The Brooklyn Nets (1-7) have to be feeling good about themselves after notching their first win of the 2025-26 NBA season after dropping their first seven games of the campaign. Brooklyn saw some glimpses of a team that could be better moving forward and they’ll have their next chance to win against the Detroit Pistons (6-2) in the NBA Cup and if you’re wondering how you can watch all the action live, you’ve come to the right place!
The Nets come into this game following a 112-103 win at the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in which Brooklyn found a way to win the game despite guard Cam Thomas suffering left hamstring tightness in the first quarter. Forward Michael Porter Jr. stepped up to the challenge by dropping 32 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists against a Pacers team that was missing half of their roster.
The Pistons come into this matchup after a 114-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday in which guard Cade Cunningham continued his excellent start to the season with 31 points and 10 assists of his own. Center Jalen Duren also played a huge part in the victory as he put up 22 points and 22 rebounds and had a plus/minus of +18 to further show how effective he was.
The Lines, Courtesy Of BetMGM
- Point-spread: Nets (+10.5)
- Money-line: Nets (+375)
- Over/Under: 226.5
Notable Injuries
Nets: OUT: Haywood Highsmith (knee), Cam Thomas (hamstring), Ben Saraf (G League), Nolan Traore (G League), and Danny Wolf (G League). QUESTIONABLE: Drake Powell (ankle). PROBABLE: Terance Mann (shoulder).
Pistons: OUT: Tobias Harris (ankle), Jaden Ivey (knee), Marcus Sasser (hip), Colby Jones (G League), and Tolu Smith (G League). QUESTIONABLE: Caris LeVert (knee).
Advice and Prediction
The Nets were able to do something that they weren’t able to during the first seven games of the season and that was to celebrate once the final buzzer sounded. While it was probably an overreaction to say that Brooklyn was panicking after starting the campaign with an 0-7 record, it should be noted that head coach Jordi Fernandez was trying to find anything to lead to a win and it turns out that they just had to play the beat-up Pacers.
The Pistons have been one of the best teams in the NBA to begin this season and that’s because of the play of someone like Cade Cunningham, who appears to be taking the next step in his development as a player. Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.6 assists per game for a Detroit team that is looking to get past the first round of the NBA playoffs and beyond.
The Nets and Pistons rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating and in pace (Detroit is exactly 15th), but the defensive end of the floor is where these two teams couldn’t be more different. While Brooklyn ranks as the worst team in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating, and it isn’t close, Detroit is one of the best defensive teams in the Association so scoring could be at a premium for the Nets.
Prediction: Pistons 115, Nets 110
