Best NBA Player Props Today: Picks & Predictions for Thursday, Oct. 22

Aisha Quiñones - Betting Analyst at Covers
Aisha Quiñones • Betting Analyst 12+ years betting experience
Updated: Oct 22, 2026 , 01:44 PM ET • 4 min read

LeBron James and Aaron Gordon are making headlines across the league today in a small but mighty slate, and their player prop lines rank among our favorite NBA bets on Thursday, Oct. 22.

LeBron James Philadelphia 76ers Aaron Gordon Denver Nuggets NBA
Photo By - Reuters Connect. LeBron James Philadelphia 76ers Aaron Gordon Denver Nuggets NBA

Thursday night delivers a small but loaded NBA slate, packed with marquee doubleheader action and big-time star power.

With LeBron James making waves alongside Aaron Gordon in action tonight, our sharpest analysts have dissected the board to bring you the best NBA picks and props in the association.

Dive into our complete breakdown of tonight's NBA player props below to lock in your best bets.

NBA player props at a glance (Thursday, Oct. 22)

Matchup & time Player prop & analyst
Cavaliers vs. 76ers
7 p.m.
LeBron James Over 7.5 assists
Quinn Allen
Nuggets vs. Thunder
9:30 p.m.
Aaron Gordon 6+ rebounds
Geoff Clark

Picks courtesy of Polymarket, one of our best prediction market apps.

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Cavaliers vs 76ers prop: LeBron James Over 7.5 assists

Top pick: LeBron James Over 7.5 assists

LeBron James had a smaller offensive role last season with the Lakers, and that will likely be the case again in Philly. That's why I like this prop for The King, who should be one of the 76ers' top playmakers as he looks to get Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Maxey, and Embiid involved.

We saw Bron's vision at MSG, where he registered a team-high seven assists in 34 minutes. He finished the 2025-26 season averaging 7.2 dimes per game, ranking 17th in potential assists per game among players with at least 60 appearances.

Philadelphia shot below 30% from deep against New York, so better shooting could turn more of his passes into assists. With several proven scorers around him, I like James to reach eight assists.

Allen also has his eyes on Donovan Mitchell to make some noise offensively in his Cavaliers vs. 76ers predictions.

Nuggets vs Thunder prop: Aaron Gordon 6+ rebounds

Top pick: Aaron Gordon 6+ rebounds

I'd be willing to take Aaron Gordon's rebounding prop up to 7+.

Since going to Denver in 2021, Gordon has averaged 8.0 rebounds in 21 regular-season and playoff games against Oklahoma City. Gordon's hit rate on 6+ rebounds against OKC is 66.7% (14 of 21). 

Furthermore, he is more of the paint-protecting, low-post, rebounding big than Jokic, whose main focus is offense. But Gordon is a strong perimeter defender as well, which helps him grab long rebounds off missed 3-pointers.

Clark also likes Isaiah Hartenstein to dish out a few dimes in his Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions.

More NBA picks

Want to build a bigger card? These Covers roundups cover every bet type for today's games:

Check the NBA injury report and compare numbers across basketball betting sites before finalizing today's picks.

All of today’s matchups are also on the NBA scores and matchups page, and the full pick archive lives in free NBA picks.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Aisha Quiñones - Covers
Betting Analyst

Hailing from Harlem, New York, Aisha Quiñones joined Covers in 2024 after an illustrious career with several other major media outlets. A proud Johnnie, after graduating from the Big East basketball powerhouse St. John's University, Quiñones earned her bachelor's degree in sport management and journalism, then obtained her master's degree in media studies from The New School.

Over a span of 12+ years, Quiñones has built her portfolio as a writer, dipped her toe into on-camera work, and also been behind the scenes in producing sports content.

Despite being a New Yorker, Quiñones has always been a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan thanks to her mom's joy of watching Kobe Bryant play — so much of a fan to the point that Quiñones named her toy poodle after the late-great legend.

Her hometown roots stay true to her MLB and WNBA choice in teams, as a Yankees and Liberty fan, due to her uncle and grandmother's love for the sports throughout her childhood.

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