The NBA is back on Tuesday Night! The defending champion, Oklahoma City Thunder, will hoist their banner against the Kevin Durant-led Rockets. To end the 2-game slate, the Lakers, who will be without LeBron James for an extended period, will play host to the Golden State Warriors. Let’s dive into our top NBA player prop bets for Opening Night, while you can also check out our NBA picks for EVERY GAME throughout the NBA season!
Best NBA player prop bet: Lu Dort (OKC) Under 9.5 points (-105)
Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.
There’s no better feeling than deploying the first bet of the NBA season. I’m coming off a 92-84 season on Pickswise plays, and 73-54 the year prior – Most of my action being on unders. That’s where we’ll start the 2025-2026 season, Lu Dort, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, under 9.5 points.
Dort is a magician in his role. He’s a hound on the defensive end, being selected to 1st-Team All Defense last season. On the offensive end, it’s let other create and knockdown corner 3’s. He shot a career-high 41% from three-point range last season, yet his 3’s prop is at 2.5 with vig down to -180 on major books. If he’s not knocking down 3-pointers, eclipsing 10 points will be a tough challenge.
I’ll be sure to get out the best prices on the market for our props. BetMGM and Bet365 are extremely fast to limit winning bettors, but have the best prices on the market. If either are unavailable to you, head to DraftKings where you can fade Dort at -116, while FanDuel is down to -132.
Find out our 5-star Rockets vs Thunder best bet for tonight’s NBA season-opening game!
Best Rockets vs Thunder prop bet: Alperen Sengun (HOU) Under 6.5 assists (-125)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
We’re sticking with the Rockets-Thunder matchup for our second NBA player prop bet for Tuesday Night. To no surprise, another under. Alperen Sengun will be one of the best supporting superstars in the NBA this season. Playing alongside Kevin Durant will free him up on the offensive end, giving him plenty of looks off the ball.
While Durant sees much of the usage, Amen Thompson will have the ball in his hands a ton with the injury to Fred VanVleet. Thompson’s assist line is up to 5.5 on most books, with Durant at 4.5. With that being said, 6.5 assists is a tall line to cover, especially when you’re playing against one of the best defensive teams the league has seen this century. Sengun was a monster in the pre-season, covering the over in 2/3, but we’ll bank on regression and a monstrous defensive effort from the Thunder.
Lock in our expert Rockets vs Thunder Same Game Parlay picks for tonight at +422 odds!
Best Warriors vs Lakers prop bet: Marcus Smart (LAL) Under 8.5 points (-118)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt will be sure to create havoc on the defensive end, but that will most likely have to come off the bench for the Lakers on Tuesday Night. Smart did not get the start in the Lakers final pre-season tune up. Instead, it was Gabe Vincent who played alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. Smart will play valuable minutes all season long, but fading his points prop on Opening Night as our final player prop bet is the way I’m attacking Warriors-Lakers.
You can also find out our Warriors vs Lakers Same Game Parlay from our expert at +575 odds
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