Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview

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— Monday, December 27th Chicago Bulls @ Atlanta Hawks

It's always guaranteed to be an exciting game when the Chicago Bulls take the court. Unfortunately, they'll be missing a few players from the lineup on Monday.

Before we get into that, we'd like to note that the Bulls have won three straight games. Postponements have seen three games be moved to future dates. However, this game against Atlanta is set to go.

The Atlanta Hawks are currently 15-17, a few games under .500. They can begin to crawl back into the top-6 in the Eastern Conference by stringing wins together. A good start would be with a win over the No.2 team in the conference.

However, with all the injuries to the Hawks lineup, this won't be an easy task. It'll take a team effort to take out DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls tonight.

Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball ruled out for Bulls versus Hawks

At first, this might not seem like much of a problem for the Chicago Bulls. However, you have to remember that Lonzo plays a vital role in facilitating the offense. With him sidelined, it'll fall on Coby White, who isn't quite the player Lonzo is.

Lucky for White, he's supported by one of the best duos, Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Both of them are having a great season.

The Bulls have been pretty incredible against the spread this season. Currently, they're 19-11 and have a 9-6 ATS record on the road. Being able to travel and cover spreads here is going to be huge, considering they're 6.5-point favorites.

In their last nine games, the Chicago Bulls have gone 6-3 against the spread. However, they're only 5-5 ATS in their last ten against Atlanta.

Atlanta Hawks: A win here would be huge for morale

Sometimes a team needs a morale boost, and that's exactly what the Hawks need. They're missing most of their best players due to quarantine, and it's hurt their success.

Not having Trae Young essentially stops the flow of their entire offense. He's their leading scorer, averaging 27.3 points per game, and leads the team in assists per game. Without him, the offense crumbles.

Again, they'll be without Young in this game as well, which definitely hurts. However, the Bulls are also missing people, which could keep this game close.

The Bulls have to cover 6.5-points which is quite a lot in the NBA. If the Hawks can control the pace and target the Bulls' two best players, they'll have a shot. It's going to be a tough test, but we think the Hawks are up to it.

Our pick for the Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks

Normally, the safest bet at the sportsbook is the best one to make. However, we're going to go against the grain here and pick the Atlanta Hawks +6.5.

The Hawks need a bounceback victory after their loss to the New York Knicks. We also know they can pull off big wins because they beat the Sixers a few nights ago.

The Bulls are missing Lonzo Ball, and we believe this will have a huge effect on the team. The team flow will be altered just enough that the Bulls won't be able to cover.

Don't get us wrong, the Bulls will win the game, but the Hawks will cover the spread.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Atlanta Hawks +6.5, UNDER

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