Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Chicago (-8.5)
Game Total Line: (181)
(wagering lines available at Sportsbook.com)

The schizophrenic Hawks delivered a fine performance on Sunday, winning 100-88 on home court. Atlanta pulled away in the fourth quarter, when it outscored the Bulls 33-19.

Josh Smith has received a lot of criticism in Atlanta—though so has pretty much every player on the roster—but he came through with a big effort in Game 4. After scoring 17 for fewer points per game in all but one of his 10 playoff games, Smith exploded for 23 points. He wasn’t just scoring, though, as Smith added 16 rebounds, eight assists, two blocked shots and a steal. If Smith can maintain that level of play, the Bulls might be in some trouble.

Smith’s fine effort had a trickledown effect on everyone else, with five different Hawks scoring double figures. Al Horford benefited most, going 9-for-11 en route to 20 points. Josh Johnson led the team with 24 points, and point guard Jeff Teague continued playing well against MVP counterpart Derrick Rose (12 points, four assists).

Chicago is a tough, gritty team that plays its best when it’s more physical than its opponent. That didn’t happen Sunday, as the Bulls grabbed just one more rebound than Atlanta. The club obviously didn’t protect the paint, either, as Smith and Horford combined for 43 points.

There are some positive signs to take away from the game, however. The biggest might be the play of Carlos Boozer, who went 7-for-10 and scored 18 points. Boozer is shooting just 42.4 percent in the postseason and scored only 14 total points in his past two games, so it was a welcome sight for Bulls fans.

On Tuesday, Chicago will likely demand a bigger contribution from its bench. The reserves scored just 14 points in Game 4. Kyle Korver was the worst of the bunch, going 1-for-8—including 0-for-5 from three-point land—and scoring just two points.

The total has gone over in three of the four games in this series, including back-to-back games. Bodog has set the total for Tuesday’s game at 181 points.

Point Spread Pick

The Bulls didn't look dominate at home in the first two games in this series. They split the two games with their win margin being only 6. The line-maker is being a bit to generous here.
Take the Hawks +8.5 at SIA and grab a free $200 to bet on NBA games!!