Hawks vs Bulls: Game Preview, Injury Report, Betting Odds, Projected Starting Lineups For Today's Game

Coming off a win over the Timberwolves, can the Hawks build some momentum against a Chicago Bulls team that has given them fits this year?

Nov 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) looks to pass the ball against Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (7) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After snapping a three-game losing streak with a quality 117-104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Hawks will look to keep things going agains the Chicago Bulls. Atlanta has home games this week against the Bulls and Heat before taking on the Raptors next Monday.

Perenially stuck somewhere between the middle and lower tier of the Eastern Conference, Chicago appears destined for a similar season in 2024-25. They are currently 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 13-17 record. In their last two games, the Bulls have been blown out by over 20 points against the Bucks and Celtics respectively. Still, they are capable of beating anyone on any given night. Zach LaVine is having a rebound season, averaging 21.7 points, 4.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds on 49.8/43.6/81.9 splits. Nikola Vucevic is also averaging 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds on 57.8/45.2/85.3 splits. The rest of Chicago's supporting cast is more up-and-down, but Atlanta cannot afford to take them lightly.

This year, the Bulls are 2-0 against Atlanta and won by double-digits in both games. Stopping Chicago from making it 3-0 will be much harder if Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic miss the game. Young is questionable, but played against Minnesota and finished with 29 points and seven assists on 8-15 shooting. If he needs rest, the Hawks are going to have to find a way to create offense without him. Bogdanovic did not play against the Timberwolves and his shooting would be massive for Atlanta's bench depth. He is questionable for tonight's game against Chicago.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 8th in the NBA in PPG, 16th in FG%, 23rd in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 28th in turnovers, and 4th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 17th in points per 100 possessions, 21st in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 18th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 29th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 26th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Chicago has a fairly potent offense that lives and dies by the three-ball. The Bulls are 7th in PPG, 11th in FG%, 2nd in three point attempts, 13th in 3P%, 29th in free throw attempts, 12th in rebounding, and 17th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Chicago is 15th in points per 100 possessions, 10th in effective field goal percentage, 14th in turnover percentage, 28th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 21st in free throw rate.

Defensively, Chicago struggles to defend almost everything except three-pointers. The Bulls rank 29th in PPG allowed, 26th in FG%, 26th in three point attempts allowed, and 3rd in three point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Minnesota is 23rd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 19th in effective field goal percentage.

I think this could be a game where Young does not play in order to rest him. If Young is ruled out, there is a discussion to be had between Vit Krejci and Keaton Wallace for the starting point guard spot. Krejci was fantastic for Atlanta last year, but hasn't been as effective in 2024-25. During his last start, he only played 17 minutes and scored two points. Wallace played more minutes than Krejci and dished out four assists to go along with five points during his last appearance with extended playing time. It is certainly is not a lock that Krejci will get another starting nod and Wallace has also played good defense at that spot. If Young sits, head coach Quin Snyder has an interesting decision to make here.

Look for a get-right game from Clint Capela against a team that he's done well against. He's averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulls this season and is coming off a quiet four-point, eight rebound performance against Minnesota. A matchup against Vucevic, who has notable defensive struggles, might be exactly what he needs to get back on track. His rim protection will need to be a major deterrent against Zach LaVine's rim pressure. Furthermore, Dyson Daniels had a career night against Minnesota with eight steals. Can he have an encore performance against Ayo Dosomnu and Coby White? He has had success against Chicago's young backcourt this year (averaging 5 steals against the Bulls) and it will be critical for him to have a similar performance tonight. If his three-point shot connects consistently, that would also be massive for a Hawks team that could miss one of its best shooters in Bogdanovic.

In the absence of Bogdanovic, it will be critical for Zaccharie Risacher and Garrison Mathews to shoulder some of the shooting load from deep. Risacher's offense has been up-and-down throughout the year and he struggled against a tough Timberwolves defense. They held him to five points on 2-5 shooting. That cannot continue against an exploitable Bulls defense. Risacher's defense on LaVine and Williams will also be important, but this is a good opportunity for him to find some success with his shooting. Mathews just hit seven threes against the Timberwolves after playing a limited role for most of the year. If this is a sign that "Garry Bird" is back, this would be an excellent game to see it.

Injury Report

Trae Young (right heel contusion) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (left lower leg contusion) are questionable while Onyeka Okongwu (knee) is out.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Atlanta is a 6.5-point favorite tonight against the Bulls, and the total is set at 242.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Clint Capela

Bulls

G- Ayo Dosunmu

G- Coby White

F- Zach LaVine

F- Patrick Williams

C- Nikola Vucevic