The Atlanta Hawks head to the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on CSC and FxS.
The Bulls are expecting a different result after their 89-84 loss to the Heat in their last game. Pau Gasol played well in the loss for Chicago, recording 19 points and 17 rebounds to earn his 25th double-double of the season. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 119-105 win over the Nuggets in their last outing. Paul Millsap led the game in scoring by posting 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
In terms of effective field goal percentage, this game will match strength against strength when the Hawks have possession. Their upper-echelon offense is ranked fifth in the league in that metric at 51.5%, while Chicago is third-best in the NBA in effective field goal percentage defense (46.6%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 120-105. Al Horford played a big role with 33 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls have gone 27-24 Straight Up (SU) and 19-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been able to pull off wins at home against the Eastern Conference, going, but have struggled ATS with a record of 9-16. The rebounding edge goes to the Bulls in this matchup, who average a league-best 48.9 rebounds per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Bulls have stifled opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing a three-point field goal percentage of only .327. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Bulls, who rank fifth in the league in blocks per game with 6.1.
On the other side, the Hawks have a record of 25-27-2 ATS and 30-24 SU. Atlanta has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. Atlanta is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, making .793 of their shots from the line. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Hawks, who are known for distributing the ball with 25.6 assists per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Hawks are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.6 steals per game. Atlanta makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, leading the league in points off turnovers with an average of 19.9 per game.
Atlanta beat Chicago in their most recent meeting this season, but the Bulls still lead the head-to-head record, 7-3 SU, over the last 10 matchups. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, the Bulls have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Atl
Notes
“Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago’s last 7 games “.
“Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Chicago is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta”.
“Chicago is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Atlanta”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Chicago’s last 17 games when playing Atlanta”.
“Chicago is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta”.
Chicago puts up an average of 101.4 points per game (ranked 17th), while Atlanta allows 99.8 points per game (ranked seventh).
Chicago ranks 24th in points per home game with 100.0 points, while Atlanta ranks eighth in points allowed on the road with 101.4.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bulls are 19-3 on the season. When the Hawks score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 5-16.
The Chicago Bulls have a subpar 6-16 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Atlanta Hawks are 22-3 when they hit triple digits.
The Bulls have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 26th). The Hawks rank eighth for their defensive rating of 101.1.
Chicago averages 100.0 possessions per game, scoring 1.013 points on each possession. While Atlanta averages fewer possessions per game with 98.5, the team scores more points per possession with 1.040.
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the league with an EFF% of 51.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Chicago Bulls have an abysmal 2-7 record.
Chicago makes an average of 21.6 assists per game (ranked 16th). Atlanta ranks higher in assists with 25.6 (ranked second).
Chicago ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fifth (6.1 blocks per game). Atlanta is ranked ninth, with 5.6 blocks per game.
The Chicago Bulls rank fifth in offensive rebounding, while the Atlanta Hawks rank 25th in defensive rebounding.
The Atlanta Hawks earn an average of 9.6 steals per game and are ranked third. The Chicago Bulls have a 9-10 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
