The first Saturday of the 2024-25 NBA season is here and there is a ten-game slate ahead of us.
There have been plenty of storylines already appearing to kick off the season. 11 teams are still searching for their first win, nine teams remain undefeated, and the rest have split their action thus far. The first game tonight will start at 5:00 PM EST as the Clippers and Nuggets face off and the night will conclude with a 10:30 PM EST tip-off between the Lakers and Kings.
There are plenty of additional matchups to dive into as each team begins their 2024-25 season journey. While you can check out each matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, here are my five favorite player props on the October 26th slate.
Jaylen Brown Over 2.5 Three-Pointers Made (+130 odds)
The Boston Celtics look to be on a mission to start this season. The defending champions look as locked in as ever and are off to a 2-0 start which has been won by a combined margin of 43 points. Boston has even further leaned into their perimeter attack this season. After leading the NBA in three-point attempts last season with 42 long-range shots per game, they have raised this bar once again. Through the opening two games, they have attempted 106 three-pointers as a team thus far.
Jaylen Brown is a key part of this and has attempted 15 three-pointers himself through the opening two games. Brown made five three-pointers on opening night and three in their most recent victory over the Wizards. Getting +130 odds for the reigning Finals MVP is great value based on his role in the offense and the style Boston is attempting to play. Expect him to launch a healthy amount of three-pointers once again and for Brown to knock down at least three long-range attempts as they face off with the Pistons.
LaMelo Ball Over 31.5 Points & Assists (-105)
The list of NBA players playing better than LaMelo Ball to start the 2024-25 season is incredibly small. The Hornets franchise centerpiece is averaging 34 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.5 rebounds through the opening two games of the season. He has provided the NBA with a reminder of what he is capable of when he is healthy and should be expected to continue with this moving forward.
The Hornets are set to face off with the Miami Heat in this matchup who struggled in the opening game, losing to the Magic 116-97. Both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and, while he is not as strong as the two Magic stars, Ball has a 6-foot-7 frame himself.
Look for Ball to maintain his impressive level of play and cruise past the 31.5 combined points and assist total for the third consecutive game.
Anthony Davis Over 26.5 Points (-105)
JJ Redick has already made an impressive difference for this Lakers team. There is much more motion in the new-look offense and it has brought out the best in the team. Anthony Davis has been the biggest beneficiary of this and the early takeaways seem to be that the offense is catered to maximizing Davis’ skillset more than anyone else.
The nine-time All-Star has done his part to deliver in these opportunities. Davis currently leads all scorers in the NBA by averaging 35.5 points after tallying 36 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists in the opening game and then producing 35 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the second game.
While Sacremento has reason for optimism for their season outlook, defense is not one of them. Domantas Sabonis struggles defensively and is vulnerable to players like Davis. His size and verticality will be a significant issue in this game and the Lakers will look to capitalize on this. With the five-time All-NBA center playing his best basketball and the Kings’ defensive concerns in mind, expect Davis to reach his point total for the third consecutive game.
Evan Mobley Over 28.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-125)
One of the biggest reasons for optimism surrounding this Clevland Cavaliers team is the growth of Evan Mobley. The early signs have been promising for the former third-overall pick. While two games are far too small of a sample size to have any serious takeaways, the former All-Defensive team member is on track to attempt a career-high in field goal and three-point attempts and has gotten to the free-throw line at a greater rate.
In the opening game of the season, Mobley tallied 25 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. In game two, Mobley recorded 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists. His importance within the Cleveland offense has grown and Mobley has been given more freedom to take the ball up the court and initiate the offense at times.
Heading into this matchup, the Cavaliers are set to face off with the Washington Wizards. Mobley will receive his first matchup with this year’s second-overall pick Alex Sarr. The Frenchman plays a similar style as Mobley, but the Cavaliers standout is further along in his development. Expect the Cavaliers to test Sarr and for Mobley to get the better of this matchup. Mobley has been impacting the game in a variety of ways and his ceiling as a player will directly impact the Cavaliers’ future outlook. Expect this to be the start of an improved season and for Mobley to record over 28.5 points, rebounds, and assists.
Lu Dort Under 10.5 Points (-110)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to face off with the Chicago Bulls in their second game of the season. They will have the rest advantage in this matchup as Chicago will be on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks last night. This also will be the first matchup between these two teams since the trade this summer centered around Josh Giddey and Alex Caruso.
Looking at Lu Dort directly, he was held to just five points on seven shots in the opening game. Dort has averaged 10.9 points or greater in each of the past four seasons but is expected to see his role reduce this year. Caruso is a driving force for why this is the case and will have his first chance against his former team in this matchup. Dort also has been held to fewer than 10 points in his past two matchups with the Bulls even while logging 33 minutes.
The Thunder are extremely deep this season and the rotations are more competitive than ever. Expect Dort to begin to get lost in the rotation a bit as the season goes on and for him to fail to assert himself in this offense. While he will still be a factor in the team’s success, expect the impact to be outside of the score sheet. Count on Dort to remain below the 10.5-point margin and look towards the under for his scoring total in this matchup.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
