NBA Player Props for Thursday, 10/22: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect from Tyrese Maxey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Nikola Jokic? Follow along as our NBA betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite NBA prop bets for Thursday, October 22, 2026. Get all of Nick’s props, including picks from other experts as well as access to PickLabs, by subscribing to the RG Props package.
Thursday’s NBA slate features a pair of potential playoff previews, beginning with the Cavaliers against the 76ers at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Nuggets against the Thunder. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN.
There are only 2 games tonight, but it’s nonetheless important to keep an eye on the NBA injury report throughout the day.
As always, be sure to use tools like CourtIQ and our NBA starting lineups page to evaluate how injuries impact usage and to search for inefficiencies in the player prop and DFS markets.
Below, you can find 3 of my favorite picks for Thursday, October 22nd!
Best NBA Player Props for Thursday, October 22nd
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, October 22nd:
- Tyrese Maxey Over/Under 22.5 Points
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Over/Under 5.5 Points
- Nikola Jokic Over/Under 25.5 Points
Tyrese Maxey OVER 22.5 Points (-125, BetMGM)
BETMGMEntering the new campaign, there were a lot of questions about who on the 76ers was going to have to sacrifice, with so many high-usage players on the same team. Maxey did very little deferring – he led the team in field goal attempts, 3-point attempts, and free-throw attempts. Maxey looked like the most talented person on the floor for much of the game.
Tonight, he gets to face a Cleveland team that had one of the worst backcourt defenses in the league after acquiring James Harden last year. In 30 games after the trade, Cleveland ranked 18th in defensive rating. They allowed the 2nd-most points per game to guards.
Also important – Philadelphia essentially ran a 7-man rotation on opening night. If this continues, all of the 76ers top players should accrue strong counting stats.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope OVER 5.5 Points (-128, DraftKings)
DRAFTKINGSCaldwell-Pope was one of only seven players to log more than 10 minutes of court time on opening night for the 76ers. He took 8 shot attempts, including 6 shots from beyond the arc.
Philadelphia has four extremely capable passers – LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey. They are likely to continue getting Caldwell-Pope clean looks at the basket from the perimeter.
Caldwell-Pope seemingly has a sizable role for the 76ers to begin the year. If he continues to average around 25 minutes per game, this line is simply too low.
Nikola Jokic UNDER 25.5 Points (+100, Novig)
In three head-to-head meetings last year, Jokic scored 23 points or fewer against the Thunder twice. He was held to 9 field goal attempts in their first meeting and a dreadful 9 of 25 from the field in their second meeting.
During the preseason, head coach David Adelman has been vocal about using a deep rotation, which could limit minutes for starters. Oklahoma City is one of the league’s top defenses on an annual basis, anchored by defensive player of the year candidate Chet Holmgren. This is a tough opening matchup for Jokic.
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