NBA Summer League 2024 Free Best Bets Today

The Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) and Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) square off in what should be an entertaining matchup in the Salt Lake City Summer League. The Grizzlies are coming off a hard-fought 97-95 loss to the Utah Jazz in their home city.

Despite a huge effort from rookie center Zach Edey, the Grizzlies didn’t have enough shooting to down the Jazz in overtime. Edey recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks in 34 minutes! He also scored a tip-in at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

Not a bad start for the 7-foot-4 big man, who moved around well and was aggressive at the rim. He looked much more confident than the last time we saw him against NBA talent with Team Canada in international competition. Nevertheless, the Grizzlies shot just 19.4% from three!

The Grizzlies’ starters converted just three of 26 attempts from beyond the arc. It was a painful effort for the guards, with Edey the lone standout. They will have to shoot doubly better to beat the 76ers tonight. The Sixers’ Ricky Council IV is the perfect example of a guard who can take the Summer League over.

Ricky Council IV (29 PTS, 5 3PM) dropped 19 PTS in the 4Q 🤯

Went TAKEOVER MODE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2YJc426V06

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 9, 2024

Council IV averaged 5.4 points on 48.2% shooting in limited minutes last year. He showed flashes of being a regular in the rotation, but only played in 32 games. The 22-year-old former Wichita State Shocker poured in 29 points on 50% shooting from three in a 102-92 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder!

The three-guard combo of Council IV, Jared McCain, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. should be tough for the Grizzlies to contain, so consider siding with the 76ers for your NBA Summer League betting picks!

China (0-2) took a long trip from China to Sacramento for Summer League action. In their third game, they’ll take on Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs (0-2). The Spurs played awful basketball in their latest Summer League outing against the Kings. After a 97-65 loss to Charlotte, they were pummeled in an 85-59 loss on Sunday.

Despite the ugly openers in the California Classic, the Spurs have a strong chance of bouncing back against China. The size discrepancy between the Spurs and China should prove to be too much in this spot.

Nathan Mensah and second-round pick Harrison Ingram shouldn’t have too many issues scoring in the paint and protecting the rim. No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle should dominate in the backcourt.

Spurs’ No. 4 pick Stephon Castle put together an impressive debut in the California Classic 🔥

12 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 2 3PM pic.twitter.com/W24zKBPFkp

— NBA (@NBA) July 7, 2024

Castle will have no issues controlling the pace and finding his shot at the rim and on the perimeter. The two losses for the Spurs afford them a bit of value in this spot. China is coming off a 93-61 loss to the Charlotte Hornets and 101-50 to the Kings!

This is the ideal team for Popovich’s squad to bounce back against tonight. Lay the points for your NBA Summer League best bets today!

1. Compare Rosters and Starting Lineups

Betting on the Summer League is not as simple as placing your wagers on the best teams in the NBA. Using last year’s regular season standings and playoff results to formulate your NBA Summer League picks is a terrible strategy.

No, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, Jaylen Brown, and the rest of the stars of the league are not participating. You can’t bet games based on players that won’t be playing, so ensure to analyze each team’s roster and starting lineup before proceeding.

When searching for the best Summer League rosters, consider circling teams who are giving playing time to second and third-year players who showed potential last year or were injured. Furthermore, players who started turning a corner in the second half of last season are worth noting.

2. Evaluate NBA Draft Results and Undrafted Rookies

The rookies are widely seen as the stars of the NBA Summer League. Unless they are injured or a special circumstance holding them out, organizations want their rookies to get experience.

Consequently, I recommend doing homework and analyzing the selections from the 2024 NBA Draft. These players will be a huge focal point of each squad’s strategy, so our expert NBA Summer League bets include a close evaluation of how teams did.

Don’t forget about the undrafted rookies and international squads! They play an important role during the NBA Summer League.

3. Ride Hot Players and Teams

The NBA Summer League schedule includes each team playing at least five games. The top four teams after the first four games advance to the semifinals and then a championship game.

There isn’t much time for teams to recover from a slow start, so I recommend taking note of red-hot and cold players in the early stages. It only takes a short spurt of success to win games and profit on point spread bets in the Summer League.

Also, find teams that are putting an effort into their defensive strategy. Oftentimes, defense is lax in the Summer League, thus squads that prioritize playing hard-nosed defense differentiate themselves from their opponents.

In review, trends against the spread and over/under, for example, aren’t so important for your NBA betting strategy in the Summer League. There isn’t an ample sample size of games to value team trends. Instead, focus on teams that pass the eye test.