posted March 25, 2008 at 14:04 in NBA Betting Trends

WHO: Atlanta Hawks (30-39 SU, 33-36 ATS) at Chicago Bulls (27-42 SU, 30-39 ATS)

WHERE: United Center in Chicago

WHEN: Tuesday, March 25 at 8:30 PM ET

BetUS NBA betting odds: Chicago -4, Total 206.5

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:

* CHI has covered seven of the last ten meetings

* Five of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total

* CHI has covered three of the last four meetings as the home team

* The last three meetings in Chicago have gone UNDER the total

* The home team has covered three of the last four meetings

* CHI has had the shooting edge in seven of the last ten meetings

* CHI has had the rebounding edge in six of the last nine meetings

* CHI has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings

Atlanta is ranked 26th in the NBA in scoring points on the road, as the Hawks average just 93.3 points per game away from the Phillips Arena. Atlanta is hardly a threat from three-point range, hitting a per-game average of just 4.4 shots from beyond the arc. Also:

* ATL has won and covered four of its last five games

* ATL has played four of its last five games OVER the total

* ATL has lost seven of its last nine games SU

* ATL has covered two of its last six road games

Chicago shoots 43% from the field as a team, which is still the worst percentage in the NBA. The Bulls are ranked fifth in the league in rebounds at home, with 45.4 per contest, although it should be noted that the figure was compiled for the most part while Ben Wallace was in a Chicago uniform. Also:

* CHI has lost six of its last eight games SU

* CHI has covered one of its last five games

* CHI has played six of its last ten games OVER the total

The Bulls get the chance to gain some ground on the Hawks in pursuit of the final playoff spot, though they must leapfrog New Jersey and Indiana to get there.

The Hawks have won just nine of its 35 road games, but this team has been demonstrating the kind of intensity a team chasing a playoff spot has to. Atlanta has won and covered four of its last five, including road victories at New York and Washington, which is a good sign. The Hawks have also shown quite a bit more offensive punch, averaging 109 ppg over that five-game period. Of course, Mike Bibby has blended in well alongside Joe Johnson in the Atlanta lineup.

In Chicago, things are choppy. Sure, Ben Gordon is fully capable of exploding for 20-plus points off the bench, and Joakim Noah is showing signs of progress in the pivot. But Noah's Florida teammate, Al Horford, is further along in development, and the Bulls got softer when Drew Gooden came over from Cleveland. Andres Nocioni is being misused by coach Jim Boylan, resulting in a shouting match for which Nocioni was fined and apologized. There are plenty of rumors about roster shakeups, which has left Boylan without much control of the locker room.

And Chicago blew a fourth-quarter lead in being outscored 35-17 by Indiana at the United Center just a few days ago. Technical trends show that neither team is comfortable in their respective roles, as Atlanta is 11-18 ATS as a road dog, while Chicago is 9-13 ATS as a home favorite. The teams meet again in Atlanta on Friday.

I like the team that has the more positive outlook and seems to be going in a more positive direction - a direction AT ALL, in fact. I'll take the points with the Hawks, the four-point underdog in the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ATLANTA

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)