The 2021-2022 NBA regular season is officially underway, as we got to see the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers in action last night. Now, there’s an 11-game slate that will bring us a plethora of options to bet.
Sides and totals are obviously the most common wagers across all sports, but player props in the NBA can be extremely fun and profitable. With that in mind, here are three of our favorite bets for Wednesday, October 20.
NBA player props for October 20
Picks made on 10/19/2021 at 4:10:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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LaMelo Ball to record 8+ assists (+160)
Last year, Ball had 15 games in which he recorded at least eight assists, and he did so in a rookie season in which he played only 51 games. This year, Ball has some real experience under his belt and he will be counted on to be the table-setter for what should be an explosive Charlotte offense.
This meeting with the Indiana Pacers should be a somewhat high-scoring affair, as Rick Carlisle will have the Pacers playing a more organized, up-tempo game. That means that this could turn into a track meet, and Ball will want to put on a show in the team’s home opener.
Also, while Malcolm Brogdon is a smart perimeter defender, he isn’t exactly a great one. Brodgon lacks the foot speed to stay in front of quick guards, which means Ball is going to have plenty of chances to get by him and get into the paint. Once he’s there, Ball will look to find one of his bigs for an easy bucket or kick it to an open shooter. Not a particularly great finisher, Ball would be wise to avoid challenging Myles Turner — one of the game’s best shot blockers — at the rim very often.
Don’t be surprised if Ball sets out on a mission to record triple-doubles this season, and he could set the tone with an early one here. These odds are too good to pass on for an elite passer.
Pick: LaMelo Ball to record 8+ assists (+160 at FanDuel)
Desmond Bane Over 2.5 threes (+148)
Bane had 17 games where he hit at least three triples last season, and the second-year player should have a bit more minutes on his plate with Grayson Allen now on the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
<>Memphis has a free-flowing offense where Ja Morant is constantly setting his teammates up for open looks, and Bane was a beneficiary of that as a rookie last. And considering he shot 43.2 percent from deep, there’s no denying that Bane is one of the best shooters in basketball right now.
This matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers is one that Bane should really enjoy. Last year, only five teams had a worse defensive rating than the Cavaliers did, and the team didn’t do much to add any defensive grit on the perimeter in the offseason. Isaac Okoro is still the only one that gets after it on the outside, and it’s unlikely he’ll be used on an off-ball player like Bane.
Facing an undisciplined team, look for Bane to get lost for a couple of threes and don’t be surprised if he turns in a big performance./p>
Pick: Desmond Bane Over 2.5 threes (+148 at FanDuel)
Mikal Bridges Over 11.5 points (-116)
The Phoenix Suns just inked Bridges to a four-year, $90 million extension, and that comes after a summer in which the entire team talked up Bridges as a potential third option on offense.
The reality is that with Chris Paul getting older, Phoenix is going to need somebody to take some pressure off the Point God offensively. Last year, Bridges averaged the most points in NBA history by a player with a usage rate of 15% or lower. That shows that the 25-year-old is capable of scoring when called upon. Now, it just seems like that’ll be a lot more often.
The Suns also happen to be facing the Denver Nuggets in their season opener, and that means Bridges will have a great matchup right out the gates. Bridges averaged 16.0 points per game in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Nuggets just four months ago. He was often covered by Michael Porter Jr. in that series, and that matchup just isn’t fair at all. Bridges is one of the game’s best cutters, while Porter falls asleep at the wheel extremely often. Bridges has also been working on his handle and mid-range game, which could help him take a huge leap this year.
Pick: Mikal Bridges Over 11.5 points (-116 at FanDuel)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA player props in a single-game parlay, you could win $110.07 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on NBA player props?
You can bet on NBA player props at every online and casino sportsbook, including player Over/Under totals, double-doubles and a ton of other NBA prop odds. Head over to our best basketball betting sites for NBA player prop odds in your area.
