Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks

Nikola Vucevic and the Bulls head back into State Farm Arena riding a three-game winning streak, fresh off Sunday’s 152-150 shootout win over Atlanta that completed a 2-0 season start against the Hawks and extended Chicago’s recent head-to-head edge in this matchup. With Chicago largely healthy aside from rookie Noa Essengue’s season-ending shoulder surgery, while Atlanta remains without Kristaps Porzingis and several frontcourt depth pieces, the Bulls’ balanced offense built around Vucevic’s strong historical production versus the Hawks, Josh Giddey’s table-setting, and rising scorer Matas Buzelis looks more stable than an Atlanta side leaning heavily on Trae Young’s still-ramping return from a lengthy knee absence. Given current form, the recent head-to-head results, and the injury profiles, I like the value on Chicago to steal another one on the road at +152, but the Hawks’ offensive ceiling and home court keep this at a Grade B rather than a higher-confidence play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:41am

Trae Young’s Hawks just played in that 152-150 track meet against Chicago, but asking these same rosters to clear an enormous 254.5 total again—on two days’ rest, in the second straight meeting, with Atlanta still missing Porzingis and multiple bigs—bakes in virtually no regression in shooting luck or defensive focus. The Bulls have repeatedly shredded Atlanta’s shaky transition and perimeter defense behind high-usage creators like Giddey, Coby White and Buzelis, yet even in this fast-paced matchup their prior clashes this season (128-123 and 152-150) sit well above the teams’ usual scoring distributions, suggesting some normalization is likely as both staffs adjust coverages on Young–Okongwu pick-and-rolls and run extra bodies at Jalen Johnson. With Chicago trending up defensively during its recent win streak and Atlanta desperate to prove it can get stops after three straight losses, I’ll buck the market’s recency bias and lean Under 254.5 at -105 for a Grade B+ position that still respects both offenses’ firepower. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:41am

Josh Giddey’s control of tempo for Chicago has consistently punished Atlanta’s soft point-of-attack defense, and with the Bulls not only 2-0 against the Hawks this season but also covering comfortably in both wins, grabbing +4.5 feels like a strong way to back their form while respecting Atlanta’s home-court volatility. Chicago’s primary rotation is intact outside of Essengue, while Atlanta is still shorthanded up front without Porzingis and several depth centers, forcing heavier minutes on smaller lineups that Vucevic has historically feasted on, as seen in his strong multi-year production versus the Hawks. Factor in Chicago’s current three-game surge against Atlanta’s three-game skid, plus the matchup issues created by Buzelis’ size on the wing and Giddey’s ability to drag Young into actions, and Bulls +4.5 at -110 grades out as my favorite angle on the board at A-, with the main risk being Atlanta’s shooting variance and potential “desperation” response after Sunday’s heartbreak. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:41am