The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals earlier this year, and their title defense begins Tuesday night against a franchise icon as Kevin Durant leads the Houston Rockets into OKC. He'll be facing off with the Thunder's newest superstar, reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who did what Durant couldn't, which was bring a title to Oklahoma City. SGA and Co. will look to repeat as champs, while Durant is looking for his third ring in his first season in Houston.
Here's a look at top NBA player props for Gilgeous-Alexander and Durant on Tuesday, Oct. 21 with odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times. For a full game forecast of Rockets vs. Thunder, as well as more NBA player props, visit SportsLine.
Points props
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33.5 (Over -104, Under -122)
Kevin Durant: 23.5 (Over -117, Under -109)
Top pick: Shai Gilgeous Alexander Over 33.5 points (4 stars)
Gilgeous-Alexander was the NBA's premier scorer last year, averaging 32.7 per game in the regular season and 29.9 per contest in the postseason. The model expects to kick off 2025-26 with a bang, as he's projected to score 36.8 points. He's gone Over this line in six of his last 10 home games.
Assists props
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 6.5 (Over -115, Under -113)
Kevin Durant: 3.5 (Over -149, Under +115)
Top pick: Kevin Durant Under 3.5 assists (3.5 stars)
Durant isn't known for his passing and he averaged just 4.2 assists per game last season. The model is expecting an Under from the veteran forward on Tuesday with a projection of 3.1 assists. Durant has gone Under his assists line in each of his last five games when his team is an underdog and facing a top-10 defense.
Rebounds props
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 4.5 (Over +103, Under -134)
Kevin Durant: 8.5 (Over -148, Under +114)
Top pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 4.5 rebounds (3.5 stars)
The model also likes the reigning NBA MVP to clear his rebounds prop line. Gilgeous-Alexander is projected to bring down 5.1 rebounds, which is roughly in line with his 2024-25 average of 5.0 per game.
