Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds, Players to Watch for NBA Summer League

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks matchup in Summer League.

Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg will make his Summer League debut on Thursday. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League opens up on Thursday night, and the marquee matchup features No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James.

Tickets for this matchup have gone as high as $2,500 for courtside seats, making it the most expensive ticket in Summer League history. 

James played sparingly in the California Classic for the Lakers, but both he and Dalton Knecht should see some time this summer as they attempt to prove that they can be in J.J. Redick’s rotation in the 2025-26 season. 

Meanwhile, Flagg begins his Summer League journey and is attempting to show the world why he was easily the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

This should be a fun one, with the Lakers set as slight favorites.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch and a prediction for Thursday’s Summer League opener. 

Lakers vs. Mavericks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Lakers -3.5 (-110)
• Mavericks +3.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Lakers: -170
• Mavericks: +142

Total

• 177.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Lakers vs. Mavericks How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, July 10
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN/ESPN+
• Lakers record: 0-0
• Mavericks record: 0-0

Lakers vs. Mavericks Key Players to Watch

Los Angeles Lakers

• Bronny James

After scoring 10 points in 11 minutes in his 2025 debut in the California Classic, James had just two points in his last game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

There’s no doubt that the second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has developed since his first Summer League, but it’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up against some of the best young players in the game.

Along with James, Dalton Knecht, Trey Jemison, Cole Swider and Darius Bazley are all players to watch for Los Angeles.

Dallas Mavericks

• Cooper Flagg

All eyes are on Flagg on Thursday, as he aims to build on what was an insanely impressive season at Duke, where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Since the Mavericks don’t have a ton of guard depth with Kyrie Irving (torn ACL) currently out, Jason Kidd has floated the idea of playing Flagg a lot on the ball in the 2025-26 season. He should get a chance to do that quite a bit this summer. 

Oddsmakers have set Flagg at 18.5 points in his player prop for his first Summer League appearance. 

Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction and Pick

Betting on Summer League is extremely volatile, but if you’re looking to wager a small amount on this matchup, I’d lean with the Lakers to cover.

Not only did Los Angeles blow out the Miami Heat and beat the San Antonio Spurs in California, but it has a lot of NBA-level talent in James, Knecht, Swider, Bazley, Jemison and others. 

This is the first game of the summer for Dallas, so there may be some rust to shake off and it’s worth noting that the Mavs have very few players with NBA experience listed on their Summer League roster.

This game is all about watching Flagg and how he starts his NBA career, but I think the Lakers are primed to get the win.  

Pick: Lakers -3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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