Player props have become one of the NBA’s most entertaining ways to bet, offering value beyond the standard spread or total. Each night, this column highlights the best opportunities on the board using matchup data, recent performances, and betting trends to find edges. Keep reading for some of the top OptaAI player prop projections for Tuesday, October 20. Then, right below those, you’ll see the player props I’m personally taking. Also, make sure you check out our live VSiN programming for more. Our hosts and analysts should be all over the NBA, which is why it pays to be a VSiN Pro subscriber.
MORE: Check out the VSiN Pro Picks page for more bets from our talented hosts and analysts!
Tuesday Player Prop Best Bets
Below you’ll find my official plays on the player prop market for Tuesday. These are the ones that make the VSiN Pro Picks page and count towards my season-long record.
Derrick White Over 15.5 Points (-110) vs. Pistons
Celtics at Pistons – 3:00 pm ET
White was absolutely miserable to close out last season, as he went full Chuck Knobloch from behind the three-point line. You never want to go full Chuck Knobloch. However, White absolutely torched the Pistons on two separate occasions last season. On November 26, he went for 27 against them. Then, on December 15, he poured in 31. He enjoys this matchup. White also happened to average 16.0 points per game in only 22.9 minutes per game in the preseason, and he did that without getting his jumper to fall. If he can find his stroke, there’s a chance he pops a big number in this game. But even without getting hot from deep, 16 isn’t an unreasonable ask for the 32-year-old. With all of the talent on Boston’s roster, he’ll be an afterthought on Detroit’s defensive scouting report.
LeBron James Over 15.5 Points (-105) vs. Knicks
76ers at Knicks – 7:00 pm ET
It wouldn’t shock me if LeBron’s first meaningful game with the 76ers features the legend taking on more of a facilitating role. Everyone is questioning how this team will manage the egos throughout the course of the year, and it’ll ultimately be on LeBron to fit all the puzzle pieces together. However, 15.5 is too low of a number for me to lay off when it comes to LeBron’s scoring total. In LeBron’s only meeting with the Knicks last season, he had 22 points on an efficient 9 for 15 shooting from the floor. This New York team also happens to be lacking in rim protection, as Mitchell Robinson signed with Boston over the summer. That said, there should be attacking lanes for LeBron to hit in this one, and he should also get some good looks from deep. I’ll take my chances with him scoring 16 points, even if Nick Nurse doesn’t push it with The King’s minutes.
Cason Wallace Over 3.5 Rebounds (+102) vs. Spurs
Thunder at Spurs – 9:30 pm ET
In last year’s Western Conference Finals, Wallace averaged 4.7 rebounds per game and had at least four boards in six of the seven contests. He understood the importance of crashing the boards against a team like San Antonio, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play with that same fire on Opening Night. There’s also a good chance we see Wallace play bigger minutes right away. The 22-year-old played 26.6 minutes per game last year, and he played 27.0 minutes per game in the Western Conference Finals. However, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins are no longer on this team, and Sam Presti inked Wallace to a five-year, $139 million extension right before the start of the season. Wallace is a big part of Oklahoma City’s present and future, and I see him making a massive impact immediately.
