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Saturday’s four-game Summer League slate didn’t disappoint, and there are four more games on tap today as the California Classic heads into its third day of action.
I’m all in on the Sacramento Kings and Darius Acuff Jr. as they face the Warriors’ B-Team, the Golden State Blue. I’m betting on Yaxel Lendeborg staying hot for the Golden State Gold, and the power of friendship (and experience) will prevail for the Nets as they take down the Bucks.
Check out my NBA Summer League Predictions for Sunday, July 5.
NBA Summer League predictions for July 5
|
Pick |
|
|---|---|
|
Kings moneyline |
-244 |
|
Warriors Gold moneyline |
-284 |
|
Nets moneyline |
+143 |
Today’s Summer League Picks
Kings moneyline (-244 at Kalshi)
No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. was electric in his Summer League debut, leading the Kings to a tight win over the Nets on Saturday.
Acuff Jr. led all scorers with 25 points in the 3-point victory, scoring some key late buckets and feeding Nique Clifford for a go-ahead triple in the waning seconds to account for his fourth and final assist of the contest.
Acuff Jr. is a true game changer who can take over when his team needs him the most, but Sacramento also gets second-year man Clifford, who saw 25.1 minutes per game as a rookie.
Fellow sophomore Dylan Cardwell logged meaningful minutes as a rookie, delivering 12 games with double-digit boards and 20 games with multiple swats.
Sacramento’s California Classic roster brings the electricity of Acuff Jr. and the experience of Clifford and Cardwell, making for a highly competitive squad. The Golden State Blue roster is significantly weaker, as lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg is suiting up for the Gold team. The Kings are heavy favorites for a reason.
Warriors Gold moneyline (-284 at Kalshi)
Golden State’s Blue team lost by double digits in its California Classic opener, but the same can’t be said of the Gold Team, which beat the Lakers 104-72.
Michigan standout Yaxel Lendeborg led the way with 19 points, six rebounds, five dimes, a steal, a block, and perfect 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
Lendeborg was joined in the first unit by Malevy Leons and L.J. Cryer, who each started a game for the Dubs a season ago, and Will Richard, who started 20 games in 2025-26.
The Blue Team has draft pedigree and experience, while only one of San Antonio’s starters (Miles Kelly) in its first game had NBA minutes. Spurs top pick Jayden Quaintance is sitting out Summer League, so San Antonio will prioritize minutes for Tarris Reed Jr. and its second-rounders.
The edge goes to the more talented and experienced Golden State squad.
Nets moneyline (+143 at Kalshi)
Milwaukee won its first game handily over a far less talented and experienced Golden State Blue team. Brooklyn, on the other hand, went toe-to-toe with arguably the best roster at the California Classic. It took a 3-pointer from Nique Clifford in the final seconds of the game for Sacramento to squeak past Brooklyn.
The Nets will have to wait at least one more game for No. 8 pick Mike Brown Jr. to debut, but the team has more than enough firepower to contend with the Bucks.
Brooklyn’s starting five in its first game featured three first-rounders from last year’s draft — Egor Demin, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf. Chaney Johnson logged 17 appearances with the Nets last season, and he and second-rounder Tyler Bilodeau rounded out the first unit.
Milwaukee has a pair of hungry players in Brandon Boston and Kira Lewis Jr., two four-year vets looking to make a return to the league, but Brooklyn has chemistry and recent NBA experience. I’ll give them the nod as they avenge a narrow loss to the Kings.
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Sunday’s NBA Summer League parlay
Kalshi
Kings moneyline
Warriors Gold moneyline
Nets moneyline
+363 at Kalshi
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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