NBA Summer League July 5, 2022 Predictions
What is NBA Summer League?
Every year, all 30 teams in the NBA travel out to California, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas to participate in the NBA Summer League — an event that has become one of the best developmental showcases in all of professional sports.
The NBA Summer league consists of three parts:
- The California Classic (July 2-5)
- The Salt Lake City Summer League (July 5-7)
- Then the official Las Vegas Summer League Tournament (July 7-17)
Similar to NFL Preseason, these ‘meaningless’ exhibition games are some of the best betting events of the year. The oddsmakers have no idea how to line most of these games so they just set low limits and set lines that are very exploitable for those who are in the know by following college and pro basketball closely.
Why Am I Credible?
I have consistently beat the NBA Summer League since 2018, posting my plays on Twitter, having a documented record of 82-59 (58.2%), +70.2 units over the past three years (no Summer League in 2020 due to COVID).
I also correctly predicted the champion in advance in 2018 and 2019 — cashing out with huge futures in the process.
Let’s not forget I correctly predicted the #NBA Summer League champions in both 2018 and 2019 before they started (no Summer League last year bc of COVID)
Blazers +1200 ✅
Grizzlies +3000 ✅Futures will be out next week when the Vegas play begins – let’s get this THREEPEAT. 😤 https://t.co/rCealV9Fek
— Quan (@QuanNFL) August 3, 2021
July 5, 2022 Summer League Predictions
The California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League is a precarious time to bet Summer League as these games are truly just total exhibition games — they don’t count toward the teams record and are an afterthought once they arrive at Vegas.
That said, there is still some betting value to be had at times during the early part of Summer League, but today is a case where all of the teams I am looking to fade are playing each other and all of the teams that are ‘bet on’ for me are playing each other.
Let’s get into my preview and prediction for each game:
Warriors -2 vs. Heat
Both of these teams already played twice and were completely blown out in both games. The Warriors will have the best player on the court in Moses Moody, but with this being the Warriors third game in the California Classic, it is hard to say who will and play and for how long.
The Heat are one of the worst Summer League rosters I have ever seen so I lean the Warriors minus the points here but no bet.
Official Bet: Pass
Lean: Warriors -2
Kings +4 vs. Lakers
Both of these teams are ‘bet on’ for me once we head into official tournament play in Vegas, but this game will be a good litmus test after both beat up on two of the weakest teams in the Summer League in their first two games.
The Kings are the defending Summer League champions but they are without Summer League MVP from last year in Davion Mitchell who is too developed at this point to play in this league. Even without him, they still have plenty of talent to defend their Summer League title. First round pick Keegan Bradley went off for 26 points in his first game, and they have great guard depth and experienced Summer League big man Neemias Queta who is averaging 13 points per game.
The Lakers looked good in their first two games getting great guard play out of Scotty Pippen Jr, Paris Bass and Jay Huff, but I want to see them against a team with comparable talent which the Kings definitely qualify as.
We don’t know who is going to play and who is going to be rested in their third game so we can’t responsibly bet this game, but if forced to pick I think the wrong team is favored regardless.
Lean: Kings +4
Grizzlies +1.5 over Sixers
The Grizzlies’ have historically been a force in the Summer League and they have a loaded roster once again this summer.
| No. | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Prior to NBA/Home Country | NBA Exp. |
| 7 | Santi Aldama | F | 6’11” | 225 lbs | 21 | Loyola (MD)/Spain | 1 |
| 22 | Keve Aluma | F | 6’9″ | 235 lbs | 23 | Virginia Tech/USA | R |
| 11 | Shaq Buchanan | G | 6’3″ | 190 lbs | 25 | Murray State/USA | 1 |
| 0 | Kennedy Chandler | G | 6’0″ | 171 lbs | 19 | Tennessee/USA | R |
| 3 | Jake LaRavia | F | 6’7″ | 235 lbs | 20 | Wake Forest/USA | R |
| 6 | Kenneth Lofton Jr. | F/C | 6’8″ | 275 lbs | 19 | Louisiana Tech/USA | R |
| 31 | Dakota Mathias | G | 6’4″ | 200 lbs | 26 | Purdue/USA | 2 |
| 13 | EJ Onu | F/C | 6’11” | 240 lbs | 22 | Shawnee State/USA | R |
| 27 | David Roddy | F | 6’5″ | 255 lbs | 21 | Colorado State/USA | R |
| 9 | Ronaldo Segu | G | 6’0″ | 160 lbs | 22 | Buffalo/USA | R |
| 2 | Xavier Tillman Sr. | F/C | 6’8″ | 245 lbs | 23 | Michigan State/USA | 2 |
| 51 | Tremont Waters | G | 5’10” | 175 lbs | 24 | LSU/USA | 3 |
| 1 | Romeo Weems | F | 6’7″ | 210 lbs | 21 | DePaul/USA | R |
| 8 | Ziaire Williams | G/F | 6’9″ | 185 lbs | 20 | Stanford/USA | R |
| 5 | Vince Williams Jr. | G/F | 6’6″ | 205 lbs | 21 | VCU/USA | R |
The Grizzlies have had two players really use the Summer League to make a big leap the past two years with Brandon Clarke parlaying a Summer League MVP into serious rotation minutes in 2019 and Desmond Bane took a MASSIVE leap last season.
