Will Hawks & Bulls Fly High or Stay Grounded? AI Picks and Analysis for April 17th Play-In Game

The Play-In Tournament continues after two dramatic matchups in the West, it is time for the Eastern Conference to shine with a huge game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls. The winner of this game will face the loser of the Philadelphia vs Miami matchup. Let’s see the Hawks vs Bulls Prediction.

Atlanta Hawks Struggling Heading into Play-In Game

The Hawks are on a losing streak of six games and finished the regular season with a below-average record of 36-46. They secured the 10th seed in the East and the third spot in the Southeast Division.
Betting on Atlanta hasn’t been easy this season. They have a negative spread record (29-53), especially on the road (14-27 ATS). Things get even tougher as underdogs, with the Hawks failing to cover in their last five such matchups.
Tonight’s point total seems lower than usual for Atlanta. The over/under is set at 221.5, which is lower than almost 70% of their games this season (69).
Historically, Hawks games average a high-scoring 238.8 points, and they’ve gone over the total more often than not (46-36 record).
Their most recent loss to the Pacers (NBA score of 157-115) is a good example. The point total for that game was higher (242), and Atlanta, as a 14-point underdog, Atlanta failed to cover the spread but saw the game go over the projected total.

Chicago Bulls Looking to Bounce Back with Home-Court Advantage

The Bulls are coming off a close loss (120-119) to the Knicks but managed to cover the spread as 13.5-point underdogs. The game stayed true to form with a combined score reaching the over (final score exceeding the predicted total of 218.5 points).
This continues a trend for Chicago, with overs hitting in their last four games. Historically, Bulls games are high-scoring, averaging 226 points combined. Their overall over/under record sits at a balanced 44-37-1.
Tonight, the Bulls are at home and favored by 3 points. They have a decent record as favorites (20-13) but haven’t always covered the spread (15-17 ATS). However, they’ve been hot lately, winning three straight games ATS.
Looking at their broader record, the Bulls finished the season with a winning record against the West (17-14) but struggled against the East (22-29). They also haven’t fared well within their division (7-9 record).

Game Information

ATLANTA HAWKS vs CHICAGO BULLS

Location of the Game: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Date and Time: Wednesday, April 17th 9:30 ET

Reason: 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Play-In matchup

How to watch: watchlivesports.co

AI Predictions and Sport Betting AI Picks

These are the NBA Computer Picks for tonight’s NBA Schedule game:

TEAM	RECORD	AI PICKS		Sport Betting AI PICKS
HAWKS	36-46	107	219	SPREAD CHI -3	MONEYLINE CHI -152	TOTAL UNDER 221.5
BULLS	39-43	112

AI Picks: Chicago Bulls 112 – Atlanta Hawks 107
Sport Betting AI Picks: ATS Bulls -3 | ML Bulls -152 | UNDER 221.5

Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls Head-to-Head

The Bulls have dominated recent matchups, winning three out of the last five games against the Hawks.
They’ve also been successful at covering the spread, going 2-1 ATS in the last three meetings and a perfect 3-0 ATS in their last three home games against Atlanta.
Historically, these Hawks vs Bulls matchups have been high-scoring affairs, averaging 235 points per game over the last three contests. Interestingly, the over/under record in those games is split (1-2).
If you’re looking at betting trends specifically for Bulls home games against the Hawks, the over has hit twice in the last three matchups.

Hawks vs Bulls Prediction Odds

Next, we have the NBA odds for this NBA Matchup.

Atlanta Hawks Game Analysis

The Hawks boast the NBA’s 5th best scoring offense, averaging over 118 points per game. However, on the road, their scoring dips slightly to 114.8 points. They also play a fast-paced game, ranking 5th in possessions per game (100.2).
Key players to watch include Trae Young (25.7 pts, 10.8 ast) and Dejounte Murray (averaging 21.8 pts, 8 ast in last 4 games). Additionally, Bogdan Bogdanovic is on fire from three, hitting an average of 2.8 threes per game recently, according to the NBA player stats.
Unfortunately, defense has been a major weakness for Atlanta. They rank a lowly 28th in points allowed per game (120.5), with their road defense being slightly better (120.2 points allowed, 25th). This struggles have been amplified recently, as they’ve surrendered a staggering 128 points per game over their last five games (30th in the NBA). Opposing teams are feasting in the paint, shooting a high 57.2% on two-point attempts (27th in the league).
The Hawks will be without several key players for the game due to injuries, including Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey, and Jalen Johnson.

Chicago Bulls Game Analysis

The Bulls’ offense relies heavily on driving to the basket, ranking 7th in two-point field goals but just 27th in threes made. Overall, their scoring sits at an average 22nd in the league (112.3 ppg). according to the NBA team stats. DeRozan has been on fire lately, averaging a whopping 33.2 points with a high field goal percentage.
Defensively, Chicago is a mixed bag. They rank a decent 16th in points allowed per game (113.7), but their recent defense has been shaky (25th in ppg allowed over last 5 games). A major weakness is defending the three-point line, ranking near the bottom in both threes allowed and three-point attempts allowed.
The Bulls will be missing several key players including LaVine, Ball, Williams, and Dosunmu due to injury, according to the NBA Injury Report. Drummond’s status is also questionable.

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