Hawks vs Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (4/17): DeRozan Steps Up

Today’s Hawks vs. Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament predictions and best bets are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from the NBA playoffs to the UFC odds and everything in between.

The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament continues on Tuesday with the Eastern Conference matchups. The No. 9 vs. 10 matchup sees the Atlanta Hawks (36-46) traveling to the United Center to face the Chicago Bulls (39-43) at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

THE EAST PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT IS SET 🔒

📺 Wednesday 4/17 | ESPN
🍿 Heat @ 76ers | 7 ET
🍿 Hawks @ Bulls | 9:30 ET pic.twitter.com/yq63j87RC0

— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2024

Considering how both teams are in the tournament, it isn’t shocking that neither has the best championship outlook. After all, BetOnline lists the Hawks and Bulls as being tied for the worst 2023-24 NBA Finals odds, listing both sides at +75000 to go on a championship run.

Which side will win tonight to advance to face the loser of Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers? Scroll through my Hawks vs. Bulls NBA predictions to find out my thoughts and to see my favorite bets for the night.

Hawks vs Bulls NBA Betting Tonight (4/17)

Hawks vs Bulls Matchup Information

• Matchup: Atlanta Hawks (36-46, 15-26 Away) vs. Chicago Bulls (39-43, 20-21 Home)
• Venue & Location: United Center (Chicago, IL)
• Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
• Game Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• How to Watch Hawks vs. Bulls: ESPN

Bulls vs Hawks NBA Betting Odds & Spread

Bulls vs. Hawks NBA odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Wednesday, April 17 at 8:45 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Hawks vs Bulls Spread

• Atlanta Hawks +3 (-105)
• Chicago Bulls -3 (-115)

Bulls vs Hawks Over/Under

• Over 222 Points (-110)
• Under 222 Points (-110)

Hawks vs Bulls Moneyline

• Atlanta Hawks (+135)
• Chicago Bulls (-195)

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Hawks vs Bulls NBA Betting Trends

• Atlanta is 1-6 straight up in its last seven road games.
• Chicago is 13-7 straight up in its last 20 games as the favorite.
• Atlanta is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games vs. Chicago.
• Chicago is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games played on Wednesday.
• The total hit the Over in 12 of Atlanta’s last 15 games.
• The total hit the Under in four of Chicago’s last six games vs. Atlanta

Hawks vs Bulls Predictions & NBA Picks Today (4/16): Who Plays for No. 8 Seed?

Tonight’s game is the only NBA Play-In Tournament matchup contested between two sub-.500 teams. Needless to say, it’s going to be interesting to see which side comes out on top.

The Hawks and Bulls met three times during the regular season, resulting in a pair of victories for the latter. Two of those clashes took place at the United Center with Atlanta most recently picking up a 113-101 victory on April 1.

Having said that, it’s been tough trusting the visitors lately. The Hawks enter the NBA postseason with negative momentum, having lost each of their last six games due to lackluster play on both sides of the ball. Those opponents averaged 124.8 points per game while outscoring Atlanta by an average of 21.6 PPG.

Making matters worse is that the Hawks have also dropped six of their last seven road games. That isn’t surprising given that Atlanta only has a 35.0% success rate on the road this season (No. 21), which drops to 28.9% when it’s the away underdog (19th).

For comparison, the Bulls have a 48.8% winning percentage as the home team (22nd).

The Hawks are struggling to find road success this season. 

Another thing that the Hawks have going against them is their inability to cover the spread. They’re a putrid 1-6 ATS in their last seven games on top of being 14-27 ATS on the road this season. Their 37.0% ATS success rate as the road underdog also ranks fifth-worst in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are 4-2 ATS in their six previous outings, as well as 6-1 ATS in their last seven games played on a Wednesday. Billy Donovan’s team also knows how to cover against tonight’s opponent, having gone 8-3 ATS in the last 11 matchups against the Hawks.

If the Bulls get rolling early on, the Hawks could have issues keeping things close again. Atlanta has a minus-8.3 first-half average scoring margin during its six-game slide, highlighting how the Hawks consistently find a way to fall behind early in the game.

Even though it’s a small sample size, I’d like to point out that the Bulls are averaging a plus-3.0 first-half margin in their last three games.

Can the Bulls take control early on to push the Hawks’ backs against the wall?

With the Hawks on a lengthy losing streak, I’m taking the Bulls to advance. I don’t expect Chicago to have a deep playoff run (or even make it out of the Play-In Tournament), but it shouldn’t have an issue beating a slumping Atlanta squad. The Hawks have looked like one of the worst teams in basketball lately, so look for the Bulls to take advantage of their woes.

With that in mind, the best bet is to take the Over on the 222-point total. Even though the Under is 4-2 in the last six Hawks-Bulls tilts, the last four meetings between these teams averaged 234.8 PPG with three of those contests finishing with at least 231 points.

With the Over being 4-1 in the Bulls’ last five games and 12-3 in the Hawks’ last 15, I expect quite a bit of scoring tonight.

Hawks vs Bulls NBA Prediction: CHI wins

Best Hawks vs Bulls NBA Bet: o222 Total Points (-110)

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Best Hawks vs Bulls NBA Prop Bet (4/17)

DeMar DeRozan knows how to step up when it matters the most, hence why I’m taking him to record 30+ points (-114) for the best Hawks vs. Bulls player prop bet.

DeRozan closed out the regular season as one of the league’s hottest players. The six-time NBA All-Star is averaging 30.3 points on .517/.364/.806 shooting splits across his last eight games, making good on this prop six times — including in each of his last four outings.

DeRozan also scored 31 points in his last outing against the Hawks and nearly hit this prop with a 29-point effort in the meeting before that. Given Atlanta’s recent defensive struggles, the 34-year-old veteran shouldn’t struggle to score this evening.

Best Lakers vs Pelicans Prop Bet: DeMar DeRozan to Record 30+ Points (-114)

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