Two Eastern Conference teams—the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks—who missed the playoffs last season began their 2024–25 campaign in Atlanta. Brooklyn struggled offensively (25th in scoring) and shot badly (28th in FG%), finishing 32–50 the previous season. With Bojan Bogdanovic, Day’ Ron Sharpe, and Trendon Watford dealing with problems, injuries are a worry. Although their new head coach, Jordi Fernandez, offers a fresh start, the Nets still have significant work to do on both ends, which should be a cause for concern.
Despite the Hawks’ 36–46 record last season, they boasted a top-5 offence. Their defence, however, ranked 28th and allowed 120.5 points per game. Trae Young (25.7 points, 10.8 assists) continues to lead the team. The addition of veterans like Clint Capela and Zaccharie Risacher, along with their strong three-point shooting and good rebounding, instill confidence in their offensive capabilities.
Given Brooklyn’s ailments and the Hawks’ promising offensive firepower, consider placing your bet on the Atlanta Hawks with a -10 spread.