NBAE via Getty Images
On Wednesday night, we get our first regular-season look at top draft pick Zaccharie Risacher when the Atlanta Hawks host the Brooklyn Nets for an Eastern Conference showdown.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, it could be tough sledding to get a road win, as it will be without Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring), Trendon Watford (hamstring) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot).
Welcome to the injury-management NBA.
Here’s our prediction and pick for Wednesday night’s regular-season opener for the Nets and Hawks.
Nets vs. Hawks odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nets | +7.5 (-105) | +250 | o221 (-108) |
| Hawks | -7.5 (-115) | -310 | u221 (-112) |
Nets vs. Hawks Preview
The Trae Young and Dejounte Murray backcourt experiment didn’t work as planned. However, Atlanta was able to move on from Murray, getting draft capital and a few key rotational pieces back in the trade with the Pelicans.
On paper, it made sense to add a talented, switchable perimeter defender to a team that was desperate to hide Young on the defensive end of the floor, but perhaps the Hawks just need to lean into that and play at a neck-breaking pace this season.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn is in the midst of a rebuild after trading Mikal Bridges for a Brink’s truckload of first-rounders.
It forces the Nets to ride out a few inevitably gruesome seasons in hopes that they get lucky in the upcoming drafts and can prepare for the future. There won’t be much winning in Brooklyn this season.
The spread for Wednesday night’s opener for both teams rests at 7.5 points in favor of Atlanta. What can we expect from these teams in their first regular-season game?
First, there’s a lot to like about this Hawks team, particularly their bench, which features one of the premier sixth men in Bogdan Bogdanovic, the 2024 No. 1 pick in Risacher, a seasoned frontcourt veteran in Larry Nance Jr. and a talented two-way interior force in Onyeka Okongwu.
Atlanta should be one of the fastest teams in the NBA this season. The Hawks were sixth in pace last year but should be even faster this season in an attempt to mitigate their clear weaknesses on the defensive end of the floor.
Betting on the NBA?
- Check out the best NBA betting sites
- Read our guide on how to bet on basketball
- Get the latest NBA Championship odds
- Use the North Carolina betting apps
Nets vs. Hawks pick
Brooklyn simply does not have enough firepower to keep this one within striking distance.
Further, the Nets were an egregiously poor 3-13-2 against the spread as underdogs of 7.5 points or higher in 2023-24.
Usually, we don’t love laying this many points with a team that we are somewhat unsure of heading into the season, but there is a clear talent disparity and contrast in styles that favors Atlanta in this one.
Pick: Hawks -7.5 (-110, Caesars)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.