The Brooklyn Nets (10-21) and Washington Wizards (8-24) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The game will be broadcast live on YES.
The Nets are 1.5-point favorites over the Wizards on the spread (Nets -1.5), with the over/under set at 226 total points. Brooklyn is a -120 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Washington is +100 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Nets vs. Wizards predictions and NBA picks for Friday, January 2.
Nets vs Wizards Prediction, Picks
- Nets vs Wizards pick: Nets Moneyline (-120)
My Wizards vs Nets best bet is on Brooklyn to win outright, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Nets vs Wizards Odds
| Nets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 226 -110o / -110u | -120 |
| Wizards Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 226 -110o / -110u | +100 |
Nets vs Wizards NBA Preview
The Nets and Wizards meet in a matchup between two teams stuck near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Brooklyn enters at 10-21, sitting 13th in the East, while Washington is just behind at 8–24 in 14th place, with only one the Pacers holding a worse record in the conference.
The Nets showed some life late in December, putting together their best stretch of the season with three straight wins between December 21 and 27.
That momentum stalled quickly, however, as Brooklyn followed it up with back-to-back losses, falling 120-107 to the Warriors and then suffering a lopsided 120-96 defeat against the Rockets on New Year’s.
In that loss, Cam Thomas led the Nets with 21 points, while Ziaire Williams added 14, but Brooklyn never held a lead and struggled offensively once again.
Injuries have been a major storyline for the Nets. Michael Porter Jr., who leads the team with 25.8 points per game, missed the Houston game due to illness and is questionable for today. Egor Demin and Terance Mann have also been sidelined.
Even so, Brooklyn showed defensive improvement in December, going 7-4 during the month and allowing an NBA-low 104.6 points per game.
Washington, meanwhile, has quietly found some momentum of its own. The Wizards have won three of their last four games, capped by an impressive 114-113 road victory over the Bucks on December 31.
In that game, C.J. McCollum hit a go-ahead jumper in the final seconds, finishing with 18 points, while Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington each scored 20.
Despite the recent surge, the Wizards are still just 5-17 against Eastern Conference opponents and have been outmatched on most nights this season.
This will be the second meeting between these teams. Brooklyn dominated the first matchup on November 16, winning 129–106.
Nets vs Wizards Prediction, Betting Analysis
This spot sets up well for Brooklyn under the Evan Abrams “Road Comeback” system. The Nets are coming off a loss and immediately hit the road, a scenario where teams are often undervalued by the market after a poor showing.
These road bounce-back spots tend to produce sharper focus and urgency, especially for teams looking to avoid extended losing streaks. With limited travel and a single road start, fatigue is less of a concern, and public perception often leans toward fading the team that just lost badly.
Despite their flaws, the Nets remain the more complete roster compared to Washington and already proved they can handle this matchup earlier in the season.
Against a Wizards team that is still inconsistent despite its recent wins, Brooklyn is in a solid position to respond with a more disciplined performance. The value lies on the road side here.
Pick: Nets Moneyline (-120)
