The 2026-27 NBA season rolls on with a three-game Thursday slate. Tonight’s action gets started when the Kings visit the Pelicans in New Orleans. Elsewhere, the Cavaliers battle the Hawks in a potential postseason preview. As a night cap, the undefeated Grizzlies and Trail Blazers face off in the Pacific Northwest.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is a look at my two favorite player prop bets for Thursday’s NBA matchups.
Best NBA Prop Bets Today
Zion Williamson 6+ rebounds (+114)
In this battle between Western Conference bottom feeders, Zion Williamson should make an impact. Lost in the shuffle of another lost season for New Orleans, the power forward put together a decent 2025-26 campaign. Through 62 games, he averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 60% from the field. Granted, this Pelicans squad has a decent amount of depth. Names such as Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy will get their fair share of touches tonight. Still, Zion remains the de facto face of the franchise; he’s dropped 22+ points in three of four outings this season.
The winless Kings are an absolute mess on both ends of the floor. One area where this last place group really struggles is on the glass. Sacramento has surrendered 49.0 rebounds per game to opponents, fourth-most in the NBA this season. The continued absences of big men Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf) hasn’t helped in that regard. Williamson has reached this total in three of his previous four career meetings with the Kings. Zion managed to snag at least six boards in 32 of his 62 appearances last season as well (51.6%). At plus money, I’m willing to bet he can come through on this total once more tonight.
James Harden 7+ assists (-121)
If the Cavaliers are going to make their return to the Eastern Conference Finals, it’ll likely require another All-Star caliber season from James Harden. Even at 37 years old, the point guard remains one of the NBA’s elite offensive weapons. Over four games this season, he’s putting up 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Despite middling scoring numbers, The Beard is still a maestro when it comes to finding his teammates. It’s no coincidence that Cleveland ranks seventh in the association with 119.8 points per game. Even when his shot isn’t falling, Harden tends to keep this offense humming.
Thursday’s matchup should be a fun one, with the Cavs taking on an up-tempo Hawks team. Quin Snyder’s squad is operating at the NBA’s fifth-quickest pace on offense (103.5). Unsurprisingly, that’s led to some decent counting stats for their opponents. Atlanta is allowing the fifth-most points (120.2) and sixth-most assists (29.0) through five games. Harden managed to dish out seven or more assists in 50 of his 70 matchups last season. He’s also done so in two of four contests this season. There’s no reason to think the former MVP can’t do so again on Thursday night.
