Best NBA prop bets today: Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard highlight top picks for Thursday night
With two days down in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, we have a doubleheader to look forward to on the Thursday night slate. Damian Lillard will make his debut for the Bucks as they host 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), followed by LeBron James and the Lakers hosting Kevin Durant and the Suns (10 p.m. ET, TNT). This will be must-see TV for hoops fans and a prime opportunity for bettors to make some money on the SuperDraft player prop market.
There's never been a better time to join SuperDraft. In a few easy clicks, you can join, deposit, and create a player prop parlay. Users can win three times the amount they wager if their two-leg parlay hits. The more legs you add, the larger your potential payout becomes. If you put down a $20 entry fee and all four of our props below hit, you would win a $200 payout. That's enough money to buy NBA League Pass for you and a friend!
Below, we'll break down four of our favorite player props on SuperDraft for Thursday night's star-studded double-header. Users don't necessarily have to parlay all four picks together, though. Instead, you could make separate two-leg parlays to increase your win probability or attempt to hit it big if all four picks come through.
Best NBA prop bets today: SuperDraft player prop picks for Thursday night
1. Kevin Durant, F, Suns at Lakers — OVER 30.5 points
With Suns stars Devin Booker (foot) and Bradley Beal (back) both out tonight against Los Angeles, KD will need to step it up in a major way for Phoenix to emerge victorious on the road. He has stepped up against King James plenty throughout his career, averaging 28.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and four assists across their 21 NBA meetings. In eight of their past 17 head-to-head tilts, KD bested this 30.5 number.
Book and Beal have combined to average 46 points per game in their careers, so losing them both in an early-season prime-time game against the Lakers must be like a 1-2 punch to Frank Vogel's gut. Durant has always had a flair for the dramatic in moments like these, though, so don't be surprised if he does something special tonight. He's still a top-five scorer, and he can create for himself as well as anyone. The Lakers let three different Nuggets score 20-plus points on Tuesday, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on just 12 shots. KD might take 30 shots in this one, and we love his chances of scoring at least 31 points.
2. Damian Lillard, PG, Bucks vs. 76ers — OVER 7.5 assists
Everyone expects Lillard to go on a scoring rampage in his Bucks debut, similar to how Kristaps Porzingis exploded for 30 in his first game for Boston on Wednesday. However, we're fading Dame's points OVER of 27 and opting instead for the OVER on his assist total. Considering this is Giannis's house — and Dame now has good shooters all around him for a change — this seems like the better value play.
Lillard has averaged between 7.3 and 8.0 assists per game across each of the past four seasons, and that's despite playing alongside zero All-Stars. Now he has a two-time MVP in Giannis, a three-time All-Star in Khris Middleton, and capable outside shooters in Malik Beasley and Brook Lopez — and we expect him to dish out fewer assists?
Nah, Dame won't hog the ball or force the issue offensively since he no longer needs to in order to get wins. He will gladly find the open shooters and hit Giannis and BroLo for easy bunnies near the hoop when those are the right basketball plays to make. This era is all about winning for Lillard, and we're projecting him to care much more about creating for others than padding his scoring stats. Pound the OVER on Dame Dolla dimes.
3. Brook Lopez, C, Bucks vs. 76ers — OVER 13.5 points
BroLo enjoyed a career resurgence in 2022, generating some Defensive Player of the Year consideration and scoring boatloads of points when Giannis and/or Middleton missed time. He stepped up every time Milwaukee faced the 76ers, averaging 19.8 points per game across their four contests.
Lopez serves as a conundrum for Philly — he's too big to put P.J. Tucker on but too capable a three-point shooter to continually put Joel Embiid on, effectively taking the Sixers' best interior defender off Giannis and away from the hoop. Ultimately, we will probably see a bunch of Sixers big Paul Reed, but we think that's a matchup BroLo can definitely win on both sides of the floor. Go high on Lo and root for the 35-year-old to deliver you a green checkmark.
4. Tyrese Maxey, PG, 76ers at Bucks — OVER 22.5 points
With James Harden set to miss Philly's season-opener, Maxey automatically launches into a bigger offensive role for the Sixers. Who else will make up for the lost scoring production? Tobias Harris just ain't the type of guy to start creating his own offense and attacking weak defenders. Paul Reed has a limited offensive skill set. Kelly Oubre is brand new in town and often suffers from inconsistent play in nationally televised games.
Maxey is 100 percent up to the challenge of a big rivalry under the bright lights, and we're confident in his ability to score 25 points tonight. He dropped 29 on the Bucks the last time he visited Cream City, and since then Milwaukee has replaced arguably the best defensive point guard in the game (Jrue Holiday) with arguably the worst (Lillard). Book it for Max results!
