Best NBA Player Props Today: Stars Shine Bright on Opening Night

Prop bet #1: New season, same Joker

The Finals MVP's championship celebration tour took him from Vegas to Serbia, but Nikola Jokic odds are back to business here on ring night.

If the Denver Nuggets feel overlooked after their title run, a national TV game right out of the gate is a perfect stage to send a message — but they’ll need peak Joker here against a hungry Lakers team trying to banish the memories of their Western Conference Finals sweep at the hands of Denver.

Jokic was dominant in that series and, even with a switch back to a lighter regular season minutes load, I like the two-time MVP to make a forceful start, especially on the boards.

I’m picking the Over on the Jokic rebounds prop in the Nuggets’ home opener. He pulled down 58 boards in the four playoff games against the Lakers, including 14 at the offensive end, and finished with 13+ rebounds 36 times last season.

His battle with Anthony Davis is a must-see matchup, even if L.A. opts to use AD in a roaming, help-defense role, as they did at times in the postseason. In that scenario, Jokic would be fighting for rebounding position against LeBron and Rui Hachimura — and that should only help his numbers.

The big Serbian cruised through the preseason but still grabbed 14 rebounds (to go with 25 points and eight dimes) in last week’s game against the Clippers. I expect a similar output on Tuesday.

Nikola Jokic prop: Over 12.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365)

Prop bet #2: The King holds court

Most superstars are thinking about a retirement tour in their late 30s, but this isn’t most superstars and the LeBron James odds reflect that. Instead, a revenge tour feels likelier as he sizes up the rest of the Western Conference.

I expect the disappointment of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Conference Finals exit to fuel LeBron heading into the 2023-24 season, including a monster opening night stat line against a Denver team that’s taken a few jabs at L.A. since their matchup in May.

James had a double-double in all four games against the Nuggets in that series, and I’m wagering on him to repeat the trick here, right after watching the hosts collect their championship rings. 

Fresh from the offseason, LeBron has made a habit of big opening-night performances, including a 31-15-8 line against the Warriors last October which also just happened to be ring night for Golden State.

The King can cruise to double-digit points and then his ability to stuff the stat sheet opens up the options of assists or rebounds to cash in this prop.

While he’ll cede some possessions to Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, I see a big playmaking game ahead for James and it’ll take a team effort to keep Jokic off the glass.

It remains to be seen whether LeBron’s body can hold up through another relentless season — but the stage is set for an explosive start on Tuesday.

LeBron James prop: To record a double-double (+155 at FanDuel)

Prop bet #3: KD fills it up

The new-look Phoenix Suns belong in the inner circle of title contenders, and they’ll be under the microscope from the opening tip in Tuesday’s clash with the Warriors.

Kevin Durant odds will soak up most of the spotlight as he shares the court with teammates from two title runs in Golden State, but I’m picking him to rise to the occasion and finish as Phoenix’s standout performer, especially with Devin Booker questionable due to a toe injury.

In a small sample size last season, Durant settled effortlessly into the Suns’ offense after being traded from the Nets, and he scored 25+ points in all five games of the opening-round series against the Clippers.  

The cast looks a bit different this year after the Suns traded for Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic and took some fliers to rebuild their bench. It’ll take time for the group to gel, but the offense should again be a points machine.

With Draymond Green out, the Warriors are vulnerable defensively in this contest. While Durant will be shadowed by Andrew Wiggins at times, I still expect him to score efficiently and chase mismatches against Steph Curry or Chris Paul.

Durant averaged 29.1 points per game last season, and he’s got a strong track record on opening night, with 20+ points in his first game for each of the past 12 years. He’s tallied 27+ in seven of those outings.

KD was in a rhythm in Phoenix’s final preseason game, making eight of his 14 shots for 21 points in 17 minutes. Back in front of the Warriors fans on Tuesday, he could end up with 25+ field goal attempts — and I like the Over on the Durant points prop.

Kevin Durant prop: Over 26.5 points (-110 at BetMGM)