Prediction

In recent years, the Hornets have mostly been at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, except for the 2020-2021 season when they reached the play-in tournament. Last season, with long periods of injury troubles, they had to tank. This season, the Hornets changed coaches, with Charles Lee taking over, and LaMelo Ball returning from injury. However, the team did not make significant improvements to strengthen their roster, so their strength remains limited. In their last game, the Hornets suffered a heavy 14-point loss to the strong Cavaliers.

The Nets started their rebuild last season and finished in the lower half of the Eastern Conference. This season, they traded Matisse Thybulle and received multiple draft picks. Thomas and Schroder have been performing well in the opening stages, and the team’s offense is running smoothly. In their last game, the Nets lost to the rising Knicks by 10 points, with a significant 12-rebound deficit. Johnson scored a team-high 22 points, while Thomas contributed 16 points.

Both teams are rebuilding, but the Nets have shown more stability on offense, and their outside shooting is superior to that of the Hornets. I expect the Nets to defend their home court.

Pick: Spread Nets -3.0