NBA Player Props Bets, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (10/31)

We've hit the ground running as we are a week into the NBA season. There's already concern about player participation (looking at you, 76ers), with some surprise teams like the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers and some not-so-surprise teams like the Detroit Pistons right where they belong at the bottom of the NBA standings.

As always, monitor injury news and lineup announcements. The best way to stay sharp regarding NBA player props is by staying on top of the news. The second-best way is to shop around at different books. Player props rarely have identical odds across platforms so make sure you're getting the best value. What a time to be alive. It's been a solid start to the season, so let's get into it and find some more winners. Happy Halloween.

Unless specified otherwise, each bet will be for a single unit. 

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Thursday’s Best NBA Player Prop Bets

Last Time: 3-3 | Season: 12-7

Klay Thompson Over 15.5 Points + Assists (-120 on ESPN Bet)

He may still look odd in a Dallas Mavericks jersey but Klay Thompson has slotted in just fine, scoring 18+ points in three out of four games so far in Dallas. His minutes are just as high as last year's average and he's shooting more from deep with 10 looks from beyond the arc. This lines up perfectly with facing the Rockets, a team allowing 30 three-point attempts per game, second-most in the NBA. The sportsbook is taking a bit longer to adjust and I'm willing to be ahead of the market with the vast opportunity expected from Thompson tonight. Luka Doncic is an alternate option here, as he takes slightly more looks from deep, but the value on Thompson is much higher.

Taurean Prince Over 12.5 Points + Rebounds (-105 on ESPN Bet) 

Another great matchup is Taurean Prince and the Milwaukee Brewers taking on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have been a bottom-10 defense this year and opposing small forwards have torched them. Zach LaVine posted 30 points against them on Monday. Memphis has allowed the most points and fourth-most rebounds to opposing small forwards. When betting on this game, most will go to Damian Lillard or Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the value lies with Prince, who will play over 30 minutes tonight and should see a higher usage rate in this game. Combine that with the fact Memphis offers Milwaukee an already speedy pace-up spot and this becomes one of my favorite bets on the slate.

Julian Champagnie Over 15.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-110 on BetMGM)

With San Antonio traveling and playing on a back-to-back tonight in Utah after playing against Oklahoma City, it's tough to exactly know what the rotation will be and how the Spurs can bounce back against the Jazz, a significantly easier opponent than the Thunder. The Jazz have been one of the quicker teams to bet opponents’ props against and take in the daily fantasy realm because players are walking all over Utah.

Opposing shooting guards, in particular, have tallied the second-most points, most rebounds and most assists against Utah so far this season. I expect that trend to continue tonight. It's not as though Champagnie has crazy scoring or usage but his numbers are up from last year. He has started in all four games, is playing more minutes and is scoring at a higher rate this season. I'm going to trust this is more buying into the trends before the market does and not buying high with an expected dip. I trust Champagnie to continue improving tonight and going over this combined prop.

Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.