NBA: Dallas Mavericks-Press Conference
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No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg makes his NBA debut when he and the Dallas Mavericks battle Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2K26 Summer League play on Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Widely considered one of the top prospects to enter the league over the last decade, the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg is coming off a season in which he led Duke to the Final Four and was the consensus player of the year. He immediately becomes the future of a Mavericks franchise that traded away star guard Luka Doncic last season.

Like Flagg, James knows the weight of expectations. The son of LeBron James famously struggled in his rookie season with the Lakers last year, averaging just 2.3 points and 6.7 minutes in 27 games. However he played much better in the G League, averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 11 games with the South Bay Lakers.

Dallas' Summer League team also features former Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard, who led Division I last season in assists per game (9.8) and signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks after not being selected in the draft.

Meanwhile L.A.'s roster will also have second-year wing Dalton Knecht, who averaged 9.1 points in 78 games last season but struggled on the defensive end, which led to inconsistent minutes. On Tuesday, in the Lakers' final game of the three-game California Classic, Knecht had 25 points and eight rebounds in helping L.A. to an 89-88 win over the Spurs.

While the Flagg-James matchup is the marquee attraction on the sporting landscape on Thursday, other options include an 11-game MLB slate and WNBA clashes. 

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Thursday, July 10. All times Eastern.

MLB best bets, where to watch

Mariners at Yankees

Time: 7:05 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: MLBN

SportsLine picks -- Model: Yankees money line -108

The New York Yankees will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners when the two AL playoff contenders collide at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have won the first two games of the series 10-3 and 9-6. They have now won three in a row after their six-game losing streak. On Thursday 34-year-old righty Marcus Stroman (1-1, 7.45 ERA) will start for New York. He will go up against Mariners All-Star Bryan Woo (8-4, 2.77). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Yankees have a 54% chance to win and gives a "B" grade to New York -108 on the money line.

Rays at Red Sox

Time: 7:10 p.m. | Location: Boston | TV: MLBN

SportsLine picks -- Model: Red Sox +1.5 -172 | Expert: Jonathan Aranda to hit a home run +500 (Jacob Fetner)

The Boston Red Sox will look to keep their roll going when they host the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a four-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have won six in a row and have swept back-to-back series against the Nationals and Rockies. They have outscored their opponents 56-16 over that stretch. Meanwhile, the Rays are just 3-7 over their last 10 games but are coming off a 7-3 win over the Tigers. On Thursday, Boston's Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.25) faces Tampa Bay's Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.79). The SportsLine Projection Model says the Red Sox have a 65% chance of covering on the run line and gives a "B" grade to Boston +1.5 -172. Meanwhile, Fetner notes Aranda is 9-for-17 (.529) with a home run over his last four games and is 2-for-4 with a home run in his career against Buehler.

Diamondbacks at Padres

Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: San Diego | TV: MLBN

SportsLine picks -- Model: Diamondbacks money line -120

Two National League West rivals will close out a four-game series when the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres meet at Petco Park. The Diamondbacks won Games 1 and 3 of the series, while the Padres took Game 2. San Diego (49-43) sits in third place in the NL West, six games behind the division-leading Dodgers, while Arizona (46-47) is 9½ games back. Thursday's pitching matchup features the Padres' Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.79) facing the Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5, 5.78). The SportsLine Projection Model says San Diego has a 55% chance of winning and gives a "C" grade to Diamondbacks money line -120. 

 More MLB best bets

WNBA best bets, where to watch

Aces at Mystics

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Fairfax, Va. | TV: Prime Video

SportsLine expert pick: Mystics -1.5 (Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai)

Two teams on the fringe of making the WNBA playoffs will square off when the Washington Mystics and Las Vegas Aces meet at EagleBank Arena. Both the Mystics (9-10) and Aces (9-10) are in a three-way tie for seventh in the league standings. The top eight teams will make the postseason. For Thursday, Las Vegas may be without A'ja Wilson. The three-time league MVP is questionable for the game after injuring her right wrist on Tuesday in a loss at the Liberty. She is averaging 20.7 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, and if she's unable to go, it would be a significant loss for the Aces. Wetzel and Barzilai note Las Vegas is playing the final game of a five-game road trip. "These are the spots that the travel fatigue tends to catch up to teams," they say.

More WNBA picks