The NBA's Las Vegas Summer League has come down to four teams paired off in two semifinals matchups to determine an ultimate champion, and we've got expert picks established for both games with the Los Angeles Clippers battling the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors taking on the Miami Heat.
Here's a look at our moneyline, spread, and total picks for those games scheduled on Sunday, July 21 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Past NBA Summer League Expert Picks
| Bet | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | 4-2 | 0.59 |
| Spread | 3-3 | -0.21 |
| OVER/UNDER | 2-4 | -1.21 |
| Overall | 9-9 | -0.83 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | +5.5 (-110) | +198 | O 178.5 (-113) |
| Memphis Grizzlies | -5.5 (-110) | -250 | U 178.5 (-113) |
Expert Pick: Memphis Grizzlies ML
The experience and professional poise from a number of the Grizzlies' players paid dividends in this setting, with the likes of GG Jackson and Scotty Pippen Jr. establishing themselves as two of the biggest standouts in Sin City.
They've won games by putting the clamps down defensively and then they've prevailed with exceptional shooting, sometimes with one aspect of the game carrying the other. Memphis will need the former to fend off a Clippers team that finished fourth in scoring with just under three fewer points per game than that of the Grizzlies. Los Angeles' Jordan Miller has been lethal putting the ball in the hoop at 24.8 points per game, which is the most of any player to have taken the floor four times.
Then again, Memphis' spread being set at 5.5 points as a favorite goes to show where oddsmakers foresee this one heading. The one-two punch of Jackson and Pippen Jr. is perhaps too good for these conditions, and that should be the deciding factor here with the Grizzlies in the driver's seat heading to the Finals on Monday.
Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +4 (-110) | +142 | O 177.5 (-113) |
| Miami Heat | -4 (-110) | -176 | U 177.5 (-113) |
Expert Pick: Miami Heat ATS -4 (-110)
The Heat have been arguably the most consistent and thoroughly dominant squad throughout the entire competition, averaging the most points at 105.5 across their four victories with a commanding 20.8 point differential that's 6.5 points greater than the second-ranked Grizzlies.
Rookie Kel'el Ware deserves a great deal of credit for his contributions, averaging 17.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 steals in just over 26 minutes per contest. Teammate Jaime Jaquez Jr. was so prolific in his two appearances that Miami elected to sit him out entirely moving forward. Even without his services, the Heat still managed to emerge victorious in their last two games by an average of 24.5 points, including a 36-point blowout of the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Golden State will be without Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis in this matchup, as they've both been shut down by the team akin to what Miami did with Jaquez Jr. With the talent remaining, the Heat have enough to outpace and outgun the Warriors coming off three games of 100 points or more.
