Thursday’s NBA slate features only an ESPN doubleheader in which we’ll see Cavaliers-76ers and Nuggets-Thunder. Below, I’ll take a quick dive into both matchups, running through my best bets and player props for Thursday, October 22. Make sure you watch 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.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 pm ET on ESPN
This is going to be a fascinating game. Philadelphia is riding high after a road win over New York, and we haven’t yet seen Cleveland. However, a shaky run to the Eastern Conference Finals is fresh on the minds of many when thinking about the Cavaliers, so I’m not sure there’s a ton of belief in the road team. I’d caution against sleeping on Cleveland though. The Cavaliers still have an elite backcourt, they acquired a promising two-way wing in Peyton Watson, and their frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can be very difficult to score on. That said, keep an eye on Allen’s status for this one, as Cleveland isn’t a team I’d be betting against if he’s good to go. Instead, I’d look to the Over, if you’re dying for a traditional side or total. Our betting splits pages show that this total has jumped from 233.5 to 237.5 at DraftKings, and I consider both of these teams to be better offensively than they are defensively.
The only official play I have in this game is VJ Edgecombe to finish with at least 11 points. Many people complained about Edgecombe only getting 10 shots in the season opener, but I’d expect him to be more involved. LeBron James, who is the unquestioned leader of this team, understands how to keep everyone happy. Well, if Edgecombe is more involved, he’ll take advantage. The backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell leaves a lot to be desired defensively. Also, if this is an up-and-down game, his energy will lead to buckets. He’s a blur in transition and he’s a good cutter. The ball will find him.
Bet: Edgecombe Over 10.5 Points (-108)
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Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder – 9:30 pm ET on ESPN
The Nuggets are expected to take a bit of a step back this season, but that’s not because of talent. People are mostly down on Denver because of a lack of availability when the games matter most. Well, that’s not an issue in a season opener. We’ll see a good chunk of minutes with the lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic tonight, and that’s a five-man group we saw dominate last year. That unit had an Efficiency Differential of +14.7, according to Cleaning The Glass. That was a 98th-percentile mark in 2025-26, and I feel really good about how the group matches up with Oklahoma City. I also believe we’ll see some better bench play from the Nuggets this year. While Julian Strawther is out — and Spencer Jones is questionable — I think DeMar DeRozan is going to be awesome in this game. His style of play will suck some of the life out of the young Thunder backup guards, and he’ll keep the Nuggets afloat when the starters need some air.
I’m also taking Jokic to have a triple-double, risking a half-unit at +118 odds. Jokic had triple-doubles in the final two games he played against the Thunder last season, and there’s just no reason he can’t stuff the hell out of the stat sheet tonight. Of course, I am looking forward to seeing how Aday Mara looks defending him, as that clash of the bigs will remind me of when Braun Strowman and Big Show collapsed a WWE ring. But I do think Jokic will teach the rookie some lessons.
Bet: Nuggets +8.5 (-102)
Bet: Jokic Triple-Double (+118 – 0.5 units)
