The NBA is officially back with its first full slate of the season tonight. There are 11 games of action taking place across the night, opening up with a pair of matchups across the 7:00 window, and building out to the 10:30 tip-off finale between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is a look at my top three player prop bets on the Wednesday night slate.
Best NBA Prop Bets Today:
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 35.5 Points & Assists (-118)
Tonight marks Giannis Antetokounmpo’s debut with the Miami Heat. The two-time MVP has ended his 13-year tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks and is coming off a season in which he averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. His scoring average was his lowest since 2017-18, while his rebounding average was his lowest since 2016-17. This is partially due to the minutes limit he operated on for most of the season and also from a lack of surrounding talent to help him reach his desired statistical output.
Antetokounmpo is still just 31 years old and has shown little reason to believe his athleticism is about to fall off a cliff. He looks to have a new chip on his shoulder down in Miami, and it was evident in preseason just how much the Heat are putting the ball in his hands. Antetokounmpo has averaged as many as 31.1 points per game over a season and tallied 6.5 assists in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
He will kick off his Heat tenure against the Timberwolves, who underwent a significant offseason transition of their own by bringing in LaMelo Ball to pair with Anthony Edwards. The new backcourt should provide plenty of offensive firepower, although Minnesota’s changing roster could affect the defensive identity it has established recently. Erik Spoelstra has found ways to unlock players with far less talent than the 10-time All-Star, and it would not be surprising if Antetokounmpo sets a career-high in assists this season. Expect him to be eager to kick off his Heat tenure with a bang and bring his best effort tonight. He is a tone-setter in the way he approaches the game, and Antetokounmpo should deliver with over 35.5 combined points and assists tonight.
Tyrese Haliburton Over 8.5 Assists (-114)
It has been 486 days since Tyrese Haliburton last took the floor for a regular-season or playoff NBA game. His road to recovery was long, with a few hurdles popping up in addition to the Achilles tear that sent the Pacers’ star crumbling to the floor during the Game 7 Finals matchup. It feels like the collective NBA has forgotten about the franchise that was representing the Eastern Conference in this championship matchup.
Haliburton has averaged 8.8 assists per game throughout his career. Over the past four seasons, he has posted averages of 9.2, 10.9, 10.4, and 8.2 assists per game. He has won the NBA assist title once and is the entire engine of the Pacers’ attack. Indiana completely built their attack around his skillset, allowing Haliburton to push the tempo and spread the ball to shooters at a frequent rate.
This skill set will be on display as the Pacers open their season against the Pelicans. New Orleans struggled defensively last season, giving Haliburton an opportunity to find his rhythm as a passer. While it is a clean slate to start this year, New Orleans finished last season ranked 24th in opponents’ points allowed and 25th in defensive rating. Several familiar teammates, including Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard, remain in place, while Ivica Zubac gives Indiana another interior target for pick-and-roll opportunities. Zubac will immediately take the place of the best lob threat big man that Haliburton has ever been paired with, which is a clear path to plenty of assist opportunities.
Count on Indiana leaning on a healthy diet of pick-and-rolls with Haliburton and Zubac to begin building their chemistry. Haliburton tallied over 8.5 assists in 41 of his 73 games played in his last healthy season, and has looked physically like himself in preseason. He averaged 9.9 assists per 36 minutes in preseason while posting an efficient 63.6% true shooting percentage, even if these stats should be taken with a grain of salt. But Haliburton has had enough time off that there should be a fair level of confidence for what he will bring to the table. Expect him to kick off his comeback season with a statement against the vulnerable opponent tonight.
Walker Kessler Over 23.5 Points & Rebounds (-112)
There were some notable roster changes in Los Angeles this offseason. LeBron James traveling across the country to join the Philadelphia 76ers is the headline story, but the most notable addition for the Lakers was Walker Kessler. His 2025–26 campaign was cut short after just five games because of a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but he averaged 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in those appearances. He will now be eager to bounce back with some larger expectations on that repaired shoulder.
One of the biggest factors in a potential offensive jump is playing alongside Luka Dončić. Few playmakers are as effective at creating scoring opportunities for big men, particularly through pick-and-rolls and passes around the rim. Kessler has the size and finishing ability to benefit from Dončić’s playmaking, giving him a path to more efficient scoring opportunities close to the basket.
This is an appealing matchup to begin the season, as the Lakers open against the Warriors. Golden State has limited traditional size in its frontcourt without Kristaps Porzingis, and often uses Draymond Green as a small-ball center. Kessler will have every chance to exploit this limitation with rebounding and putback opportunities. There will be plenty of excitement in the building with Kessler debuting in front of the home fans, and expect the new Lakers’ big man to be given plenty of chances to deliver. Count on the 23.5 combined points and rebounds to be too low given the context of the matchup, and for Kessler to kick off what could be the best season of his career.
