NBA Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Thursday

Damian Lillard will make his debut for the Milwaukee Bucks as they take on Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, and we are offering our NBA best bets for Thursday based on the best NBA odds.

Get ready to adjust your clocks in Wisconsin because Dame Time will officially begin in Milwaukee on Thursday. The Bucks left everyone shocked in the offseason when they traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Damian Lillard, and now we get to see their vision come to life.

While the Bucks will have a new point guard on Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers will be without theirs, as James Harden returned to the Philadelphia practice facility but was asked not to travel with the team and to begin preparing for the season.

Here are our NBA best bets for Thursday (odds via our best NBA betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Thursday’s NBA schedule and odds

(Odds via BetMGM)

• Philadelphia 76ers (+195) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-250)
• Phoenix Suns (+180) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-225)

Thursday’s NBA best bets

• Malik Beasley Over 8.5 points vs. Sixers (-125 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Malik Beasley Over 1.5 assists vs. Sixers (+165 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook

Visit our Google News page and click "Follow" (⭐) for the latest odds, picks and news!  

Thursday’s NBA player prop picks

Malik Beasley Over 1.5 assists vs. Sixers (+165 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

I know what you're thinking: Beasley on an assists prop? No way, he's a shooter, right? Correct, and I hope he does shoot, as well, especially with our other prop being Over 8.5 points. But this number on Beasley is also too good to ignore. Beasley is expected to have an expanded role with the Bucks this season, and I don't think the odds have fully taken that into account yet.

When it comes to his assists prop, consider who Beasley will be passing the ball to: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Khris Middleton.

This matters.

Beasley is projected to have 1.6 assists on Thursday against the Sixers, which isn't quite the two we need for a green checkmark, but it's trading at +165 via bet365, which is the key here. With our projection, we can price this prop at +112, showing a positive expected value of 25%.

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose*

*Deposit required. Mobile app only. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Referral Codes are used for marketing/tracking purposes only.

Claim Now

Malik Beasley Over 8.5 points vs. Sixers (-125 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beasley signed with the Bucks in the offseason, and with Grayson Allen in Phoenix, Beasley has a massive opportunity in front of him this season as he will be a starter for the Bucks and bring much-needed 3-point shooting to the lineup. The Bucks lack backcourt depth to begin with, and with Khris Middleton on a minutes restriction to start the season, Beasley could see even more minutes in the opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Beasley will also be asked to guard the best offensive player on the opposing team on most nights. Do you know what you do for someone who is working hard on defense? Run sets that get them open 3-point shots to reward their defensive effort.

In the preseason, Beasley was getting a ton of open looks from beyond the arc as the corner guy with Damian Lillard running the pick-and-roll. That is going to be common for him this season, and for that reason, I think the total of 8.5 points is too low.

Beasley is projected to score 10.9 points on Thursday against the 76ers, which means we can price the Over 8.5 points at -182, yet it is available at bet365 at -125. I'm also going to give you a price for Over 9.5 points based on our projection because I have a feeling this is going to steam hard at our best NBA betting sites, but you still might have an edge. This projection equals -133 for Over 9.5 points, so any number longer than that is still worth a bet.

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose*

*Deposit required. Mobile app only. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Referral Codes are used for marketing/tracking purposes only.

Claim Now

NBA best bets made 10/26/2023 at 7:15 a.m. ET

Kentucky bettors: Sports betting is here!

Kentucky sports betting launched on Sept. 28 - so sign up with the best Kentucky sportsbook promos now! And check out our list of the best Kentucky sports betting apps!

21+ and present in KY. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

NBA betting odds pages

Here are our best NBA betting sites:

• Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
• BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
• bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
• BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
• DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

• Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)