CHICAGO -3 over Atlanta
A pair of Central Division teams meet tonight at the United Center when the Chicago Bulls host the Atlanta Hawks. Chicago has won its second straight game with a 103-95 victory over Toronto on Wednesday, and will be looking to extend their streak to 3 games for the first time since mid-December. Atlanta fell to 1-4 on its brutal seven-game road trip with Wednesday's 93-76 loss at Seattle.
Atlanta is one-half game ahead of Chicago for fifth place in the division, so the Bulls should be quite motivated here, with a chance to climb a rung in the standings. They have covered the number vs. the Hawks in 9 of the last 12 meetings, and are 6-1 ATS as a home favorite with the "totals" number above 190. The win over the Raptors should serve as a great momentum boost as they got the victory despite trailing at the end of each of the first 3 quarters. Off such a triumph, they are 5-0 ATS, beating the spread by 9 points on average, while the Hawks are 1-4 ATS vs. such opponents.
As if Atlanta hasn't had enough things go wrong with their season, they have another potential problem to deal with; this one off the court since there is a warrant in the state of Illinois for the arrest of forward Glenn Robinson. The authorities said they would pursue the case once Robinson returns to the state. Big Dog, meet the Crime Dog. The Hawks have made good sacrificial lambs in Friday road games, as they have covered just once in their last 7 such outings. When facing teams playing with revenge, they are a nasty 2-10 ATS. Look for the Bulls to put this one away late for the win and cover.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: CHICAGO 98 ATLANTA 92