The 2023-24 NBA season is underway, and we have reached our first Thursday of the young year. There are two marquee matchups on the schedule for tonight, including the first game of the season for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the new-look Milwaukee Bucks. The late game will feature the first matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant in nearly five years as the Phoenix Suns will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers.
Proposition Bets For Thursday’s NBA Games
There are more than a handful of proposition bets available at BetOnline regarding the two matchups for Thursday night, and we take a look at three of the most intriguing:
76ers @ Bucks
Damian Lillard To Be Game’s Leading Scorer: +220
The scoring duties are going to be rotated for the Bucks this season. There are going to be nights when Damian Lillard has the hot hand, and others when Giannis Antetokounmpo does a brunt of the work. The oddsmakers believe that Lillard will be outscored by his teammate tonight, though only slightly, as they are projecting 27 for Dame and 28 for the Greek Freak.
This means there is good value for one particular wager. Lillard is listed at +220 to be the game’s leading scorer, as both Joel Embiid and Antetokounmpo both have shorter odds. It may take a few games for the two new superstars to get comfortable with one another, but the value on Lillard in this case is hard to pass up.
Suns @ Lakers
Kevin Durant 30+ Points + Suns Win: +301
Suns forward Kevin Durant won’t have the help of his superstar teammates tonight, as both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will miss the game against the Lakers. But that means more scoring opportunities for Durant, who has a great chance of going over 30 points. One of the parlays listed at BetOnline is a combination of a 30+ point game from KD and a Suns win, both of which are more than possible at this early stage of the season. The value is great, sitting at +301.
LeBron James Over 33 Combined Points/Rebounds/Assists
Plenty has been made over the last couple of days about the statistical output of LeBron James in the first game of the NBA season, which looks to be a direct result of a shift in his playing time. But we know the power that James has, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him come out and attempt to dominate in order to prove his value despite advancing age. The Suns could be the unfortunate recipients of his basketball rage, and there is a chance he puts up big numbers.
James has a total of 38 combined in the first game of the season, leaving plenty of reason to believe that he can exceed 33.
