Bet on a big game from Bogdan Bogdanovic Hawks’ play-in game against the Bulls

There wasn’t much suspense in the Eastern Conference regarding which two teams would finish as the bottom seeds for the play-in tournament.

The ninth-seeded Bulls ended the regular season three games ahead of the Hawks. And despite a string of six consecutive losses to close out the year, Atlanta still maintained a four-game lead over the Nets for the 10th seed.

Chicago will host Atlanta in the play-in tournament, and this game features two teams that finished the season under .500. Yet, while it might not be the most intriguing game on paper, there’s always an angle that bettors can take advantage of.

Even if you don’t like this matchup, I’ve identified a player prop that could be a game-changer you won’t want to miss.

If there’s one positive we can point to for the Hawks, they’re 3-0 in the play-in tournament games. Atlanta must lean on its experience, particularly with a short-handed roster.

The Hawks are without forwards Jalen Johnson (16.0 PPG), Saddiq Bey (13.7 PPG) and Onyeka Okongwu (10.2 PPG). Point guard Trae Young is back with the team after missing 6.5 weeks with a torn ligament on his left hand.

However, the Hawks restricted Young’s minutes when he returned for the final three games of the regular season. He did manage to increase his minutes from 21 to 27 and then 32 in the season finale against Indiana.

Throughout the three games, he averaged 15 points — 10.7 fewer than his season average.

Nonetheless, it’ll still take some time for him to regain his rhythm. Young shot 1-for-4 from the perimeter against the Pacers and finished with 12 points in the 157-115 loss.

The Bulls did an excellent job containing Young in the two games he played against them. He averaged 20 points in 38 minutes while shooting 9-of-31 (29%) from the floor.

Therefore, Young might not necessarily be the player to target if you like Atlanta in this matchup.

The Bulls came up short last season in their bid to advance out of the play-in tournament into the main draw. Chicago was the 10th seed and upset Toronto on the road (109-105) as a six-point underdog before losing to the Heat, who went on to the NBA Finals.

This time around, Chicago will have the opportunity to have a play-in game on its home court.

The bookmakers opened with the Bulls as a three-point favorite, and one sportsbook has already moved its number to -3.5.

But the most interesting thing about this matchup is the total, which is now up to 222.5 after opening at 218.5.

While the Bulls and Hawks were two of the most profitable teams (90-73-1) for over-bettors, games at this point in the season don’t tend to be high-scoring.

For example, the total is 15-5 to the under in play-in tournament games, which included all three of Atlanta’s games that stayed under.

When these teams last met on April 1, the total closed at 221 and finished under the number.

There’s a certain element of unpredictability with this No. 9 vs. No. 10 game, making my decision to pivot to a player prop even easier.

» READ MORE: Take 76ers’ money line vs Heat in Wednesday’s play-in game

After finishing fifth in defensive efficiency last year, the Bulls dropped to 21st this season.

They’ve particularly struggled to defend the perimeter, ranking 29th in opponent 3-point field goals (14.6).

Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovich is one player who can take advantage of the Bulls’ weakness. He shoots 37.4% from the perimeter, and 58.2% of his shot attempts are 3-pointers.

In three games against the Bulls this season, the Hawks shooting guard averaged 23.3 points on 25-44 (56.8%) shooting.

With the Bulls’ defense likely fixated on containing Young, Bogdanovich should benefit from some open looks.

One thing Young doesn’t get enough credit for is being a willing passer. He averaged 10.8 assists this season and 13.5 even in the two games he struggled against the Bulls.

Although the Hawks restricted his minutes at the end of the season after returning from injury, Young still averaged 10 assists over the three games.

Look for Young to try to find Bogdanovic early and often in this game.

Thus, if you’re like me and remain somewhat hesitant to take an over in the play-in tournament, Bogdanovich’s scoring prop of 16.5 points is an angle worth pursuing.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.