The Chicago Bulls will shoot for their fifth consecutive victory tonight as they host the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center. This evening's Eastern Conference skirmish is scheduled to tip off at 8:00pm ET on NBA TV. The latest NBA Spreads have the Bulls listed as a -7.5 basketball predictions home favorite and the game total set at 179.
The Hawks post All Star slide continued on Tuesday night as the Lakers handed them their third straight loss. Atlanta was 
hardly competitive in the 101-87 Philips Arena setback, losing every quarter but the fourth (22-20) to Los Angeles.
Not a single Hawks player topped the 18 point mark as the team struggled through a 33-for-83 night from the field. Al Horford scored a team high 17 points while fellow starters Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Kirk Hinrich posted 16, 11, and 12 points respectively.
The Lakers, on the other hand, had little difficulty figuring out Atlanta's defense as they connected on 49.4 percent from the field and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc.
The Hawks, which return to Atlanta for a six game home stand following this evening's game, scored their last win against the Bulls. Horford also starred in that affair, dropping in 31 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to lead his team to an 83-80 victory.
That game happened to be Chicago's last loss as it has since reeled off wins over the Magic, Heat, Hornets, and Bobcats. The Bulls last action came on Wednesday in Charlotte where it disposed of Michael Jordan's team 101-84 to improve to 45-18 on the season.
The victory, which saw Carlos Boozer go down with a sprained left ankle (out at least a week), featured six Bulls in double figures, including Derrick Rose and Kyle Korver. Rose and Korver combined for 40 points after connecting on eight of their 13 three point attempts.
While Atlanta may be mired in slump (the Hawks are 1-4 in their last five games after averaging a pathetic 88.6 points per game), it has been water to Chicago's fire for a couple of seasons now. The Hawks, including last week's win versus the Bulls, are 8-1 in their last nine meetings with Chicago (3-1 at the United Center).
Hawks vs Bulls NBA Spreads March 11th, 2011:
Atlanta Hawks +7.5 (-110), Over 179 (-110), +290 (Moneyline)
Chicago Bulls -7.5 (-110), Under 179 (-110), -340 (Moneyline)
