After a busy slate on Wednesday evening, we have just two games on the NBA schedule tonight.
The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Indiana Pacers in an NBA Finals rematch, while the Denver Nuggets are in the Bay Area to face the Golden State Warriors.
My NBA picks for Thursday, October 23, include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Nikola Jokić.
Best NBA player props today
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
Over 31.5 points | -120 |
| Chet Holmgren |
Over 17.5 points | -130 |
 Nikola Jokic |
Over 10.5 rebounds | -130 |
Prop #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 points
The Oklahoma City Thunder started their title defense on Tuesday evening, beating Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. By no surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander balled out, pouring in 35 points in the 2OT victory. Tonight, he’ll have the chance to face the Indiana Pacers for the first time since taking them down in the Finals, and they’ll be missing key figures.
Myles Turner is gone, and Tyrese Haliburton remains sidelined with a torn Achilles, but even when they had their best roster, SGA still averaged 30.3 points in the series in June. Also, in two regular-season meetings in 2024-25 with Indy, the guard averaged 39 PPG.
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
Prop #2: Chet Holmgren Over 17.5 points
Chet Holmgren has carved out an important role for himself in Oklahoma City. He averaged 15 PPG last season, but that was in just 32 games after missing a lot of time through injury.
The hope is that he can stay healthy throughout the course of an entire campaign, and the big man played well in the season opener. He cashed the Over with ease, dropping 28 points on the Rockets. While Holmgren averaged just over 12 PPG in the Finals earlier this year, the Pacers aren’t the same squad at the moment.
After scoring nearly 30, the Over offers value, with his total set relatively low.
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
Prop #3: Nikola Jokic Over 10.5 rebounds
I’ll finish off the day with arguably the best player in the league. Nikola Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists last season for the Denver Nuggets, who begin their season tonight vs. the Golden State Warriors.
The Joker averaged exactly 11.0 boards against the Dubs in ‘24-25, and he grabbed 12.7 rebounds per night on the road. While his total is high, the Warriors ranked 16th in the Association last season in rebounds allowed.
Jokic has also cashed the Over in boards in back-to-back season openers against the Los Angeles Lakers and Thunder.
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
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