The NBA Summer League – Utah continues today at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. We have a pair of games featuring the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and Amazon Prime Video, while the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz meet at 9:00 p.m. ET, also on ESPN and Amazon Prime Video. Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA Summer League picks and predictions for Monday, July 6th.
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Monday’s Best NBA Summer League Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Atlanta Hawks (-190) at Oklahoma City Thunder (+110) | O/U 183.5 (-130/-130)
The Hawks (0-1) and Thunder (0-1) each lost their first Summer League games in Utah on Saturday.
Atlanta was on the short end of a 103-102 overtime loss to the host Utah Jazz, while Oklahoma City was dusted 111-74 by the Memphis Grizzlies.
In Atlanta’s near-miss, rookie Kingston Flemings was good for 14 points, despite a 4-of-16 shooting performance. He was one of three starters to knock down at least two successful three-pointers, while RayJ Dennis came off the bench to hit three triples, piling up 13 points in just 12 minutes. Rookie Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s racked up 11 rebounds with three steals, while Flemings was good for four steals.
Oklahoma City hit just 41% (29-of-71) from the field in their blowout loss to the Jazz, while shooting just 20% (6-of-30) from downtown. On a positive note, the young Thunder players were +6 in turnover margin, but it was woeful on the boards, with Utah outrebounding them at a 45-to-24 margin. Brooks Barnhizer had 13 points in the starting lineup and added a team-best six rebounds. Payton Sandfort was a bright spot off the bench with 13 points in 24 minutes.
Atlanta looked much sharper in the opening game, even though they ultimately lost. Still, let’s lay the points with Atlanta. We’ll also go high on the total, as both teams allowed triple digits in their first Summer League game.
Picks: Hawks -3.5 (-125) & Over 183.5 Points (-130)
Memphis Grizzlies (-145) at Utah Jazz (-120) | O/U 185.5 (-130/-130)
The Grizzlies (1-0) hammered the Thunder 111-74, easily covering as the over cashed. Memphis looked like a stacked team heading into this pod, and they looked the part in their first game. Rookie Cameron Boozer debuted with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, an NBA-ready player, added 17 points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting, while Taylor Hendricks went for 15 points. All five starters scored at least 11 points, and the Grizzlies had seven players score at least 11 points.
The Grizzlies were on fire from the floor, shooting 57% (40-of-70) from the field and an impressive 53% (17-of-32) from three-point range. If there was a complaint, it was Memphis’ terrible 57% (8-of-14) mark from the free-throw line. It also turned the ball over 19 times, to just 13 for the Thunder. However, the Grizzlies were also +21 on the boards.
Utah beat Atlanta 103-102 in overtime. No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson went for a game-best 28 points, hitting 11-of-21 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers, while the rest of the team hit just two three-pointers. Cody Williams was also sharp, going 8-of-13 from the floor for 17 points. Max Abmas, formerly of Oral Roberts and NCAA Tournament fame, posted 15 points off the bench on a sparkling 7-of-8 shooting.
Both teams are stacked, and the over looks awfully enticing. Let’s take the Grizzlies to get the job done, laying a little bit of points.
Picks: Jazz -1.5 (-125) & Over 185.5 Points (-130)
