Happy Wednesday everybody! You know what that means, another King of the Court to be crowned at DraftKings.
All bettors have the chance to place one qualifying player prop wager on any NBA game tonight, and if that player leads entire slate in points + rebounds + assists this evening, DraftKings will divvy up $5 million in bonus bets and split it between all the people that placed their qualifying wager on that said player, even if your bet loses.
Let's get to our NBA King of the Court picks and predictions for Wednesday, October 21.
NBA King of the Court Picks for Wednesday, October 21
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
| 8:30 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Hawks vs. Magic
Paolo Banchero King of the Court
By Joe Dellera
If you are looking for a sneaky value option that sits a tier slightly down from the heavy chalk, I love Paolo Banchero.
When you look at the structure of this Magic offense, they are basically using him as the ultimate finisher. The scheme is designed to get him to the rack so he can score efficiently.
Obviously, to take down this promo, you need a guy who can pile up stats across multiple categories, and Paolo fits the bill. It wouldn't shock me at all to see him put up a massive 30-point game while pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out five dimes. You are looking at a very high PRA ceiling if his shot is falling.
I understand that it is incredibly hard to beat out statistical monsters like Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo on any given night, which is exactly what you are trying to do here. However, Paolo is someone who can just go off for a crazy amount of points in a hurry.
If the game script falls his way, he has the pure scoring upside to steal the crown as our King of Value.
Pick: Paolo Banchero King of the CourtÂ
Bulls vs. Raptors
Josh Giddey King of the Court
By Joe Dellera
However, if you really want to zag hard against the public and mine for a massive payout, you could also consider placing your hard-earned money on Josh Giddey as a long shot.
Giddey has actually done this before; he has won King of the Court in the past, and that historical precedent matters. He is on triple-double watch every single time he steps onto the floor.
I will be completely honest: I don't love this specific matchup for him. It is a very tough defensive matchup, which is exactly why I consider this even more of a longshot than usual.
However, Giddey is the type of unique player who can put up 20 to 25 points, grab 10 boards, and rack up 15 dimes on any given night. Having that legitimate ceiling across multiple statistical categories is the most important factor in a promo like this.
Because the matchup is tough, I expect him to be heavily under-owned relative to the rest of the field. If you want to throw a dart at a guy with big peripheral upside, Giddey is my pick.
Pick: Josh Giddey King of the CourtÂ
Mavericks vs. Rockets
Cooper Flagg King of the Court
As the season goes along, your main goal as a bettor is to mine for value where others might be looking in more obvious places. You want to get ahead of the market before the rest of the public catches on, and I think Cooper Flagg is a incredibly intriguing pick for a King of the Court long shot.
This very well may be the massive breakout year where Flagg establishes himself as an All-Star and a potential All-NBA player. In a couple of weeks, we could be talking about him as a guy sitting right at the top of the board with the elite superstars.
So, while we still have the opportunity to talk about him as if he's a long shot, we need to take advantage of it.
Flagg is certainly capable of putting up the requisite numbers, either. If you go back to the end of last season, he was dropping absolute nukes—he had a 51-point game and a 45-point game, while consistently padding his stats with rebounds and assists.
We know he can put up crooked numbers, and I only expect his usage to grow. I'm taking a shot on the sheer talent of the player.
Pick: Cooper Flagg King of the CourtÂ
Warriors vs. Lakers
Luka Doncic King of the Court
By Matt Moore
We are completely in agreement across the board on this one. If you are looking for the absolute safest, chalkiest play on the board to just secure a piece of the bonus bets, it is Luka Doncic.
I honestly don't feel like we need to explain this in a massive amount of detail because Luka is simply a juggernaut on a nightly basis, but let's look at the actual numbers.
Luka is matching up against the Warriors, a team he has absolutely torched over the last couple of seasons in terms of Points, Rebounds, and Assists (PRA). Just look back at last October: he dropped a monstrous 64 PRA game against them. In 41 minutes of action, he posted 43 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 dimes.
Doncic's baseline PRA line tonight is set at 48.5, which tells you everything you need to know about his floor.
Following the departure of LeBron James, the entire dynamic shifts for the Lakers. You are going to see rotation splits where Luka and Austin Reaves are playing separately, which is only going to skyrocket Luka's usage rate even further.
Doncic is a freak of nature, the offense is entirely in his hands, and he is the undisputed King of Chalk for this slate.
