The 2024 NBA Playoffs will continue on Wednesday night as there will be a pair of Eastern Conference play-in games taking place. The Atlanta Hawks are set to visit the Chicago Bulls in one of those games as this will feature the 9th and 10th place teams.
Atlanta finished the regular season with an overall record of 36-46 this season, and that was good enough for just 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks have gone just 3-7 in their last 10 games, including five straight losses.
Chicago finished the year by winning five of their final 10 games to get to 39-43 on the season. The Bulls got the number nine seed in the Eastern Conference, but this team was a major disappointment for much of the season.
The Chicago Bulls are 3.5-point betting favorites in this game, and the over/under line for this matchup is set at 220.5 total points.
Hawks Looking to Score
The Atlanta Hawks come into this game scoring over 118 points per game, and that’s more than enough to have some success in this league. Atlanta just hasn’t been able to get stops on the other end of the floor, and that is where the problem comes in.
Trae Young has played in just 54 games so far this season, but he is averaging 25.7 points and 10.8 assists per game this season. Dejounte Murray can also score for this team as he has chipped in with 22.5 points per game.
Things tend to slow down a bit in the postseason, and the Hawks are going to have to find a way to score points in the halfcourt. Atlanta can win this game if they get hot from deep, but they must also need to play some defense.
Bulls Must Get Stops
The Chicago Bulls are averaging just 112 points per game this season, and they are not going to be able to get a win by outscoring the Hawks. Chicago has been playing better on the offensive end of late, but things still don’t come easy for this team.
DeMar DeRozan is leading the team with 24 points per game, and Coby White is capable of taking over a game as well. The Bulls will need to shoot the ball well in this one, but they can take control in a different way.
This team has the ability to completely lock down an opponent, and that will be their focus in this matchup. Look for the Bulls to come up with some huge stops, and they will look to slow down the tempo at every turn.
Bulls Blow Out the Hawks
Atlanta has the look and feel of a team that is ready to end the 2023-24 season, and they are limping into the postseason. The Hawks just don’t have a roster that is good enough to compete with other great NBA teams, and that is going to be a problem on Wednesday night.
Chicago will have home court advantage in this game, and they also have some proven veterans that know how to perform in the postseason. The Bulls are a much better defensive team in this game, and they are also going to come up with some clutch shots to spread this game out.
Betting the Chicago Bulls at -3.5 is the best betting option to explore in this game, and it’s also wise to bet the over 220.5 total points in this matchup.
