NBA Summer League Pistons vs Rockets Prediction, Odds and Key Players for July 15

A few offseasons ago, the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets would have been the highlights of the summer league after Cade Cunningham (Detroit) and Jalen Green (Houston) were two of the top picks in the NBA draft.

NOW?

Well, Detroit is still rebuilding this summer while the Rockets have a young, solid core that is in position to contend for a playoff spot after narrowly missing out on the playoff tournament in the 2023-24 campaign.

Houston is already 2-0 in summer league play this offseason, and third overall pick Reed Sheppard is quickly showing why he was the first guard off the board in June’s draft.

Meanwhile, the Pistons lost by 13 points to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, shooting less than 40 percent from the field in the game.

Let’s break down the odds, key players to watch and the best bet for this summer league showdown on Monday night.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Propagated

Money line

Total

Detroit Pistons

Ron Holland: The fifth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Holland shot 5-of-15 on Saturday, scoring 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in 24 minutes. An energetic player, Holland is looking to prove he can be a rotational piece now for Detroit in 2024.

Houston Rockets

Roseau Sheppard: It’s hard to top Reed Sheppard so far in Summer League. He scored 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting Sunday, adding six rebounds, seven assists and five steals. A solid defender and shooter, Sheppard is showing what a great scorer he can be, averaging 22.5 points per game in two Summer League games.

Note: Rosters are very fluid in Summer League, with teams leaving players aside to take a look at other prospects. These key players to watch — and upcoming predictions — are based on teams playing with their expected rosters.

There’s a chance Houston leaves a few key pieces like Sheppard or last season’s first-round pick Cam Whitmore on the second night of a two-game stretch, but I’m still going to root for Houston in this game.

Detroit doesn’t have as much top-tier talent as you might expect in this game, with last season’s lottery pick Ausar Thompson not playing in Summer League, making Holland the most high-profile draft pick on the roster.

Houston has already won by 19 and 18 points this summer, and there’s a ton of NBA talent on the roster, from Whitmore to Sheppard to Kira Lewis Jr. to AJ Griffin.

If most of the young stars are healthy, Houston should have the upper hand on Monday.

Pick: Rockets -5.5 (-110)

Odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.

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