Halloween has now past us and there are nine games set to kick off the Nov. 1 NBA slate. With each NBA team having played their first four or five games, the early takeaways of the season are beginning to be formed.
Looking at tonight’s games, the Cleveland Cavaliers are aiming to remain undefeated against the Orlando Magic. In addition, the Indiana Pacers are facing the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Nuggets and Timberwolves will square off in an intriguing Western Conference matchup. The night will conclude with the Thunder and Trail Blazers as the the final game.
While you can check out each matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, here are my favorite player props on the Nov. 1 slate.
Jalen Duren Over 10.5 Rebounds (-120)
The Detroit Pistons are set to face off with the new-look New York Knicks who are still finding their stride this season. The Knicks enter with a 2-2 record and are still playing through the early growing pains brought on by the roster changes. New York is coming off an impressive 116-107 victory over the Heat in which Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 44 points. However, the former Timberwolves star is listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to a wrist issue.
Center is the biggest concern for the Knicks and this is only magnified if Towns is out. Mitchell Robinson continues to recover from injury and Isaiah Hartenstein was a huge loss this offseason. Detroit is one of the teams best-equipped to take advantage of this and Duren should be looked at as the player to lead the charge.
Standing 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Duren is an impressive athlete who will make his presence felt in this matchup. With or without KAT, expect Duren to be the leading rebounder in this game. He is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game thus far while being limited in minutes due to foul issues. He fouled out in less than 11 minutes in the previous game against the Sixers. Duren has recorded over 10.5 rebounds twice this year already and should be expected to have his best rebounding performance of the season. Expect him to clear 10.5 rebounds in this game as his size and athleticism stand out greatly.
Jalen Johnson Over 33.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115)
The Atlanta Hawks are set to face off with the Sacremento Kings tonight. Sacremento enters with a 2-2 record while the Hawks are 2-3. The biggest storyline surrounding the Hawks is the early growth of Jalen Johnson. Atlanta is still evaluating what they have in the fourth-year forward and how good he can truly be.
The early signs have been encouraging with Johnson averaging 16.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game through the opening five games. He has cleared 33.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in each of the past two games and the Kings are a great matchup for him to continue this trend.
While Sacremento made a splash by adding DeMar DeRozan in free agency, they did not address their point of attack defense which continues to be a major weakness. Jalen Johnson is a high-level athlete with great size that Sacremento will struggle to match up with. Expect the Duke product to be in attack mode early and have no trouble getting to the rim and for the rest of his game to open up from there. Count on Johnson to eclipse over 33.5 combined points, rebounds and assists which he has done twice already.
Tobias Harris Under 14.5 Points (-125)
Tobias Harris’ return to the Detroit Pistons has not gotten off to the start both sides have hoped. After inking a two-year deal worth $52 million, Harris has shot just 37.1% from the floor and 15% from beyond the three-point arc through the opening five games.
While Harris will right the ship and begin shooting better as the season progresses, this is a difficult matchup for the 14-year veteran. As the Pistons face off with the Knicks, expect the athleticism and length of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to be bothersome for Harris.
So far this year Harris has scored over 14.5 points just once. This came in his return to Philadelphia with Harris scoring several of these points once the game was already decided. He also still shot just 8-18 in this game. Take the under in this matchup and expect Harris to struggle throughout.
Nikola Jokic Over 26.5 Points (-125)
The Denver Nuggets are off to just a 2-2 start to the season and are still finding their stride. Nikola Jokic has not had the desired level of play from his supporting cast which has forced him to be in attack mode more than he prefers. The three-time MVP is currently tied with Tyrese Maxey for the most points per game in the NBA with 31.5. He is currently attempting 20.5 field goal attempts per game which would be the most of his career if this sustains. He has recorded over 26.5 points in three of the four games thus far.
While Jokic is one of the premier passers across the sport, he is going to continue to be forced into attack mode moving forward. There is not enough reliable shooting surrounding him, and Jokic has pointed this out to the media himself.
While four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert headlines Minnesota’s defense, Jokic has had success against him in the past. Jokic has scored as many as 47 points against Gobert, has eclipsed 30 points six times since 2020, and has scored 30-plus in each of their last two matchups. Expect this trend to continue and for Jokic to comfortably clear 26.5 once again in this game.
Chet Holmgren Over 28.5 Points & Rebounds (-110)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a 4-0 start and have looked as advertised thus far. Chet Holmgren has been one of the largest reasons why this is the case with last year’s Rookie of the Year runner-up taking another leap this season. Holmgren most recently got the better of Victor Wembayama in their recent matchup and has averaged 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds through the opening four games.
While these numbers will settle down some, 28.5 is too low of a number based on Holmgren’s impact. The Thunder are set to face off with the Portland Trail Blazers tonight with Deandre Ayton set to hold things down at center. While Holmgren isn’t the most physically imposing player, he competes on the boards and has the length to make an impact.
Expect him to continue to prove his worth as one of the faces of the Thunder and for his best basketball to still be ahead of him. Holmgren’s ability to create on the perimeter will cause some issues in this game. Expect him to make a strong impact and for Holmgren to eclipse 28.5 points and rebounds for the fourth time in five games.
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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.
