Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Odds, Analysis and Prediction

Huge game regarding the Eastern Conference play-in tournament tonight when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Chicago Bulls – the teams could play in that play-in tournament next week. The Hawks will be without starter DeAndre Hunter for sure tonight and perhaps All-Star Trae Young. Thus, the Bulls are -4 on the NBA odds.

Hawks’ Trae Young Questionable For Crucial Game vs. Bulls Tuesday

When: April 4 at 8:00 pm ET
Where: United Center, Chicago, IL
TV / Streaming: NBA League Pass, Bally SE, NBCS Chi.

At 39-39, Atlanta sits eighth in the East. The Hawks come off a 132-130 OT home win over Dallas on Sunday. Young recorded a double-double with 24 points and 12 assists despite hitting just 8-for-24 from the floor. Young’s shooting woes continued as he shot worse than 40% in a third straight game. Dejounte Murray led the way with 25 points, but seven different players were able to score in double figures, with Onyeka Okongwu and Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring 14 and 16 points, respectively. John Collins was able to record his first double-double since January with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Young is now dealing with a non-COVID illness and thus in question tonight. For the second straight season, Young is leading the NBA in total assists, dishing out 705 dimes. It’s the second time in his career he’s handed out 700+ helpers in a single season (737, 2021-22), joining Doc Rivers as the only Hawks to have multiple seasons with 700-or-more assists (823, 1986-87 and 747, 1987-88).

Young has 1,862 total points this season, the 23rd-most points in a single season in franchise history. He’s only 19 points away from surpassing Pete Maravich (1,880, 1970-71) for the 22nd-most points in a single season and 21 points shy of passing Bob Pettit (1,882, 1959-60) for the 21st-most points in a Hawks single season.

Dejounte Murray is coming off his 39th outing of the season with at least 20 points on Sunday night, the most 20-or-more point outings in a single season in his career (previously 38, 2021-22). Sunday’s contest marked the 27th time this season both Murray and Young finished with at least 20 points in the same game, the most such games by any backcourt duo in the NBA this season.

Atlanta held Dallas to shooting just .263% from three-point land on Sunday night. It marked the club’s 24th time this season they’ve held their opponent to shooting under .300 three-point percentage, holding a 21-3 mark when doing so. It’s the most such games by the Hawks in a single season since the 2016-17 campaign (25).

Hunter (bone bruise and muscle strain, left knee) will remain sidelined for Tuesday’s matchup. Hunter will miss a third straight game, which means that Saddiq Bey should get another start. Across his last two starts, Bey has averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Chicago (38-34) sits 10th in the East and could clinch no worse than a spot in the play-in tournament with a win. The Bulls rallied for a 128-107 win over Memphis on Sunday, outscoring the Western Conference’s second-place team 75-39 over the final two quarters after trailing by 23. They dominated the Grizzlies 40-16 in the third, ending it on a 17-0 run while taking the lead. And they responded with another big push in the fourth after Memphis pulled within three.

Zach LaVine had 36 points and DeMar DeRozan 31. It was their 20th game this season with 30-plus points, becoming the first Bulls duo to ever both tally 20 such games in a single season. Chicago finished with three turnovers vs. Memphis, tying the fewest turnovers by a Bulls team in any game in franchise history (most recent – 3/2/14 vs. New York). Coby White needs to make one three-pointer to pass Michael Jordan (555) for fifth all-time in 3FGM in Bulls history.

The Bulls are 2-1 vs. the Hawks this season. DeRozan has led the Bulls in the scoring in all three matchups, averaging 29.3 ppg. LaVine has scored at least 20 points in his last nine games versus the Hawks. Chicago is 3-2 in its last five meetings with Atlanta. The Bulls have not lost to the Hawks at home since Dec. 23, 2020.

The Bulls (.492) have been one of the hotter shooting teams this season, ranking third in the NBA in shooting percentage. The Bulls have shot .500 FG% or better in each of the last six games, marking the team’s longest streak shooting at least .500 from the floor since 1990-91. Defensively, the Bulls first in the NBA in defensive rating (110.7) since Jan. 1.