3 NBA Player Prop Best Bets for Wednesday 10/23/24

The beauty of the NBA is you will never be short on prop-betting options for a given slate.

From points to steals and three-pointers, FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds are overflowing with possibilities. We're here to help you sift through it all.

Using FanDuel Research's daily NBA projections as a guide, here are some NBA player prop bets that look appealing on FanDuel.

Please note: lines and projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NBA Player Prop Picks Today

Tyrese Haliburton Over 29.5 Pts + Ast (-104)

The NBA's second night features a 10-game slate that kicks off with a matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.

The 24-year-old Tyrese Haliburton is fresh off the heels of an All-NBA campaign where he averaged 31.0 combined points and assists (PA) per game. There are a few different reasons why I like him to clear 29.5 PA in his season opener.

Tyrese got banged up a few times last year, leading to reduced minutes in some competitions. But in games where he played at least 30 minutes, he averaged 33.5 PA and exceeded 29.5 PA in 69.8% of games (37 out of 57 contests), missing by the hook on three occasions. These -104 odds imply just a 50.9% probability, a clear value spot for me.

The Pacers (second) and Pistons (ninth) were two of the fastest-paced teams in the league a season ago. Haliburton exceeded 29.5 PA in 16 out of 22 games (72.7% of contests) against fellow top-10 pace teams last year (minimum 27 minutes played).

On top of all that, Detroit struggled with the league's sixth-worst defensive rating and let up the 5th-most points and 11th-most assists per game last season, including the 8th-most points and 8th-most assists to opposing guards.

The over/under for this game is set at just 235.5 points, which might be a little low considering we've got a pair of fast-paced, meh-defense teams squaring up. Let's look for Haliburton to sail past 29.5 PA at what I think is an appealing line.

Bam Adebayo Over 16.5 Points (-106)

The Florida basketball teams -- the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat -- will meet up for their season opener. The over/under is set at a slate-low 208 points, and I'm not going to pretend that that's not a well-earned game total.

Last year, the Heat (29th in pace) and Magic (27th) were two of the slowest teams in the league and both ranked in the top five of defensive rating.

But the market adjusted for the potential sour game environment when they set Bam Adebayo's points prop at just 16.5. In fact, I think they may have adjusted a bit too harshly.

Adebayo averaged 19.3 points per game last season and has averaged at least 18.7 points in four straight campaigns. The 27-year-old is entering his eighth season in the league and could be ready to take the next big step, especially after being called out by Pat Riley in the offseason.

How has Bam typically fared in low-scoring, slow-paced games? Well, last season he averaged 18.9 points and scored above 16.5 points in 72.9% of games (27 out of 37 contests) where the total was set between 200 and 220 points.

He also averaged an identical 18.9 points in games against teams that sat in the bottom 10 of pace, clearing 16.5 points in 70.0% of these games (14 out of 20 contests).

To add, the Magic have an All-Defensive guard in Jalen Suggs and another lethal guard defender in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, so Bam could be heavily utilized down low whenever he draws a matchup against a beatable Paolo Banchero.

LaMelo Ball Over 23.5 Points (-111)

LaMelo Ball is back after missing 60 games last season due to an ankle injury. He played meaningful minutes in four preseason games and averaged 25.3 points per 36 minutes via a 41.6% three-point percentage, so I like him to come out strong in the Charlotte Hornets' season opener opposite the Houston Rockets.

A season ago, Ball averaged 23.9 points and 32.3 minutes per game, but those averages don't tell the whole story. When healthy, he plays a massive amount of minutes and at one point was leading the league in that category. His ankle injury limited his court time.

In games where Ball played at least 30 minutes last year, he averaged 26.0 points and eclipsed 23.5 points in 61.1% of outings. In contests where he logged at least 34 minutes, he averaged a massive 30.8 points per game and scored at least 25 points in 9 out of 10 games.

While we're dealing with abridged samples, it does go to show how impactful Ball is on the scoring end, and our NBA projections expect him to log 35.1 minutes tonight.

The Rockets ranked 13th in pace last campaign and surrendered the 14th-most points and 12th-most three-point attempts to opposing guards. The over/under is set at a healthy 229.5 points, the second-highest for today behind that Pistons-Pacers bout.

Let's look for LaMelo to ball out in his return.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.