NBA Summer League Betting Picks: Cooper Flagg, Bronny James Featured in Mavericks vs Lakers Matchup

The 2025 NBA Summer League has arrived, and there's a highly anticipated matchup tonight featuring Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks vs Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tonight, NBA Betting enthusiasts get a sneak peek of Cooper Flagg, who was drafted No.1 overall out of Duke by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is entering his second NBA season. Selected No. 55 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny gets another look at Summer League.

With two prominent names facing off against one another, this might be the matchup of the summer. Not only does Flagg make his summer league debut for the Mavericks, but ticket prices are surging. Tabbed as the most expensive summer league matchup in history, courtside seats are going for nearly $2,500!

Here are my top FanDuel player prop picks for the Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers showdown, featuring Cooper Flagg and Bronny James.

2025 NBA Summer League Best Bets: Mavericks vs Lakers

• Cooper Flagg Over 18.5 Points (+102 FanDuel)
• Bronny James Over 10.5 Points (-102 FanDuel)
• Lakers -3.5 (-110 FanDuel)

COOPER FLAGG TO SHINE IN HIS MAVERICKS DEBUT?

Pick: Over 18.5 Points (+102 FanDuel)

Tonight we see Cooper Flagg take the court for the first time as a Dallas Maverick. What better way to make a debut than against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers?

A sensational athlete out of Montverde Academy and Duke, Flagg averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field in his one season with Duke. That was enough for fans and bettors, as Flagg is anticipated as the biggest talent to enter the NBA since Victor Wembanyama.

The sportsbooks have Flagg set at 18.5 points, which is quite a high player prop line for Summer League. Even so, this is a nationally televised game, and perhaps the most prominent in SL history. Although it's unknown how many minutes Cooper will play, he's primed to play at least the first two games of Summer League.

At 6 foot 9, will see see point forward Cooper Flagg tonight? While his vertical is truly unmatched, he can do it all, especially on the defense end. Not to mention, he has incredible handles and the ability to score for his size. Watching the way he breezed through the ACC, Flagg does get a matchup against a seasoned Lakers squad. Considered one of the most pro ready rookies, all eyes will be on Flagg.

Cooper Flagg's Mavericks Debut Is Highly Awaited

We have to remember, Flagg averaged these stats alongside Khaman Maluach in 30 minutes of play at Duke. Plus, only Moussa Cisse and Aliou Diarra are the same size, if not bigger than Flagg. With that, I'm curious to see how much action Flagg gets on vs off the ball. Plus, With Cole Swider and Trey Jemison III possible inserted in the starting lineup, I see no issue from Flagg size wise.

While I don't see Flagg playing a ton of summer league games, I'm expecting his usage rate to skyrocket in the games he does appear in. Although college has gone and come, Flagg averaged 18+ points in three of his last four games at Duke. Mind you, that was against elite teams in Houston, Alabama, Arizona, and Baylor.

WILL BRONNY JAMES TAKE A LEAP FORWARD IN HIS SECOND SEASON WITH THE LAKERS?

• Bronny James 10+ points (-102 FanDuel)

Aforementioned, today is a historic day, as Bronny James and the Lakers take on Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks.

At 2-1, the Lakers have a head start, and lead the NBA California Classic Summer League. At 6 foot 2, Bronny has a ton of raw talent, and is still developing. In two summer league games, Bronny is averaging 6.0 points against the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.

It's hard to gauge Bronny's performance, given he had an abysmal performance against the Spurs. Scoring two points in 15 minutes isn't ideal—Bronny finished 1-5 from the field. As expected, Dalton Knecht and Cole Swider have taken on larger duties.

In the Lakers 103-83 victory over the Miami Heat, Bronny finished with 10 points, shooting 3-7 from the field, and 2-5 from beyond the arc in just 11 minutes. If James can erupt for 10 minutes in such limited minutes, the odds are too valuable not to take him for 10+ tonight. Mind you, James averaged 2.3 points in just 6.7 minutes in his underwhelming rookie season with the Lakers.

While Bronny stated his focus is on defense rather than scoring at a high volume, perhaps some of his points will come off the defensive end (hence the Miami matchup). Whether or not the hype matches the performance—Bronny James and Cooper Flagg headline two of the most popular Summer League prospects.

THE LAKERS ARE WELL SEASONED WITH BRONNY JAMES

My third best bet for today, I'm taking the Los Angeles Lakers to cover the -3.5-point favorable spread. 2-1 on the season, the Lakers have already seen summer action. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are a bit behind, and will make their Summer League debut tonight.

As we've expected, Dalton Knecht has his presence known with the Lakers last season. Although the Hornets trade fell through, this is a Lakers team that has some experience with Knecht, Bronny James, Trey Jemison III, DJ Steward, and Cole Swider (Just to name a few).

Leading the California Classic Summer League with a +5.3 point differential, this is a Lakers team that's put up 92 points per game in three outings.

Given the Mavericks haven't played a single game, a majority of this roster doesn't have pro experience, aside from Maxwell Lewis and and Jordan Hall. Aside from Cooper Flagg, the remainder of the roster will see Summer League action for the first time.

I'm laying the points with the Purple and Gold. Overall, the Lakers have much more NBA and Summer League experience than the Dallas Mavericks.