Chicago Bulls - Atlanta Hawks predictions and free betting tips [18/04/2024]

The Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks will tomorrow morning play for the 7th place play-in for the eastern conference NBA playoffs.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls finished the regular season with a 39-43 record, placing 9th in the East. They took a hit in overtime against the New York Knicks with a score of 119:120. In this game, DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points. The loss did not impact Bulls' postseason plans, but DeRozan expressed disappointment, emphasizing that the team fights until the end.

On average for the season, the Chicago Bulls score 112.3 points at 47% shooting and concede 113.7 points at 47.3% shooting. DeRozan averages 24 points and 4.3 rebounds, while Coby White scores 19.1 points and makes 5.1 assists. The team has a 35.8% three-point shooting and 79.1% free throw success rate, whilst allowing opponents to shoot at 37% from beyond the arc and collecting 43.8 rebounds per game.

Zach LaVine, the Bulls' key player from last season, has missed close to three months due to a foot injury and the team has long learnt to play without him, paving way for Coby White to blossom in leadership. There are also concerns about injuries to Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu. Despite the injuries, the Bulls have shown improved health compared to previous matches. DeRozan expressed pride in the team spirit and believes the trials they've been through have made the team stronger and more cohesive.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks finished the regular season with a six-game losing streak and an overall 36-46 record, which placed the team 10th in the Eastern Conference. In their final regular-season match, Atlanta took a heavy 115:157 loss against the Indiana Pacers, marking one of the heaviest defeats of the season. The team has dealt with several serious injuries to key players. Forward Jalen Johnson is out due to an ankle injury, and Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey have also missed a significant number of games due to injuries. Key player, Trae Young, returned after a 23-game absence due to a pinky injury and in the last three matches averaged 15 points and made 10 assists, although his playing time was limited. Dejounte Murray complemented him, scoring 29, 12, and 32 points in the recent games.

Over the season the Atlanta Hawks averaged 118.3 points at 46.5% shooting success and conceded 120.5 points at 49.5% shooting success. The squad demonstrated 36.4% three-point shooting and 79.7% free throw success. In their defense, Atlanta conceded 38.4% of the rivals' three-pointers and collected 44.7 rebounds per game.

Coach Quin Snyder expressed confidence in the team's readiness for the play-in tournament, emphasizing the importance of all players being ready to play at a high level and not complaining about circumstances.

Head-to-head

This season, Chicago has won 2 out of 3 head-to-head encounters with Atlanta, but in the most recent matchup on 2nd April, the Hawks prevailed with a score of 113:101.

Prediction on the match Chicago Bulls - Atlanta Hawks

Chicago showed in their last regular-season match that they can compete with any team in the East, putting up a fight in a non-essential match against a highly-motivated New York. Atlanta has been looking weak this season and are missing a couple of players. With all the Bulls' leaders in action, and LaVine not being counted for some time now, I foresee a win for Chicago. Atlanta has conceded 150 points in all three matches against Indiana, marking the worst performance in NBA history; with such defence, they have no business in the playoffs.