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Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls
Date: Friday, March 11, 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
Broadcast: CSCH
Hawks vs. Bulls lines from Sportsbook.com
Hawks: +7.5
Bulls: -7.5
Total: 179
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The Chicago Bulls aren’t just streaking—they’re making a statement that they’re the best team in the NBA. The Bulls get a great chance to extend their hot streak on Friday, as the host the slumping Atlanta Hawks on NBA odds.
With first-place in the Eastern Conference in sight, Chicago (45-18, 39-23-1 ATS) has put its foot to the floor. The Bulls are 18-3 in their past 21 games, including the current four-game winning streak. Chicago is 15-6 against the spread in that span and, after crushing Charlotte 101-84 on Wednesday, 3-1 ATS in its last four games.
The run is even more incredible considering the injuries to crucial players Chicago has suffered. Leading rebounder and key defender Joakim Noah sat out for two months thanks to an injury, but he returned to the lineup Feb. 23 and picked up right where he left off. Noah is averaging 11.7 rebounds in his past nine games and, while his scoring is down a little (9.4 points over this past nine), that’s most a product of opportunity—he’s still shooting the ball well.
But just as Noah returns, another player goes down. Carlos Boozer sprained his ankle after a hard foul against Charlotte and he’s slated to miss a couple of games. Chicago will miss Boozer, but perhaps not as much as you’d think. The power forward has just two double-digit rebound games in his last 13 games, and he’s averaging just 13.1 points over his past eight games. Boozer’s replacement, Taj Gibson, hit six of his seven field goal attempts and finished with 14 points against Charlotte.
Of course, the Bulls will likely just turn to MVP candidate Derrick Rose in the interim. Rose has been dominant and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He scored 20 points against the Bobcats, his fourth consecutive game with 20-plus points. More importantly, Rose had just a single turnover—his fewest in a game since Feb. 23 against Toronto.
Atlanta (37-27, 28-36 ATS), meanwhile, is trending downward. Tuesday’s 101-87 loss to the Lakers was the team’s third consecutive defeat, both straight up and against the spread. Atlanta is just 4-9 in its past 13 games; the Hawks have covered on NBA odds just four times in that span.
The offense has gone completely south. Atlanta has scored 90 points or less in five of its last six games, averaging just 88.8 points per game in that span. It was a rather ugly show against the Lakers on Tuesday, as the club mustered just 38 points in the first half.
Joe Johnson was just 4-for-14 with 11 points against Los Angeles, and he was shutout in the second half of the game. Johnson has scored 14 or fewer points in three of his last four outings. That continues a disturbing trend for Johnson, who is putting up just 15.9 points per game since the All-Star break—four points lower than his scoring average before the break. It’s entirely possible Johnson is out of gas.
Johnson isn’t the only one who deserves blame for the offensive slump. Jamal Crawford was just as bad against L.A., finishing with nine points on 2-for-8 shooting. Crawford hasn’t hit more than 39 percent of his shots in seven consecutive games, and he’s averaging just 12.3 points per game in February and March—a far cry from his typical 18-19 point-per-game average.
Al Horford could play a big role on Friday. The Bulls and Hawks have met just once this season, as they squared off on March 2 with Atlanta taking an 83-80 victory on home court. Horford exploded for 31 points and 16 rebounds against Chicago, perhaps his best performance of the year. The Hawks have actually dominated this series over the past few years, going 8-2 (7-3 ATS) over the past 10 games.
But even with Boozer injured, the Bulls are in the driver’s seat. It’s hard to believe Noah will let Horford romp like he did last time. This game will be all about payback, as the Bulls are brimming with confidence. Rose and Noah will deliver a win and cover.
Atlanta at Chicago pick: Bulls
Ian Van Den Hurk has covered amateur and pro sports for years, including a successful run handicapping anything from football to mixed martial arts.
