Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic on Thursday)

The stars are out in the NBA on Thursday night, as the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers are the final two teams to make their 2026-27 season debuts as part of a two-game slate:

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Philadelphia 76ers
Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Both OKC and Philadelphia won on Tuesday night to begin their respective seasons, and stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey all had big games to kick off the campaign.

Two of those players are a part of a three-pick night in today’s edition of our best NBA props for SI Betting.

There are a ton of ways to bet on the NBA, from spreads, totals and moneylines to different player stat totals (props) for the game. If you’re not sold on picking a team to win or cover this early in the season, betting on some of the top players in the league is a fun way to add to the NBA viewing experience.

On Thursday, I’m buying SGA’s strong season opener against the San Antonio Spurs and expecting him to torch a Denver defense that was a bottom-10 unit in the league last season.

Here’s a breakdown of that prop, the latest odds for it and a couple of more plays on Oct. 22.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Oct. 22

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

LeBron James 30+ Points, Rebounds and Assists (-131)

LeBron had a monster debut for the Sixers, scoring 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting while adding nine rebounds and seven assists in an upset win over the New York Knicks.

The four-time champion fit right into his new role in Philly, doing all of the little things while getting out in transition for several buckets in the second half. The shot distribution on Philly will be important to watch this season, but James played well over 30 minutes and still had 13 looks (including an 0-for-3 night from deep) with all five starters in action.

I think that’s enough volume for James to hover around 30 points, rebounds and assists against the Cavs, who were not an elite defense in the 2025-26 season and lost Max Strus, Dean Wade and Keon Ellis in the offseason. I’m not sure how Cleveland will end up guarding this five-man Philly unit, and James’ control of the offense should lead to big assist numbers this season.

He finished with exactly 30 PRA in his season debut, and if the scoring makes a small jump, he should be in play to clear this prop with ease on Thursday.

Nikola Jokic OVER 12.5 Rebounds (-127)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m backing Jokic on the boards against OKC:

Three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic led the NBA in rebounds per game last season (12.9) – his third year in a row where he averaged over 12 boards per game.

Jokic has thrived on the glass against the Thunder, averaging 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists in his last 10 games against them. He’s picked up at least 13 boards in seven of those matchups, and I’m going back to the well with that prop on Thursday night.

Not only did Jokic lead the league in rebounds, but he also had the most rebound chances per game (16.4) of any player with at least 20 games played. The Thunder were 22nd in the NBA in rebound percentage last season, and they allowed 13 boards to Victor Wembanyama in Tuesday’s opener.

OKC outrebounded the Spurs 47-45 in that matchup, but a 45-board game for the Nuggets should result in Jokic clearing this total. Denver was a top-10 team in rebound percentage last season, and Jokic had 14 and 17 boards in his last two games against OKC during the 2025-26 campaign.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 30.5 Points (-111)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged over 31 points per game in three of his last four completed seasons, and he dropped 32 points in the season opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

The two-time league MVP took 27 shots and seven 3-pointers against San Antonio, shooting 13-for-27 from the field (3-for-7 from 3) while leading the Thunder in scoring. He’s the best scoring guard in the league, and SGA should have a field day against a Denver defense that was one of the 10 worst in the league last season.

The Nuggets lost one of their best defenders in Peyton Watson in the offseason, and SGA had 34, 36 and 35 in his three appearances against Denver during the 2025-26 season. If he’s going to hover around 20-25 shots for OKC, SGA is an easy bet to clear his scoring prop on Thursday night with the total in this game set in the mid 230s.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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