Utah Jazz vs. Washington Wizards
By far the most hyped game of the Las Vegas Summer League is set to take place on Thursday night at 9pm ET on ESPN. The Utah Jazz will take on the Washington Wizards, in what boils down to a battle between the top-two prospects from this loaded NBA Draft class. No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson and Utah against No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa and the Wizards.
I’m expecting a good show from both of these players, but we’ll start with a side on the game before we get to that. Dybantsa will be flanked by some solid talent on the Wizards side of things. Tre Johnson was a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, along with players that got meaningful NBA experience last season in Will Riley and Julian Reese. They have a pretty solid squad, but will all be playing together for the first time, and lack depth beyond that top-end talent.
Meanwhile, the Jazz are off playing three games in the Salt Lake City Summer league, where they went a perfect 3-0. Aside from this group being more familiar playing with one another, Utah rosters three top-10 picks over the last three draft classes. Beyond Peterson, the Jazz will suit up both Ace Bailey and Cody Williams, who come with both talent and experience.
Here’s where the depth comes into play. The Jazz also have NBA experience in the likes of Blake Hinson, Trey Alexander, Bez Mbeng, and Hayden Gray. Between more experience in the league, more experience this summer, and the motivation of Peterson (who has mentioned several times that he will take this matchup personally), Utah should have the edge in this game.
I expect to see both stars shine bright in this one, though. Peterson has already dropped 28 and 25 points in his two Summer League appearances, and will undoubtably be locked in. That doesn’t mean Dybantsa is going to no-show. He averaged 25.5 points per game at BYU last season, and is an elite scorer at all levels. Primetime on ESPN against the guy he beat out to go No. 1 overall, we should see him swinging for the fences as well. DraftKings Sports offers a special prop for both to go for 20+ points at +130, which I believe is worth a wager.
NBA Summer League Pick: Jazz Moneyline (-135)
NBA Summer League Pick: Dybantsa & Peterson 20+ Points (+130)