They are hoping to get similar progression out of Ziare Williams who is going to be the best player on the floor in this game. They have a lot of depth with Xavier Tillman who got minutes in the rotation last year and are excited to see what they have in rookies Jake LaRavia, Vince Williams, and David Roddy. All three of them shot 38% or better from 3 in their collegiate careers.
The Sixers roster is also pretty loaded. Their most well known player is their first-round pick from last year, high-flyer Jaden Springer but they also have some talented recognizable guards in Julian Champagnie, Grant Riller, Myles Powell, Cassius Winston, and Trevelin Queen who played in the TBT and NBA last season and solid big men in WKU’s Charles Bassey.
| No. | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Prior to NBA/Home Country | NBA Exp. |
| 23 | Charles Bassey | C | 6’11” | 230 lbs | 21 | Western Kentucky/USA | 1 |
| 29 | Tyler Bey | F | 6’7″ | 215 lbs | 24 | Colorado/USA | 1 |
| 16 | Charlie Brown Jr. | G | 6’6″ | 199 lbs | 25 | St. Joseph’s (PA)/USA | 3 |
| 5 | Julian Champagnie | G/F | 6’8″ | 215 lbs | 21 | St. John’s/USA | R |
| 28 | Malik Ellison | G | 6’6″ | 215 lbs | 23 | Hartford/USA | R |
| 41 | Michael Foster Jr. | F | 6’8″ | 250 lbs | 19 | G League Ignite/USA | R |
| 7 | Isaiah Joe | G | 6-3 | 174 lbs | 23 | Arkansas/USA | 2 |
| 36 | Aminu Mohammed | G | 6’5″ | 210 lbs | 20 | Georgetown/USA | R |
| 33 | Filip Petrusev | F | 6-11 | 235 lbs | 22 | Anadolu Efes S.K./Serbia | R |
| 35 | Myles Powell | G | 6-1 | 205 lbs | 24 | Seton Hall/USA | 1 |
| 9 | Trevelin Queen | G | 6’6″ | 190 lbs | 25 | New Mexico State/USA | 1 |
| 44 | Paul Reed | F | 6’8″ | 218 lbs | 23 | DePaul/USA | 2 |
| 26 | Grant Riller | G | 6’0″ | 195 lbs | 24 | College of Charleston/USA | 1 |
| 45 | Fred Sims Jr. | G | 6’4″ | 193 lbs | 25 | Chicago State/USA | R |
| 19 | Justin Smith | F | 6’6″ | 215 lbs | 23 | Indiana/USA | R |
| 11 | Jaden Springer | G | 6’3″ | 205 lbs | 19 | Tennessee/USA | 1 |
| 27 | Cassius Winston | G | 6’1″ | 185 lbs | 24 | Michigan State/USA | 2 |
Guard play wins in the Summer League and this is the game that I am most looking forward to watching as both teams are loaded at guard.
The Grizzlies opened at -2.5 and all of the money has come in on the Sixers moving this line 3.5 points which leads me to believe that some people know that the Grizzlies may not be playing Williams and Tillman tonight, but if they play I will be looking to add a live bet on the Grizzlies.
Official Bet: Pass pre-game but will look to bet Grizzlies +1 live if Williams/Tillman play.
Thunder -5 over Jazz
Lean: Thunder -5. If Giddy is officially announced in, will be betting this.