Spread and Over/Under Predictions For Hawks vs Bulls

Our own Rohan Raman broke down how the Hawks could win this game tonight:

"If they can get Jalen Johnson back in this game, this is a matchup he has dominated in the past. Before going down with an injury, Johnson scored 20+ points in all three games he played against the Bulls last year. He had one of his most impressive games last season against Chicago in a 30 point, 15 rebound outing that showed they had no real answer for him. To date, it's his best career performance and sparked a 21-point comeback win for the Hawks. In that game, he toyed with Patrick Williams all night and got whatever he wanted against Nikola Vucevic when he drove into the paint. Assuming he's ready to go, they need him to channel some of that energy into this game.

Chicago's been running their offense through Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones and Josh Giddey. Neither of them are especially tight with their handle - turnovers nearly cost them the game against the Pistons. Suffice to say, there's a reason why they're 26th in the NBA in turnovers. This is the perfect game for Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to hound passing lanes and turn Chicago's ball-handlers over. Daniels hasn't started getting steals at the same rate he was last year, but it's very early in the season and he has a great opportunity to do so tonight. Alexander-Walker's defense has been as advertised - he is averaging 1.3 steals and nearly one block per game. If he can force Giddey and Jones into making mistakes, this could be a nice get-right game for the Hawks.

Through three games, the Hawks have been a reasonably solid team when turning defense into offense. They rank 8th in the NBA for points off turnovers while Chicago ranks 18th in the same metric. If they can force enough turnovers to ground Chicago's offense to a halt, it's reasonable to think Atlanta could build up a pretty sizable lead. Running athletic units with Asa Newell and Mo Gueye would also be helpful in this regard because both players have the quickness and range to make defenses pay for losing track of them."

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 1.5 point favorites on the road tonight with the over/under being 241.5.

A lot is going to come down to the injury report, but I have a feeling that at least 1 or 2 of these guys will play, if not all of them. The Hawks are still figuring some stuff out, but I think Trae Young will have his best game yet and Atlanta will find a way to win.

Final Score: Hawks 124, Bulls 117 (Hawks -1.5 and Under)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More Atlanta Hawks News: