The Utah Jazz entered the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League as the favorite to win it all, but they’ve been extremely disappointing over their first two games.
Utah barely beat the Dallas Mavericks (it won by one) before it lost by 12 to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Walker Kessler and Keyonte George have not played in Vegas, which certainly limits the Jazz’s ceiling, yet they’re just 2.5-point dogs to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Toronto is 2-0 so far in Las Vegas, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. While neither of those teams is stacked with young talent, the Raptors aren’t either.
Former first-round picks Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji are the two highest profile players on the Toronto roster, but only three players were in double figures in the 84-81 win over Denver.
Can the Raptors improve to 3-0? Or, will Utah finally show why oddsmakers were so high on it entering Vegas?
Let’s break down the odds, key players to watch and my best bet for Wednesday’s matchup.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Gradey Dick: A first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Dick had a disastrous performance against Denver, shooting 2-for-9 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3 on his way to just four points. Despite that, the Raptors still were able to win the game, and I’d be shocked to see the sharpshooter struggle that badly again on Wednesday.
Cody Williams: A lottery pick this offseason, Williams has put together a couple of solid games in Las Vegas, finishing with 14 points, two boards, one assist, one steal and two blocks in the Jazz’s loss to the Kings on Monday. He played a team-high 31 minutes in that game and is the best choice to lead Utah in scoring tonight.
Note: Lineups are very fluid in summer league, and teams will sit out players to get a look at other prospects. These key players to watch – and the upcoming prediction – are based on the teams playing their expected lineups.
I’m not sold on the Jazz this summer, even though they still have a ton of draft talent (Williams, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski) on the roster.
Hendricks did not make a shot from the field in the loss to the Kings, and Utah decided to sit Brice Sensabaugh and Kenny Lofton Jr. – two players with a lot of NBA experience – in that game.
If that continues, I’m not sold on this Jazz team winning behind all of its youngsters.
For Toronto, Dick and Agbaji have to play better, but the Raptors didn’t need much out of them to take down a Denver team that has Julian Strawther and Jalen Pickett playing this summer.
The Raptors also blew out OKC, a sign that they can win big if they’re clicking on the offensive end.
Utah is 0-2 against the spread in Las Vegas, and I expect that to continue tonight.
Pick Raptors Moneyline (-142)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Flying out of the gate to begin an NBA season is not an easy task.Basketball is a sport that discourages maintaining momentum for long periods of time—a sport
The Los Angeles Lakers have been continuously one of the most frequently mentioned names in NBA trade rumors. They have been linked
Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James made NBA history against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, becoming the oldest player ever with three-straight triple-dou
Where is Jayson Tatum in the NBA's 2025 Most Valuable Player race so far after a hot start with the Boston Celtics? The St. Louis native might be in the process