The NBA's 2024 play-in tournament will be played later this week. In one game, the Atlanta Hawks will face the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament. At the time of writing (very early Sunday morning), most of the seeds were not finalized for the play-in games. However, Chicago and Atlanta are fixed as the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds respectively. The Bulls are slightly favored in the game at -3.5 (Unibet), a game that the Bulls will host. My Hawks vs Bulls prediction is that Chicago will cover their spread.
NBA Matchup: Hawks vs Bulls
Away: Atlanta Hawks
Home: Chicago Bulls
Game time: pending
Hawks vs Bulls odds (home team's spread): -3.5 (Unibet)
Atlanta vs Chicago Prediction: Recent NBA News
At the time of writing, the Atlanta Hawks will play on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. This is a game that you have to think Atlanta will not be too interested in competing in at full speed. The team enters the day at 36-45 on the regular season. They can neither move upward with a win nor move downward with a loss.
Assuming that Atlanta loses to Indiana, the Hawks will finish 36-46 on the season. They will take a 15 or 16-win season on the road into Chicago. Atlanta did not play well down the home stretch of the regular season.
Atlanta Hawks injuries: recent news
The Hawks will have to be looked at for injuries. Heading into the game against Indiana, Clint Capela was questionable to play, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reported. Capela was listed as questionable due to rest, meaning the Hawks are preserving him for the play-in tournament. You have to think that Atlanta will be in decent shape for the game against Chicago.
Double-check for playing status updates with Atlanta (02:11 ET time of writing): Team's Depth Chart
The Bulls will play on Sunday in the early set of games for the day. They will be on the road against the New York Knicks in a game that the Bulls should be indifferent toward. Chicago will probably finish the regular season 39-43. They will certainly be 20-21 from home this season.
Chicago Bulls injuries: recent news
Heading into the game against New York, Chicago's lineup was dotted with injuries. Ayo Dosunmu (quadriceps) is considered questionable for the contest versus the Knicks, the team's starting shooting guard. He last played on April 7th. The team has roster concerns with four supporting players, including Javonte Green, Andre Drummond, and Onuralp Bitim. The middle player's health status is key to watch in the days ahead.
Double-check status updates Chicago (02:11 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Hawks vs Bulls Prediction: Betting Tips
These two teams met three times this season. Chicago went 2-1 with wins on December 26th and February 12th. Chicago lost to Atlanta on April 1st, a game that Chicago hosted. This game had a 12-point spread in it.
It cannot be ignored that Atlanta had Jalen Johnson healthy in the game on April 1st. He came off the bench and played 25 minutes, going +15 in the game. That was the second-best plus/minus for any player in the contest. Johnson won't play again this season unless the Hawks survive for a bit in the playoffs. His absence is to Chicago's advantage.
What I am expecting in this game is for both teams to concentrate the minutes with their top performers. This is an elimination game, after all. Chicago's DeMar DeRozan is fully capable of logging huge minutes and I expect him to play 38+ in the game if the game is close.
Andre Drummond's playing status is central to this game, in my view. With a short bench for the game, if he plays 28-29 minutes, then he might get 15+ rebounds, including lots on the offensive glass. Ahead of the injury reports for the game, my recommendation is for Chicago to cover -3.5 (Unibet), a result that hopefully puts an end to an Atlanta season that has been painful to watch.
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