The Brooklyn Nets announced that Kevin Durant will return to the team in 2022-23 despite his previous trade request. Unsurprisingly, the NBA betting markets have already begun to respond. The Nets, who had moved from 7-1 to 15-1 to win next year’s championship after Durant’s request, have returned to 7-1. Let’s take a look at all of the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets NBA betting odds and go over some of the best NBA picks and predictions now that Durant is back with the team.
2022-23 NBA Betting Odds: Brooklyn Picks & Predictions
2022-23 Brooklyn Nets Betting Odds
Nets to Win NBA Championship | +1000 at PointsBet
According to some books, the Nets are as short as 7-1 favorites to win the championship. They have better odds than the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat at those books, but all of those teams have made deeper playoff runs. While the 10-1 line currently offered by PointsBet is much more appetizing, it’s still hard to justify backing Brooklyn.
The Western Conference remains the NBA’s better half. The Golden State Warriors looked terrifyingly efficient in this year’s playoffs, and they kept almost their whole roster intact. A healthy Kawhi Leonard could lead the Clippers back to the Western Conference Finals — and possibly even the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic and the retooled Mavericks may turn some heads as well. LeBron James, even after disappointing performances in the last two campaigns, will remain a threat until his retirement.
The Eastern Conference has produced just six of the NBA’s last 15 champions. James and Leonard led four of those championship-winning teams, and they now play in the West. Shy away from the Nets at any price lower than 13-1.
Pass or Play This Nets NBA Prediction? — PASS
Nets to Win NBA Eastern Conference | +450 at PointsBet
The Brooklyn Nets have never found the playoff success analysts expected them to find. In 2020-21, Durant couldn’t carry a banged-up Nets squad past Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the second round. In 2021-22, Durant and Kyrie Irving faceplanted in a first-round sweep by the Celtics.
Brooklyn’s most recent playoff series illustrates why this team is unlikely to find playoff success. Durant averaged 44 minutes and 20.8 shots per game, leaving him with a terrible shooting percentage of 38.6%. Irving averaged 42.6 minutes and 15.8 shots per game. He made 44.4% of his attempts. The team’s leading scorer in Game 3, Bruce Brown, is now a Nugget. Worst of all, head coach Steve Nash seemed completely overmatched all series. He had no plan but to leave his stars on the floor and failed to call useful timeouts in crucial situations.
The Nets should be a better team with Ben Simmons, T.J. Warren and Joe Harris. Still, Nash lacks the coaching skill needed to get the most out of his players in the playoffs. Brooklyn appears doomed to another early exit. Even giving Brooklyn 9-2 odds seems generous, yet some books have them at almost 3-1.
Pass or Play This Nets NBA Prediction? — PASS
Nets to Win NBA Atlantic Division | +225 at Caesars
All that said, the Nets should produce some solid results in the regular season. Injuries doomed Brooklyn to an eighth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Division last year. But Brooklyn finished just one game behind the 76ers for the regular season conference and division titles a year before.
The Nets should play solid defense next season. Simmons will prove a defensive nightmare for opposing guards. Brooklyn also got forward Royce O’Neale from Utah this offseason. O’Neale had been a rock-solid defensive asset for the Jazz since he entered the NBA in 2017. Those two should take the pressure off Brooklyn’s offensive threats on the defensive end, allowing the team to play more efficiently on both sides of the court.
Further, Brooklyn’s best players should all enter this season well-rested. Irving played only 34 games last year. Simmons hasn’t played since the 76ers were eliminated in 2021. Warren last donned an NBA jersey in 2020. The Nets should stay healthy enough to compete with Boston and Philadelphia for the most regular season wins this year, and getting them at +225 when other books have the line as short as +200 is solid value.
Pass or Play This Nets NBA Prediction? — PLAY
Nets 2022 Win Total: Over 49.5 | -130 at PointsBet
Prospective Nets bettors will need to get on this line quickly. DraftKings has Brooklyn’s win total set at 51.5, and FanDuel is doing them one better at 52.5. But the Nets to win just 50 games is-130 via PointsBet, a line that FanDuel won’t sell for less than -270. Arbitrage bettors, take note.
With the season back at 82 games, Brooklyn need only go 50-32 to cash this bet. Considering the Nets went 48-24 in 2020-21, a 72-game season, they should surpass this number. While it’s true that conference games against the Celtics, 76ers, Raptors and Knicks could yield a winning percentage of around .500, the Eastern Conference should remain weak enough for Brooklyn to exploit.
Historically, top-four seeds in the Eastern Conference have won at least 50 games. Exactly four Eastern Conference teams did so last season: Miami, Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Toronto came close with 48 wins. In 2018-19, the last 82-game season before the pandemic, three Eastern Conference teams met the mark: Milwaukee, Toronto and Philadelphia. Boston and Indiana came close with 49 and 48 wins, respectively. Four teams also did so in 2017-18: Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and Cleveland.
