The NBA Summer League will feature six consolation bracket games today. None of the teams playing won more than two games in Las Vegas, so they will be playing in the loser’s bracket to conclude the Summer League in Las Vegas. That said, I’ve got three best bets for tonight’s later portion of the slate. Let’s get after it. Here are our top NBA Summer League picks and bets for Friday.
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Friday’s Best NBA Summer League Picks & Bets
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls NBA Summer League Picks
There was some hope that Ace Bailey would return from a hip injury a couple of days ago for the Utah Jazz in a game against the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, he and Walter Clayton Jr. still missed that game due to injury, and Kyle Filipowski will no longer play in Summer League games this year. That left the Jazz with limited depth, yet they still beat the Wizards 86-76 behind Cody Williams’ 23 points.
Tonight, the Jazz will take on a Chicago team starting to find its groove. The Bulls have scored 102+ points in back-to-back games heading into this one. Jahmir Young scored 40 points in the Bulls’ most recent game against the Bucks after he shot 13-for-18 from the field. Young hit 7-of-8 from three and played 33 minutes to help lead the Bulls.
Chicago didn’t play young prospects like Noa Essengue and Matas Buzelis against the Bucks, and it’s unclear if those two will return tonight. However, what is clear is that the Bulls have been clicking offensively, regardless of who is on the court. Give me the Bulls -2.5.
Pick: Bulls -2.5 (-125)
Indiana Pacers vs. New Orleans Pelicans NBA Summer League Picks
The New Orleans Pelicans have an exciting NBA Summer League roster. However, that hasn’t translated to wins. The Pelicans are 0-4 behind first-round pick Jeremiah Fears. The Pelicans last lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that game, Yves Missi and Derik Queen, among others, sat out. Only Fears and Trey Alexander stood out.
On the other hand, the Pacers are seeing some good things from Kam Jones. Indiana’s most recent win came against the Knicks, 91-88; Jones scored 21 points with 11 assists. Indiana’s bench is also filled with underrated players who have played on smaller teams and have had to work extremely hard to reach the next level.
Every game has gone the same for the Pelicans. New Orleans has given up at least 93 points in every game, and they’ve scored no more than 87 in three of those four. Give me the Pacers on the Moneyline.
Pick: Pacers Moneyline (+100)
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Summer League Picks
The Denver Nuggets landed their first win of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. DaRon Holmes has been the main contributor all summer for the Nuggets. He scored 19 points and added 17 rebounds in Denver’s 81-76 win over the Clippers. Holmes figures to be a legitimate piece to the Nuggets’ puzzle this season. Ultimately, he would have been last year if it weren’t for an injury.
Conversely, the Lakers have played in a couple of low-scoring affairs. They lost to the Clippers, 67-58, and then lost 87-78 to the Celtics a few days later. Bronny James has broken out. Fewer people are complaining about James being involved in the NBA after his 18-point performance for the Lakers in 28 minutes. The Lakers have played some good defense, but the offense has not shown up. Imagine shooting 44.3% from the field but only scoring 78 points?
That’s because the Lakers struggled from three-point range and rarely drew fouls, resulting in a low free-throw attempt count. It’s been a common theme this year for the Lakers in the Summer League. Back the under in this game.
Pick: Under 176.5 (-115)
