The Brooklyn Nets (0-0) will finally begin their season on Tuesday with a road matchup at the Charlotte Hornets (0-0) that will give a look at what each team looks like amidst its rebuild. Brooklyn is hoping to begin their preseason slate on the right foot and if you're wondering where you can watch all the action live, you've come to the right place!
The Nets come into this game with many around the NBA wondering how much forward Julius Randle can change the fortunes of one of the youngest teams in the league. Brooklyn not only added Randle to the roster over the offseason, but they also acquired veterans in guard Keon Ellis and center Mo Wagner to give head coach Jordi Fernandez more experience to work with this season.
The Hornets made one
of the most interesting decisions in the entire Association this summer as they went from a team that amassed a 44-38 record to shipping off LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Granted, Charlotte still has an impressive young core of Brandon Miller, Naz Reid, and Kon Knueppel, but some of the interest surrounding the team will likely include how this new iteration of the roster looks this season.
The Lines, Courtesy Of BetMGM
- Point-spread: Nets (+5.5)
- Money-line: Nets (+155)
- Over/Under: 212.5
Notable Injuries
Nets: OUT: Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle) and Joshua Jefferson (back).
Hornets: OUT: Grant Williams (hamstring), Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Coby White (calf), and Kylan Boswell (knee).
Advice and Prediction
The Nets ended last season as one of the worst teams in the NBA and that was the case for them on both ends of the floor, despite forward Michael Porter Jr. having the best season of his career. As is the case with most rebuilds, Brooklyn is trying to win as many games as possible while developing the younger players on the team, but the hope is that forward Julius Randle can improve the team in meaningful ways.
The Hornets have significantly altered their roster despite finishing last season with a winning record and having some franchise cornerstones in LaMelo Ball leading the way. Brandon Miller remains on the team, but the question will be how effective he will be as the primary offensive option and how good Charlotte will be with Kon Knueppel and Naz Reid as the other main players in the rotation.
Preseason games are hard to predict given that most teams will play more of the players on the roster than they would during the regular season and the Nets and Hornets are likely to be no different. Given that both teams are missing players that will likely be in the rotation when healthy, this matchup could fall under the over/under and will likely be closer than the spread indicates.
Prediction: Hornets 105, Nets 100
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets at Hornets preseason betting preview: Prediction, point spread
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