The Atlanta Hawks may have shocked the established media yesterday with their 103-95 upset of the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 on Monday, but just like it was in Atlanta's first round series against the Orlando Magic, things haven't changed in Vegas all that much.
The lines are out for Game 2 of the Hawks-Bulls matchup and Atlanta's basketball team still is a big-time underdog in the contest, which will tip off on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on TNT and 97.9 FM.
Once again, Atlanta is nearly a double-digit underdog on the road. According to scoresandodds.com, the major Vegas and offshore sportsbooks have installed the Hawks as 8.5 or 9 point underdogs for Game 2.
This shouldn't come as much of a surprise for anyone who has followed the Hawks' playoff journey this year. Atlanta's basketball team was a nine-point chalk in Game 1 of the Hawks-Bulls series and has been an underdog in each of their first seven playoff game.
But those who have bet on the Hawks on either the spread or the money line have managed to eke out a pretty penny.
Atlanta is 6-1 against the spread and 5-2 straight up in the playoffs thus far this season. The only game in which the Hawks didn't cover the spread was Game 5 between in the Orlando-Atlanta series, which the Magic won by 25 points.
For more on the series, visit SB Nation's NBA hub, Peachtree Hoops, Blog-a-Bull, and SB Nation Chicago.