On Wednesday night, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks head to the Windy City for a No. 9 vs. No. 10 NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Chicago Bulls (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Atlanta’s bad season worsened in mid-March when Saddiq Bey tore his ACL, which was followed shortly thereafter by untimely injuries to Onyeka Okongwu (big toe) and Jalen Johnson (ankle).
Chicago has also had its fair share of injuries, losing Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams to season-ending foot surgeries in February. Furthermore, Lonzo Ball missed the entire 2023-24 campaign with a significant knee injury that has sidelined him for a few years.
Will either of these hobbled squads win two consecutive games and sneak into the No. 8 slot to face the title-favorite Boston Celtics?
Highly unlikely, but one of them has to win in this bout, so let’s get into the breakdown and make a pick.
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Hawks vs. Bulls odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawks | +2.5 (-105) | +125 | o222.5 (-110) |
| Bulls | -2.5 (-115) | -150 | u222.5 (-110) |
Hawks vs. Bulls prediction
(9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Atlanta has struggled with the Bulls this season, winning only one of its three games against them.
Interestingly, the Hawks’ only victory in the season series came in early April when Trae Young was unavailable to take the floor.
Young has shot the ball horribly in two losses versus the Bulls, hitting just 29% of his shots from the field and 21.7% of his three-point attempts.
But it isn’t just this season that Young has underwhelmed, as he has hit merely 35.5% of his field goal attempts over the past seven games against Chicago.
While injuries have taken their toll on the Hawks, so has Trae Young’s poor shooting, especially against the Bulls. Getty Images Young has had trouble with the backcourt unit of Coby White, Jevon Carter, Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso, which can wreak havoc on opposing guards.
In fact, the Bulls held opposing point guards to the 10th-fewest points per game of any team in the NBA. Additionally, they are averaging the 9th-most steals per game this season and the most in their past three games.
In addition to Young’s less-than-ideal play, Atlanta has one of the most porous defenses in the NBA, ranking 27th in defensive rating, 28th in opponent points per game and 30th in opponent effective field goal percentage.
With the Hawks’ biggest offensive weapon (Young) struggling against Chicago and one of the worst defenses in the league on the other end of the floor, this pick feels pretty clear.
Hawks vs. Bulls pick
The Hawks have dropped six consecutive games, which includes a 42-point loss to Indiana in their last outing.
Betting on the NBA?
Moreover, they finished the regular season with second-worst record against the spread (29-53) of any team over the last 30 years.
I’ll back the Bulls on their home floor at -3 or better.
