In what’s become an annual tradition, NBA Summer League has taken over Las Vegas. The next wave of NBA talent — and plenty of players fighting for a spot — take the floor looking to prove themselves. Tonight, a couple of lottery picks square off as the Atlanta Hawks take on the Brooklyn Nets at 8 p.m. ET.
Here’s a betting pick and game prediction for the Hawks vs. Nets matchup in NBA Summer League on Saturday night, courtesy of lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Hawks vs. Nets prediction, preview
Both of these teams started their Summer League runs early in Utah last week and are now in peak form heading into game two of their Vegas tournament. Atlanta went 2-1 in Salt Lake City and just dominated in its first outing against the San Antonio Spurs with a 93-66 blowout victory. That win was a true team effort that saw seven players score double-digit points, headlined by second-year NBA-er Asa Newell with 15 and second-round pick Henri Veesaar with 14. The latter’s performance was particularly impressive as the big man showcased his ability from beyond the arc with a pair of three-point makes, also hauling in six rebounds. No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings only scored five points, but he pitched in eight assists with just one turnover to finish as a team-best +19.
For the Nets, Summer League has been a great success thus far. They went 2-1 in Utah and just downed the New York Knicks 91-65 in their first Vegas game last night. In what’s become something of a trend, second-year guard Egor Demin looked very comfortable and produced 20 points on the night, following up a pair of 23-point outings in Utah. The results from last year’s other first-round picks like Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf were a mixed bag, however, the 2026 headliner put up an excellent showing. No. 6 selection Mikel Brown Jr. popped with 20 points on a 6-for-12 shooting night with three made threes, showing the flashes of the elite scorer from his time at Louisville.
Hawks vs. Nets pick, best bet
The Hawks are a -1.5 favorite tonight with -125 odds on the Moneyline. The Nets hold +105 odds to win outright with the game total set at 181.5 points.
Anything can happen in these Summer League games since there’s much less focus on structure and more of an emphasis on flee-flowing basketball through the rookies as they show what they’re capable of. Of course, youth sometimes means sloppy mistakes and more unpredictable outcomes as well.
These have been two of the best teams in Summer League thus far, showing plenty of promise with a ton of talent in both rotations. There are highly touted young players on both sides of the equation, and Demin in particular has been one of the top individuals throughout the Utah and brief Vegas runs. He’s arguably looking too good for this stage, but having him around only boosts the outlook here.
For those reasons, the over on the game total of 181.5 feels like a natural pick for tonight’s best bet. These are high achievers within the context of Summer League and have regularly flirted with the range of 90+ points in six of the eight combined contests they’ve played so far. With an emphasis on transition play and free-flowing hoops, there should be a ton of scoring opportunity in this contest as the Hawks and Nets combine to go over the total here.
Best Bet: Over 181.5 points (-110)
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