Is there any team more surprising than the 32-8 Atlanta Hawks this season? They’re not just a delight for NBA betting fans, they have also the second best record in the NGA this season, sitting just behind Golden State. Coach Mike Budenholzer has then playing a style that is very similar to what the Spurs play, which is not a major surprise, given that he was under Coach Popovich for 17 seasons.
Date/Time: Saturday, January 17th, 8:00 PM
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
TV: WGN
Spread: Hawks -3
The Hawks are on a very impressive 11-game win streak at the moment, and are coming off a big 110-89 win over the Toronto Raptors last night. They can expect things to be a little tougher this evening when they face the Bulls in Chicago. Call it a lack of respect, or a case of disbelief, but many are still of the feeling that it will be the Bulls that represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, assuming of course that they can stay healthy, which is not something this team has become known for.
Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the two men most frequently on the injured list, are both fit and ready to go, which means that the Bulls have one of the best starting five’s in the League. The X-factor for the Bulls this year has been the play of Jimmy Butler, as he has taken a massive leap in production in just his fourth season in the league.
There are interesting match-ups all over the court in this one, but perhaps none as intriguing as that which pits Jeff Teague against Derrick Rose. Both teams have skilled, powerful big men down low, so that is another factor that could play into the final result of this one. The Bulls have a deeper bench than Atlanta, which may be to their advantage, as both teams will be playing the second of back to back games.
BETTING ANALYSIS
The Hawks may be on the road, but their impressive play is enough to convince the bookies that they should be a 2.5-point favorite. They have certainly been the team to bet on all year, as they are 28-11 ATS, as well as 16-4 ATS on the road. On the flipside, Chicago have not been a great ATS bet this season, going just 18-23. One stat that really jumps out is that they are just 1-6 ATS in Saturday games.
As mentioned earlier, this is the second game in consecutive nights, which means the team with the most staying power is likely to win. Atlanta has won more than their fair share of games by pulling away late, which is why I like them to win and cover.
