Bulls vs Hawks | Game 3 Prediction & Pick

vs.

Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks

Point Spread: Chicago -2.5
Money Line: Bulls -140, Hawks +120
Over/Under: 178

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The best-of-seven, Eastern Conference semifinal matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks shifts to Philips Arena this Friday night for Game 3 with the series knotted at one game apiece. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Chicago was able to quickly put the memory of Monday’s 103-95 loss in Game 1 as a 9 ½-point home favorite aside with a dominating 86-73 victory as a nine-point home favorite on Wednesday night. The Bulls are now 4-1 straight-up at home in the playoffs, but this was just their second win against the spread. The total went ‘over’ the 177 ½-point line on Monday, but stayed ‘under’ the 180 ½-point line in Game 2.

Derrick Rose, this season’s newly crowned league MVP, led Chicago with 25 points in Wednesday’s win, but shot just 37 percent from the field and committed eight turnovers. He leads the team with 26.7 points and 7.3 assists a game but is shooting well below his 44.5 percent regular season average. Luol Deng is the second leading scorer with 18.3 points a game and Joakim Noah leads in rebounds with 10.9. Carlos Boozer continues to struggle this postseason with just 10.3 points a game after averaging 17.5 in the regular season.

The Bulls are scoring an average of 95.6 points a game while giving up an average of just 89.6. They are also outrebounding their opponents 46.7 to 38.4 and had a huge advantage in Game 2 with 58 boards verse just 39 for the Hawks.

Wednesday’s loss dropped Atlanta to 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS on the road in the postseason and to 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS overall. Monday’s game was the just the second to go ‘over’ the total since Game 1 against Orlando in round one. The Hawks have only scored more than 90 points twice in the past eight games.

Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford are each averaging over 20 points a game in the playoffs, but combined for just 27 points in Game 2. This was a far cry from the 56 points they put up in Monday night’s game led by Johnson’s 34 points. Jeff Teague led the Hawks on Wednesday night with 21 points and has done a good job so far in relief of Kirk Hinrich, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Atlanta is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from three-point range, but shot a dismal 33.8 percent in Game 2 and was just 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. Compounded with their problems under the board, it is easy to see how the Hawks lost. In direct contrast, they shot 51.3 percent in Game 1 and completed 53.8 percent of their shots from three-point range.

Chicago is 2-2 ATS in its last four games on the road and the total has stayed ‘under’ in six of its last nine games. Atlanta is 3-1 ATS in its last four home games and the total has stayed ‘under’ in eight of its last 10 games.

Head-to-head, the Bulls have won three of the five games this season SU and are 3-2 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of the five games.

The odds makers have the Chicago Bulls as a -2.5 point favorite with an over/under of 178.

Check out the latest NBA Basketball Playoff Odds here.

Prediction: The Hawks were a perfect 3-0 ATS as a home underdog against Orlando and keep the streak going with an outright win over Chicago on Friday night to gain the early edge in this series.

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Chicago Bulls Betting Trends:

• The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago’s last 13 games
• Chicago is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games on the road
• Chicago is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road

Atlanta Hawks Betting Trends:

• Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home
• Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home