Nothing is better than a fresh betting slate for you to build up your bankroll all year! I will be here every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday throughout the season to give you the best player props for the day. Remember, it’s a long NBA season. Don’t go betting your entire paycheck on any single prop, even if it’s incredible value. With the season just getting underway, there will be a lot of learning about each team and players’ usage, but that’s all part of the fun. Finally, remember to monitor injury news, as staying on top of which players are playing is a sharp way to make some money before lines adjust. Here are my best bets for tonight’s action.
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Thursday’s NBA Best Player Prop Bets
Unless specified otherwise, each bet will be a single unit.
Last Time: 3-3
Season: 11-5
Ausar Thompson Under 20.5 Pts + Reb (-120, PointsBet)
With a total set right around 218 tonight in New Orleans, I am seeking to find unders in this game, especially on the Detroit side as a 7.5-point underdog. Ausar Thompson, will you please stand up?
The Pistons haven’t started terribly at 2-3, but it seems like Thompson has over-performed a bit in this young season and is due for some regression. He shot 57% from the field last time he played after failing to eclipse 43% in his previous four games.
He has reached double-digit boards in three of his five games, but I trust the projections here, which put him around 15 points and rebounds. Scoring will be difficult to come by tonight, making this an easy addition to my card.
Markelle Fultz Over 11.5 points (-130, DraftKings)
I imagined Fultz’ point total to be higher than this, but that’s why you will pay some juice. Feel free to take alt lines if you see them anywhere, as the BettingPros Prop Bet Cheat Sheet – a wonderful resource for all your betting needs – puts this number closer to 16.
The Jazz have stumbled out the gate and the books are a bit slow to catch up. Their defense ranks fourth-worst in the league so far, with four of the five games hitting the over. Opponents have scored 110-plus in every game to date, so points won’t be at a premium tonight.
I’d be okay with taking really any Orlando player’s point prop. The Jazz have allowed opposing guards to score around 20 points per game so far, and Fultz has reached double-digit scoring in three of his four games so far.
Victor Wembanyama Over 25.5 Pts + Ast + Reb (-120, DraftKings)
Another day, another chance to bet the over on Wemby props.
Obviously the hype is through the roof for the real-life Slender Man, but the books still appear to be a bit cautious in pricing his props. I can only imagine the touted prospect will continue to improve and after posting 18 points and eight rebounds against Phoenix on Tuesday. So why can’t he have that exact performance again?
His assist numbers will rise as defenses adjust to him and the Spurs. Really, all of his stats should improve, and I want to be the first person on the train riding his overs.
Other Bets:
- Scottie Barnes Under 19.5 Pts (-118, FanDuel)
- Jakob Poeltl Over 16.5 Pts + Reb (-125, DraftKings)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
- NFL Thursday Night Football Same Game Parlay
- Top 4 Picks for NFL Thursday Night Football
- NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks, & Predictions
- NBA Player Prop Bet Odds, Pick & Predictions
- Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions
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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.