The Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets will face off at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Wednesday night. This is the opening game of the 2025-26 NBA season for both of these teams and both of them will be looking to set the tone for their year with a win tonight. Before the season tips off for these two teams, continue reading to get my Nets vs Hornets prediction for tonight.
Our Nets vs Hornets Pick
- Pick: Nets +5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Brooklyn Nets @ Charlotte Hornets
- Date & Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Nets vs Hornets Odds
| Market | Line |
|---|---|
| Spread | Hornets −5 |
| Moneyline | Hornets −195, Nets +165 |
| Total | 227.5 |
Key Storylines
The big storyline going into this game is the fact that both of these teams are expected to be among the worst teams in the NBA this year. Brooklyn is in the middle of a rebuild, while the Hornets are content to be bad but fun with LaMelo Ball leading them. It will be interesting to see how both of these teams look early in the year, especially with the Nets bringing in Michael Porter Jr. to feature as the second scorer next to Cam Thomas.
Thomas and Porter are both known for putting up a huge volume of shots in their careers. Seeing how they coexist early in this season will be fascinating, as their chemistry will go a long way in determining whether or not the Nets can be a competitive basketball team going forward.
The Hornets also made some interesting roster changes going into this matchup. They drafted Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner during the most recent NBA Draft. Those were two of the best players in college basketball last year and they will attempt to prove themselves immediately in the NBA. They also added Collin Sexton to bolster their guard lineup behind Ball.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
The Nets won three of the four meetings between these teams last season. They split their two meetings in Charlotte during that span. But both rosters have made some changes between then and now and we could see things look entirely different when they take the floor in this season opener.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Cam Thomas (Nets) | Over 23.5 points |
| LaMelo Ball (Hornets) | Over 22.5 points |
| Miles Bridges (Hornets) | Under 19.5 points |
| Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) | Under 19.5 points |
Nets vs Hornets Model Projection
Score Projection: Hornets 110 – Nets 109
Win Probability: Hornets 58%, Nets 42%
Final Thoughts
I do think that the Hornets will win at home to open this season against the Nets. But I am going to take the points with Brooklyn here. These are expected to be the worst teams in the league this season and we should see them struggle to create separation here. I’ll bank on the Nets keeping this game within a couple of possessions here and for Brooklyn to cover the number in the first game of the season for these Eastern Conference teams.
