Spurs vs. Hornets Prediction, Odds, Players to Watch for NBA Summer League

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the San Antonio Spurs-Charlotte Hornets matchup in Summer League on Thursday.

The Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel are underdogs on Thursday. / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Two undefeated teams face off on Thursday in Summer League, as the San Antonio Spurs take on the Charlotte Hornets and No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel.

San Antonio opted to shut down No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper for the rest of the summer, so we won’t get to see him match up against another top-five pick. 

Both of these teams have impressed with their young cores this summer, as the Spurs won on a buzzer beater by Riley Minix against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

Charlotte also knocked off Utah this summer, and it is coming off an 18-point win over the Cooper Flagg-less Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Oddsmakers have set the Spurs as favorites in this matchup, and it’ll be interesting to see if both teams are willing to play all of their young pieces in this matchup after a day off. 

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch and my prediction for the Spurs-Hornets clash. 

Spurs vs. Hornets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Spurs -1.5 (-110)
• Hornets +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Spurs: -125
• Hornets: +105

Total

• 183.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Spurs vs. Hornets How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, July 17
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST 
• Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Spurs record: 3-0
• Hornets record: 3-0

Spurs vs. Hornets Key Players to Watch

San Antonio Spurs

• Riley Minix 

A member of the Spurs’ roster last season, Minix was the hero in the team’s last game, hitting a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to secure a win over Utah.

This summer, Minix is averaging 12.0 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. 

Charlotte Hornets

• KJ Simpson

A second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Simpson has played really well so far in Summer League, averaging 19.3 points while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3. 

He’s also chipped in 5.3 assists per game.

Charlotte has a lot of minutes up for grabs since the team has been a perennial lottery squad for some time, and it’s possible a strong summer and training camp will vault Simpson into a rotation role in the 2025-26 season. 

Spurs vs. Hornets Prediction and Pick

Note: Before betting on NBA Summer League, it’s important to know that rotations are fluid and predicting player performance is volatile. As an avid NBA bettor, I suggest only placing small wagers for fun on these games since they are often hard to predict.

The Spurs shutting down Harper is a sign that they may not be going for a Summer League title, but San Antonio is also just being cautious with the prized asset.

I like the Hornets to keep this game close and potentially win, especially if San Antonio keeps other players out of the lineup. For example, a top player like Minix has only appeared in two games for the Spurs in Las Vegas.

The Hornets have been impressive this summer, winning by 18 points over Dallas and pulling out two close games (within six points) as well. 

I wouldn’t be shocked if they move to 4-0 against the Harper-less Spurs. 

Pick: Hornets +1.5 (-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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