Hawks vs. Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament Best Bet: Expect a High-Scoring Showdown

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Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against Tre Mann #23 of the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 10, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP

NBA Pick: Over 221 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

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Over 221 (-110)
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The top-rated sportsbooks have released their NBA odds for Wednesday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls.

For your best bets, I will recommend investing in the “over.”

To get a detailed breakdown and preview of today’s NBA matchups, be sure to tune in to Bookmakers Review’s YouTube channel. Today, our expert covered the Lakers vs. Pelicans and Warriors vs. Kings games.

If you’re thinking about wagering on more games, keep reading for a thorough analysis.


Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 – 09:30 PM ET at United Center


Atlanta’s Offense 

On offense, Atlanta wants to shoot a lot of threes. Several players, such as Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic, gladly attempt a high volume of threes.

One player worth highlighting is De’Andre Hunter. He is attempting the most threes per game than he ever has before. At the same time, he is converting threes at the highest rate in his career. But even lesser-known Hawks players will contribute to Atlanta’s overall three-point shooting endeavor.

Overall, the Hawks make the sixth-most threes per game. The difference between their ability to make threes at home versus on the road is negligible.

Chicago’s Perimeter Defense 

The Bulls would most gladly face offenses that prefer to attempt shots near the basket. Atlanta is going to succeed against the Bulls because it does just the opposite.

Chicago’s perimeter defense commits one error after another, whether players are gambling, overhelping, and so on. The Bulls rank dead last at limiting opposing three-point attempts. They allow the second-most open three-point attempts and the fifth-most wide-open ones.

Evidently, they struggle to run teams off the three-point line and to contest opposing three-point shots.

Bulls’ perimeter defense Ayo Dosunmu is listed as a game-time decision with his quadricep injury. His injury is crucial because he’s had success limiting Atlanta’s star point guard Trae Young. Even if he plays, it seems likely that he’ll be at less than 100 percent.

While it is true that Chicago could, to an extent, miss his scoring, three-time All-Star selection Trae Young’s offensive potential is certainly stronger than Dosunmu’s. Because it will lead to more scoring overall, Dosunmu’s injury benefits the “over”.

Atlanta’s Bad Defense 

Atlanta has one of the NBA’s worst defenses.  It is fourth-to-last in terms of defensive rating.

Chicago didn’t score a lot of points in its last game against Atlanta merely because it missed a lot of open and wide-open three-point attempts. One must expect the Bulls to shoot better and otherwise to take better advantage of the opportunities that Atlanta’s poor defense will give them.

The “over” has hit in four of Atlanta’s last five games and in 12 of its last 16. The “over” has likewise hit in four of Chicago’s last five games.

Both teams are shaky on defense and filled with offensive firepower to the extent that the oddsmakers seem to underestimate.

NBA Pick: Over 221 (-110) at BetOnline

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Over 221 (-110)
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*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.