Will it be a race to the basement when the Brooklyn Nets meet the Atlanta Hawks in Wednesday evening’s game at Barclays Center, set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST? Or, will the contest potentially be a fun one? It depends on how you view a pair of disappointing season starts that have minted one combined win. 

Brooklyn and Atlanta are losing games, but they’re scoring points at respectable clips. Atlanta’s 100 points scored against the victorious OKC Thunder in the Hawks’ loss from Saturday was the lowest tally out of either the Hawks or the Nets through eight cumulative dates. Guard Cam Thomas of the Nets ranks in the league’s top 15 scorers with 29.3 points per game. Trae Young of the Hawks had 17 assists to go with 21 points in Atlanta’s 128-123 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday that sunk the Hawks to 1-3 on the season.

The winless Brooklyn Nets are envious of Chicago’s 3-0 record and even Atlanta’s 1-3 record. Is Vegas correct to put competitive odds on the Nets at home, despite the club starting out losing as expected? 

Nets +8 (-103)Hawks -8 (-105)Over 239.5 (-105)Under 239.5 (-107)

Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 29, 2025, and may have changed since writing. 

Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks Betting Trends Brooklyn and Atlanta have combined to win just one of eight games this season.Totals have gone over in the last three Hawks-Nets contests.Brooklyn is 4-2 in its previous six matchups with Atlanta.Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks Injury Reports Forward Haywood Highsmith is out with a knee injury.Forward Xiaire Williams is day-to-day with a back strain.Guard Egor Demin is day-to-day with a foot injury.Forward Zaccharie Risacher is out with a right ankle sprain.Forward Jalen Johnson is questionable with a right ankle sprain.Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks Predictions and Picks 

Brooklyn’s defensive play is the talk of the Eastern Conference, and not in a good way. The Nets appear stunningly bad on their own end of the floor, setting the wrong kind of franchise marks for opposing points while ranking last in the NBA in defending. “The story of this season so far is (the Nets’) historically bad defense,” says Erik Slater from the Hooked on Nets podcast, going on to lament that 522 opposing points allowed through four games is the worst defensive start in Nets franchise history. 

For Atlanta, spotty defense is a product of injuries in the frontcourt. Kristaps Porziņģis, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher have all been ailing, although Porzingis was feeling good enough to score 27 points against Chicago. Risacher played 20 minutes against the Bulls but flatlined with only one bucket.

The inconsistent fundamentals behind both teams’ defensive woes are not going away. But talented youngsters like Thomas, and even Risacher, will benefit on the scoresheet from going up against shaky guarding. It’s a day to wager over-total-points, against the game’s overall total and on player-props.