NBA Player Props Today – Our Best Bets for October 31st

Our pick of Halloween players for today’s NBA action revolves around Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo against a tired Pistons team who just arrived from the west coast. The Greek freak never takes a night off, so we like his points prop.

It’s a Halloween edition of our daily NBA player props, and we’ve got an exciting seven game roster to choose from.

Our favorite props for Monday, October 31 are Trae Young beating the pressure from the Raptors, the Sacramento Kings cutting the tap off Kelly Oubre Jr., and Giannis Antetokounmpo pounding on some tired Pistons.

Let’s dive in with our NBA tips and predictions.

NBA Player Props for October 31st

The selection was made on 10/31/2022 at 1:30 am ET.
Click on each selection to jump to the full analysis.

The best props for today’s NBA players

The following odds widgets represent the best odds currently available for every betting market in regulated sports betting.

Trae young at heart

The Toronto Raptors seem like a miserable team to play against. Aside from Fred VanVleet, virtually every person in the rotation is a larger than average wing with a seemingly endless wingspan. They are physical and play an aggressive style that gets on opponents nerves and forces mistakes to get them out at the break.

Against most players, even big ones, this tactic has proven to be quite successful over time.

However, Trae Young is one of the few exceptions. Trae thrives under the same pressure. He’s so small and fast that Toronto have trouble putting the pressure on him at all. Being a threat to shoot at literally every point once he hits halfcourt, he creates such a large functional area in which to operate that even Toronto’s long and tough hedges have trouble ensnaring him.

Trae from across the street ???? pic.twitter.com/zcT7KidcpP

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2022

Since he’s also always a car threat and equal parts deadly and flamboyant alley-oop passer, he sucks in defenders as soon as he drives. Any Young attack can become an open three-pointer for his teammates just as easily as it can be an opportunity for Trae himself to score. The Raptors allow more three-pointers than any other team but the Philadelphia 76ers, so the rest of Traes Dimes’ Atlanta Hawks should be looking good.

The record speaks for itself. In his last eight games against the Raptors, Trae has averaged 12 assists and has only once averaged under 10 in that same span of time. Putting two on the ball or getting close to it is simply downfall against Young.

Ice Trae is a plot against the Raptors.

Trae Young Prop: Over 9.5 assists (+110)

Oubre is off work

The Sacramento Kings, who currently have the longest streak of not making the playoffs in North American pro sports (congratulations, Mariners), have never had even an average defensive rating during that streak. That should basically be impossible. So when the Kings hired Mike Brown, there was only one mandate and one hope. Please please just improve the defense.

The Kings started with a disheartening 1-4 and are currently in the bottom 10 in terms of defensive ratings. However, if you dig a little deeper, you can see a promising turn of events happening in Sactown.

Yes, the Kings have had a poor defensive rating so far. But that is mostly a question of the opponent’s unlucky shooting luck. In terms of scheme, the Kings force their opponents to make the right shots. They strike a fine balance between limiting opposing threes (least in the NBA) and shooting on the edge (eighth fewest). They should play at the level of a top-five defense based on their opponent’s effective field goal percentage.

That their focus has been on denying 3-pointers, and that they have proven so effective at doing so, is the basis for this support. Kelly Oubre Jr. is a fickle shooter at his best, shooting just 31.6% on 6.3 attempts per game this season. He’s hit the over with 2.5 threes in just two of his six Hornets games this season. Getting more money to bet against him when he’s doing it against a team that’s mostly focused on denying easy outside shots is incredible value.

Kelly Oubre Jr. Prop: Made under 2.5 threes (+105)

Giannis posters Butt

Sometimes it’s best not to overthink these things. Tonight’s scoring line of Giannis is two points below his season average of 34.4 and he plays against a scrappy but vastly outmatched Detroit Pistons team. Also, the Pistons played at the Golden State last night and had to travel to Milwaukee right after. Under the best of conditions, the Pistons’ collection of promising but totally inexperienced frontcourt players would have their hands full with the “Freak,” and the best of conditions aren’t.

Giannis dropped 17 points in the 4th quarter and helped seal the win.

34 PTS | 17 REB | 4 AST | 1 SW pic.twitter.com/VEjztKSIJN

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 30, 2022

Plus, you never have to worry about betting on Giannis that he could take the night off. If Giannis is in the game, he will try to destroy you at any moment. He is inevitable.

That’s why watching him and his brothers compete in the 2021-22 All-Star Skills Challenge was so compelling. Even at the lowest possible stakes, Giannis played like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

In comparison, he might as well be playing for Greece’s first gold medal in basketball tonight. I expect him to dominate.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Prop: Over 32.5 points (-104)

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