NBA betting: Four bets to make on Wembanyama, Holmgren - ESPN

The rivalry between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren surpassed all expectations last season, giving NBA fans another classic big-man showdown that might just carry the torch from Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. NBA history is loaded with iconic matchups like these, from Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain to Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Garnett. Now, it looks like Wembanyama and Holmgren are ready to add their names to that list.

Last season, they went head-to-head three times, with the Thunder winning two of those games. Wembanyama averaged 20.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 3.7 BPG, while Holmgren put up 16.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.7 BPG in their matchups. They finished first and second in Rookie of the Year voting, and Wembanyama landed second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

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What makes this rivalry even more interesting? These two have known each other's game since before they got to the NBA. Holmgren represented Team USA's Under-19 squad at the FIBA World Cup in Latvia in July 2021, playing with other future NBA stars. The gold-medal game saw USA face France, where Holmgren and Wembanyama squared off for the first time. Although they entered the NBA in different draft classes — Holmgren missing his first year with a foot injury — their paths are already intertwined.

Wembanyama and Holmgren meet again for the first time this season on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. Here are some futures bets to make on both players this season.

Holmgren to win Defensive Player of the Year (+350)

Now, while Victor Wembanyama got a lot of attention last season for his defensive talent, don't sleep on Holmgren. The Thunder selected him No. 2