The 2025-26 VSiN NBA Betting Guide was released on Tuesday, October 7. The 79-page publication features best bets from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts, betting strategy advice from Jonathan Von Tobel and Kelley Bydlon, and trends/insights from Steve Makinen. The guide also features team-by-team previews for all 30 NBA teams, including one on the Brooklyn Nets. Keep reading to see how we think the Nets will do compared to their regular season win total of 20.5.
Make sure you download the 2025-26 NBA Betting Guide for full access to our entire season preview!
Offense
It might take some time for the wider public to catch on, but Jordi Fernandez looks like one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Nets’ depth chart is a revolving door right now, with the franchise openly tanking, but Fernandez still had his “island of misfit toys” prioritizing the right shots. Last season, Brooklyn ranked eighth in three-point attempts per game (39.4) and 25th in mid-range frequency (26.1%).
Once the Nets put together a real roster, don’t be surprised if the offense is legitimately good. For now, though, it’ll be organized chaos.
Cam Thomas is the go-to guy. In 25 games last season, he averaged career highs in scoring (24.0) and assists (3.8). Thomas still takes his share of mid-range jumpers, but Fernandez is fine with it because he makes tough ones at a decent clip. The bigger question is his playmaking. He showed improvement as a passer last year, but more growth is needed to shake his “empty-calorie scorer” label. Accepting a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer this summer made that clear — he’ll need to prove he can do more to secure a payday next offseason.
Michael Porter Jr. will also get plenty of touches. The Nets swapped Cam Johnson for Porter, picking up an unprotected 2032 first in the process. Johnson had been an integral part of Brooklyn’s offense, capable of shooting and creating a bit. Porter won’t replicate the creation, but he is one of the NBA’s premier shooters. He hit 39.5% from deep last season and has cleared 39% in five of his six years. Fernandez will run plenty of actions to get him open, while trying to round out his game enough to make him either useful long-term or easier to trade.
The Nets at least know what they have in their role guys. Nic Claxton is a reliable rim runner and pick-and-roll finisher. Ziaire Williams and Haywood Highsmith are low-usage spot-up shooters. Terance Mann is a good cutter and finisher who can hit the occasional three — though Fernandez will likely push him to let it fly more often.
The wild cards are the rookies. Brooklyn took five first-rounders in the 2025 Draft: Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, and Danny Wolf. Not all of them will play right away, but Demin — the No. 8 pick — should see heavy minutes. At 6’9”, he’s an electric ball handler who projects as a dynamic pick-and-roll creator. He’ll easily live up to his draft slot if his jumper comes around.
The Nets also picked up Kobe Bufkin from Atlanta for cash. Blocked by Trae Young with the Hawks, Bufkin excelled in the G League (23.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.4 RPG) last season. He’s a capable driver, finisher, and shooter, and could carve out a role here.
The roster feels like a collection of independent contractors more than a team, but Fernandez will keep them organized. Expect a strange product, but one that comes ready to play, takes the right shots, and occasionally surprises.
Defense
Defense is somehow a bigger issue. Brooklyn finished 27th in adjusted defensive rating (115.3) last season, and this group might sink even lower in 2025-26.
Swapping Johnson for Porter is a downgrade on this end, and the starting lineup now features multiple turnstiles. Realistically, only Williams, Mann, Highsmith, and Claxton care enough to consistently compete defensively. And Mann and Highsmith will lose minutes to younger players, further lowering the floor.
The Nets did prioritize length in the draft, but most of their rookies profile as offense-first guys. The end result could be a laughably bad defense.
Outlook
This team is designed to lose games, collect young talent, and stockpile picks. There’s not a single All-Star-level player on the roster, and the franchise’s goals are clearly long-term.
That makes the Under the logical play on their win total. Brooklyn won 26 games last year, but most of the players responsible for a respectable 9-10 start are gone.
Still, this team might be worth backing situationally. The Nets were 42-39-1 ATS last season and, more impressively, 50-31-1 ATS in first quarters — tops in the league, with a +18.0% ROI. Fernandez has a way of getting his guys ready to compete, even if they don’t sustain it for 48 minutes.
Prediction: Under 20.5 Wins
