The Brooklyn Nets and defending champions Milwaukee Bucks will lock horns in an enticing matchup on Tuesday at the Fiserv Forum to kickstart the 2021-22 NBA season
The Nets will be eager to exact revenge on the Bucks, who beat them in an enthralling seven-game series in the Eastern Conference semis in the 2021 playoffs.
Giannis Antekounmpo and co. won't shy away from the challenge, though. So fans can expect an intense game between the top two championship favorites from the East.

Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a decent preseason, winning three of their four matches. All their players played significant minutes as they ended their preparations for the new season.
The Nets will be without Kyrie Irving, though. The point guard's refusal to get vaccinated has dominated the headlines of late. That means Irving won't be allowed to play Brooklyn's home games. The Nets' brass had no option but to disallow their All-Star guard from participating in team practices or games he is eligible to play until he gets vaccinated.
Nevertheless, the Brooklyn Nets have a stacked roster led by two former MVPs, Kevin Durant and James Harden. They also retained the services of the likes of Blake Griffin, Bruce Brown Jr. and LaMarcus Aldridge, who came out of retirement this offseason. So despite Irving's absence, Steve Nash's men will continue to be the oddsmakers' favorites to win the title.

 

Kevin Durant ended the 2020-21 campaign on a high note, with his stellar showings in the postseason. He entered the offseason healthy, and is all set to help the Brooklyn Nets go all the way this time.
Durant is one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP award this season. So he will hope to provide an early reminder of his credentials during the Nets' opening night game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks Preview
The Milwaukee Bucks are motivated to prove their critics wrong by successfully defending their title this season. Not many favor them to emerge victorious in the Eastern Conference, though.
Nevertheless, they still have one of the best teams in the NBA, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. All three players were in great form during the preseason. The Bucks made some significant changes to their bench. They will be without the services of veteran PJ Tucker and sharpshooter Bryn Forbes, who left the team in free agency.
The Milwaukee Bucks replaced them with the likes of Grayson Allen, Rodney Hood and George Hill. All three players have a fair amount of experience in the league. So Mike Budenholzer's men will fancy their chances of repeating their successful run this year.

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo displayed mid-season form during the Milwaukee Bucks' last two preseason games. He recorded back-to-back 20-point games, allaying concerns about the knee injury he sustained during the 2021 playoffs.
Antetokounmpo will have to lead by example once again to help the Bucks go all the way this season. A strong showing in the first game of the regular season against a direct rival like the Brooklyn Nets would be a great start.
The reigning Finals MVP will likely guard Nets' talisman Kevin Durant for most of the game. That duel, as mentioned earlier, could be key in the eventual outcome of the game. If Antetokounmpo limits Durant's threat, the Bucks will have a decent chance of winning the game.

Prediction
The Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks boast tremendous firepower in their ranks. That makes it difficult to predict the outcome of this game. The Bucks have homecourt advantage, though, so they have a slightly better chance than the Nets to win this game.
Nevertheless, if the Nets get off to a good start on Tuesday, things may get tricky for Giannis Antetokounmpo and co.

Staking(best bet only): 3