The NBA 2K Summer League in Las Vegas will begin tonight with an exciting matchup between No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero and the Magic and No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. and the Rockets.
After seeing what Chet Holmgren and Keegan Murray did in the Salt Lake City Summer League and California Classic, Banchero and Smith Jr. will look to make a statement. If you are a bettor or hoops fan, you’ll not only get a chance to wager on the actual game but also player props for Banchero and Smith.
Below, we’ll look at a few of the best bets for each rookie in tonight’s Vegas summer league opener.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
NBA Summer League 2022 odds: Best player props for Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr.
Paolo Banchero to score 20+ points (+115). If you are looking for the easiest player prop on the board, this one has the best chance of cashing. Banchero, who was surprisingly taken with the first overall, will get a ton of playing time in his summer league debut.
All eyes will be on the No. 1 pick to see how he performs against his counterpart Smith. We saw Murray and Holmgren efficiently score 20-plus points in 23-28 minutes of action in their debuts. Banchero can easily do this, too, as he can put the ball on the floor, get out in transition with quick buckets, and shoot adequately well from the perimeter.
Jabari Smith Jr. to score 20+ points (+145). Smith will be looking to put on a show tonight, as many thought he would be the first overall pick. The sweet-shooting forward had an excellent freshman season at Auburn, averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
We should not be surprised to see Smith Jr. make it a point of emphasis to shoot from the perimeter, which is something he did well this past season at Auburn. Smith Jr. shot 42.9 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc (5.5 attempts per game). He’ll likely play a lot despite the Rockets wanting to get a look at fellow rookie Tari Eason and last year’s first-round pick, Usman Garuba.
Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr. to score 20+ points each (+350). Lastly, if you do not want to play Banchero and Smith Jr. points props separately, you could play them together at a better price.
If you wagered $10 on either Banchero’s or Smith’s point prop, you would only win between $21-$24. However, if you take that $10 and put it toward their points prop combined, you could win $45. That’s much better value, especially if they both play at least 25 minutes in tonight’s game.
