OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews the Bulls vs. Hawks.
The Chicago Bulls (41-17) can surpass last season’s win total with a win against the Atlanta Hawks (36-24) on Wednesday during the second stop of an important five-game road trip. However, the Bulls will need to snap a skid of five straight losses at Atlanta if they are going to accomplish that feat against the Hawks.
Chicago started the road trip with a 105-77 rout of Washington on Monday behind 21 points apiece from Derrick Rose and Luol Deng. Five Bulls scored in double figures including Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, who combined to grab 21 rebounds as well. They have gone 7-1 straight-up and against the spread in their last eight games but will be facing Atlanta for the first time this season.
The Hawks have won the last five home meetings with Chicago by an average of 16.2 points but could be without forward Josh Smith due to a knee injury he suffered in a 100-90 loss at Denver on Monday that closed out a seven-game road trip sandwiched around the All-Star break. They went 3-4 SU and ATS on the trip, with only one of the wins coming against a team with a winning record.
A return home to Atlanta should help the team bounce back, especially considering the past success against the Bulls there. The Hawks have won 14 of their last 18 home games despite dropping two in a row there before the start of their road trip. They are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings overall with the OVER 7-1 in the past eight games between the teams.
Former Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich may also make his home debut with Atlanta after coming over in a trade for Mike Bibby last Thursday. Hinrich did not play Monday against the Nuggets due to a calf injury but scored eight points off the bench in a 90-83 victory at Portland on Sunday.
If this game comes down to defense, the Bulls would figure to have a decisive edge. They have held their last three opponents to an average of 80.3 points on 38 percent shooting from the field, which has coincided with Noah’s recent return from a thumb injury. In his first game back, Chicago surrendered 118 points in a loss at Toronto. But he seems to be finding his groove on the floor, and that has translated to three consecutive dominating defensive performances. The total has gone UNDER in each of the team’s last three games after four straight OVERs.
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