just 110.4 DPPG during that timeframe.

I’ll back Chicago here, as the Hawks are 4-6 SU and ATS in their last ten games, while scoring 114.4 OPPG and allowing 112.5 DPPG during that span – setting the stage for a tough home matchup against a Bulls squad that’s averaging 115.9 OPPG across their latest 6-2 SU stretch.

Bulls vs. Hawks Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Bulls vs. Hawks Betting Resources

• Matchup: Central vs. Southeast
• Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022
• Venue: State Farm Arena
• Location: Atlanta, GA
• TV-Time: NBA League Pass - 7:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis

• SU: 39-23
• ATS: 36-25-1
• O/U: 32-29-1

After finishing 11^th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, the Bulls went out and made some aggressive acquisitions during the offseason, ultimately reshaping their entire roster, as LaVine now finds himself partnered up with a stout supporting cast that includes DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and others.

The Bulls have recently stalled out due to various health issues though, considering Chicago enters Thursday riding a lackluster 12-12 SU and 13-10-1 ATS stretch – with nearly half of those SU losses coming in the absence of LaVine (5).

Atlanta Hawks Betting Analysis

• SU: 29-32
• ATS: 27-34
• O/U: 33-28

The Hawks entered this season with high expectations following last year’s unexpected Eastern Conference Finals run, 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 in a competitive six-game ECF set.

Atlanta has been incredibly inconsistent since the dawn of the New Year though, considering the Hawks are just 13-12 SU and ATS in their last 25 games – while yielding averages of 113.6 OPPG and 111.8 DPPG across that span.

Bulls vs. Hawks Head-to-Head

The Hawks swept a three-game regular-season set against Chicago last year, with the first two matchups going over the total at an average of 228 PPG – while the final event stayed under with a score of 108-97. Chicago is a clean 3-0 SU and ATS against Atlanta this season though, with the first two matchups soaring well over at an average of 248 PPG – while their most recent meeting stayed under with a score of 112-108.

Key Players to Watch

• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SG (28.2 PPG, 5.3 REB, 5 AST)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - PG (24.5 PPG, 4.8 REB, 4.5 AST)
• ATL: Trae Young - PG (27.9 PPG, 3.8 REB, 9.3 AST)
• ATL: Clint Capela - C (10.6 PPG, 12.1 REB, 1.4 BLK)

Bulls vs. Heat Betting Conclusion

After posting a double-digit loss in Miami on Monday night (L. 112-109), the Bulls hit the road again for Thursday’s contest as short home favorites over the Hawks at State Farm Arena – marking the third time Atlanta has been an underdog across their last four games.

I’ll back Chicago here, as the Bulls are 3-0 SU and ATS against Atlanta this season, with two of those victories coming by 12+ PTS – and I highly doubt this skidding Hawks squad will have much of an answer the fourth time around (L10, 4-6 SU).

Bulls vs. Heat Betting Trends

• The Bulls are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games.
• The total has gone OVER in five straight Hawks' home games.
• The total has gone UNDER in five of the last six Bulls' games.
• The Hawks are 4-6 ATS in their last ten games.
• The Bulls are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 matchups against Atlanta.

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