The first week of the NBA season is in the books. The Utah Jazz being decent is not something I had anticipated, but if we knew what was going to happen, it wouldn’t be any fun! What makes the NBA so great, aside from the continuously improving talent, athleticism, and drama, is the fact that we get games daily. Had a bad night last night? Who cares? Today is a new day! Fantrax wants to help you win a bit of money, so we will be giving you NBA Player Prop Bets every week. We’ll shy away from keying in on any particular sportsbook, as we know odds vary, and so do props. We’ll focus on our projections, and allow you to find your best odds. Let’s get into our props.
NBA Player Props for October 25
Cade Cunningham, UNDER 18 Points:
I’m not just saying this because I’m a Wizards fan, but there’s a legit case to be made that Cade Cunningham should be faded tonight. Firstly, Cade averages 18.3 PPG on the season, to begin with. Next, the Pistons are currently 20th in the league in offensive rating but 10th in pace. They’re going to be in a pace-down matchup spot vs. the Wizards who are 23rd in the league in pace and have a 6th-ranked defensive rating on top of that. Not only will the Pistons play with fewer possessions than they normally get, but they’ll also likely be less efficient with those possessions. Tough scene. On top of that, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are new mouths to feed in Detroit, meaning that Cade should not be expected to both take more shots or score more points tonight.
Luka Doncic, UNDER 45 Points+Rebounds+Assists:
We’re only a few games into the season, but Luka Doncic is headed for a career year/MVP-caliber season. He’s averaging 33/8/8 on only 33.5 minutes per game. He’s been electric to watch. But tonight against the Pelicans, he’ll have his toughest test of the season. While the Mavericks are the 1st ranked team in the league (according to net rating), the Pelicans are the 2nd best team. The Pelicans have the 2nd best offense and the 5th ranked defense. Luka is elite enough that he doesn’t ever have a bad matchup. He’ll get his. However, it’s his teammates that will have more trouble knocking down shots against a good defense. That affects Luka’s assist total. Even if Luka goes for 30 points and 10 assists…the likelihood that he’ll get 5 assists to boot is slim, to me. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a tiny bit of scoring regression to boot. I like taking Luka’s under here.
Devin Booker OVER 30 Points:
The Warriors aren’t the same defense they were last year. At least not yet. They have the 17th-ranked defense in the league currently. They also play the fastest of any team in the league. Against Devin Booker, that could mean a huge night. Booker is averaging 32 points per game this young season, and going up against a middling defense, with more possessions than he usually gets on the 27th slowest team in the league, is a recipe for a 40-point game if I’ve ever seen one. It feels insane to EXPECT a 40-point game, so taking the over on 30 points should make you feel a lot better. The man is shooting above 50% from three while taking 6 threes per game. He’s playing out of his mind. You’ll want a piece of that action.
For more great analysis check out our full 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!