Best NBA Player Prop Bets Tonight: Expert Picks for Wednesday, Oct. 22

The NBA season kicks off its first full slate, and I’ve put together my best NBA player props tonight for the 12-game schedule.

ESPN’s doubleheader includes a clash of Eastern Conference contenders, the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the New York Knicks, followed by a head-to-head between Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama in the Spurs vs. Mavericks matchup. My NBA picks aim to get you ready for the season openers, alongside our NBA predictions today.

🏀 Best NBA player props today: Wednesday, Oct. 22

NBA player prop bets for tonight; odds subject to change.

• LaMelo Ball player prop bet: Over 29.5 points + assists vs. Nets (-115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Cooper Flagg player prop bet: Under 26.5 points, rebounds + assists vs. Spurs (-105 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Joel Embiid player prop bet: Over 24.5 points vs. Celtics (-124 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

💰 NBA player props & best bets for tonight

Our NBA player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.

🔥 LaMelo Ball, PG, Hornets: Over 29.5 points + assists (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

LaMelo Ball is off the injury report and healthy entering his sixth NBA season. Given that he’s played 47 games or fewer in each of the past three campaigns, I like the idea of betting on Ball when he’s healthy in a matchup against a young Brooklyn Nets team.

After selecting five rookies in the 2025 NBA draft, the Nets project to be a bad team this year. Specifically, I expect them to struggle to get stops on defense.

Ball recorded 34 points and 11 assists in a win over the Houston Rockets during last year’s opener. I project more than 30 points and assists tonight, which is why FanDuel has already moved this line to 30.5. I’ll take this discount at DraftKings, netting $8.70 on a $10 wager.

🔥 Cooper Flagg, SF, Mavericks: Under 26.5 points, rebounds, and assists (-105) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m excited as anyone else for Flagg’s debut, but I think there is a chance he struggles more than the market suggests. A matchup against the Spurs’ length is not the ideal way to kick off your pro career.

In addition, Flagg will start at point guard tonight. That’s where he started in the preseason finale, and that could lead to him having fewer rebounds than expected.

Flagg averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists during the preseason. He’s now being priced with the third-highest PRA line in the game for his NBA debut. That seems like a big ask to me, which is why I project value on his Under at 25.5 or better.

Our Corey Scott also projects Flagg will go Under his rebounds and assists prop in his Cooper Flagg Player Props & Odds vs. Spurs, along with two other plays.

🔥 Joel Embiid, C, 76ers: Over 24.5 points (-124) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As is the case with Ball, Joel Embiid is healthy entering the year and worth betting on before that changes. Embiid scored 14 points in 19 minutes during his lone preseason game, providing a glimpse of where he’s at after playing in 19 contests last year.

This could be as healthy as Embiid is all year, and I want to have money on him if that’s the case. I also don’t think the Boston Celtics have anyone who can slow him down after losing their top three centers from last year’s team. I break down the matchup in full with my best 76ers vs. Celtics player props.

Whether it’s Neemias Queta or Luka Garza at center, Embiid will have a distinct matchup advantage as the 76ers’ best player. DraftKings is the only shop still offering Embiid’s scoring prop at 24.5, which is a line worth grabbing before it’s too late.