Nets vs Rockets Preview: Odds, injuries, can the Nets bounce back?

The Houston Rockets travel to Barclays Center to face a Brooklyn Nets squad that is desperate for a win.

When the schedule was released I’m sure most fans would have expected this matchup to be a blockbuster involving two teams with winning records. Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets they haven’t started the season how the franchise and the fans would have anticipated. Resulting in this becoming a must win for the struggling Nets.

The Nets are off to a 1-3 start following a fairly favourable schedule to open up the season. In Kenny Atkinson’s post game presser following the 118-108 loss to Indiana, he highlighted several issues that are concerning him. Assist-turnover ratio, three-point attempts allowed and “not really running anything” on offense were some key points Atkinson would like to see his team improve on.

Some key stats for the Nets that would be alarming the coaching staff thus far include turnovers and free throw percentage. The Nets currently rank 3rd last in the league in both of these categories, averaging 19.8 turnovers per game and shooting a measly 68.3% from the charity stripe. Losses against Minnesota and Memphis both came down to Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie missing crucial free throws that would have ensured the Nets a win in those games.

Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets odds

Brooklyn unsurprisingly due to recent form, come in as a 3.5 point underdog. Most of the money has been placed on the Rockets thus far, with 67% of bets on Houston. For more information regarding odds please visit the Action Network. Odds current as of 5:00pm ET 10/31/19.

The Houston Rockets (3-1) are coming off an epic win over the Washington Wizards that will go down as one of the highest scoring games of the season. Plenty of Brooklyn’s film review from this game will be centred around James Harden, who returned to form with an absurd stat line of 59 points and 9 assists. Caris LeVert will most likely be given the arduous task of slowing down Harden early on before the likes of Garrett Temple and David Nwaba will be given the job.

The previous meeting between these two squads came last season on January 16, 2019, which turned out to be a classic. The Rockets thought they had buried the Nets numerous times in the 4th quarter and overtime yet the Nets never gave up and ended up winning the game due to some clutch play from Dinwiddie.

Key Matchup – Kyrie Irving vs Russell Westbrook

The battle between these two perennial all-stars is going to be a key factor in determining the outcome of this game. Both players are still figuring out how to fit in and best help their teams succeed. With that being said, they have both started off the season performing at a high level.

As we know, Westbrook is going to impact the game in a variety of ways and it is vital that Irving and the Nets figure out a way to slow him down. On the other hand, the Rockets will be putting a lot of work into Irving, who is averaging an elite 35.3 points per game, which ranks him second in the league.

This game is a must-watch as both teams currently sit in the top 3 in the league for points per game this season, so we are looking at a possible shootout. Tickets are available via Stubhub, alternatively, FuboTV will be streaming the game live.

Both teams landed superstars in the offseason and the difficulty of integrating these new pieces into their respective systems cannot be underestimated. However, the Rockets seem to have adjusted to these changes earlier than the Nets.

Houston currently ranks #1 in three pointers attempted per game, which isn’t a good sign for the Nets who rank dead last in opponents three-point percentage. Therefore, the keys for Brooklyn winning this game come down to looking after the ball and defense of the three-point line. If the Nets can force the Rockets into tough contested three-point shots and then limit their turnovers on the other end they will give themselves every shot at winning their second game of the season.

Injury/Suspension Report

Brooklyn Nets – Kevin Durant (Achilles), Wilson Chandler (Suspended)

Houston Rockets – Nene (Hip), Gerald Green (Foot), Michael Frazier (Ankle)