Our guy Justin Bales is here to share his favorite NBA ladder bets today for opening night! Stick with all season to get all of our FREE NBA props and predictions content.
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NBA Ladder Bets Today – Tuesday, October 21
Sure, it’s opening night, but there are a few teams that are alrady deadling with significant injuries.
We can take advantage of this in the betting streets and find the best ladder bets today!
Austin Reaves Points Ladder
The Los Angeles Lakers are already dealing with a key injury before the season officially starts. LeBron James will miss the first few weeks, allowing others to take over with Luka Doncic. Reaves is who I expect to step into the second offensive option.
He’s coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 20.2 points in 34.9 minutes per game. He also performed well across four preseason games. He averaged 24.8 points on a per-36-minute basis in those games.
Reaves was dominant in nine games without James last season. He averaged 27.9 points on 19.2 FGA, 8.1 3PA, and 6.1 FTA in those games. He scored 30+ points in three of those nine games, including a 45-point performance against the Indiana Pacers.
A player like Reaves is also going to benefit from the NBA’s new “hot stove” rule. A foul will be called when a player hits the hand or arm of a three-pointer shooter after the ball is released this season. It’s going to give shooters a massive edge early in the season, including chances for 4-point plays.
Doncic is clearly going to be the top scoring option for Los Angeles for as long as James is out, but Reaves feels as if he’ll be the clear secondary option. Rui Hachimura is the other consideration, and both of them should see plenty of opportunities.
Where to Play: Austin Reaves 23+ points (-108) through 30+ points (+390) | Ladder at FanDuel Sportsbook
Alperen Sengun Assists Ladder
Sengun is one of the best passing bigs in the NBA, and he’s consistently found success throughout his career. He averaged 4.9 assists on 9.1 potential assists last season. He posted 10+ assists four times last season.
The Houston Rockets have a new-look team in 2025, though. Fred VanVleet is injured for the year, and they may struggle to find elite ball-handlers early in the season. Instead, they’re likely to run their offense through Sengun.
The offense ran through Sengun in the preseason, and he averaged 13.0 assists on a per-36-minute basis. He recorded 6+ assists in every game, even with limited minutes. He also posted 13 assists in 28 minutes against the Utah Jazz.
The Rockets get a difficult matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. They feature one of the best defenses in the NBA, and I don’t expect that to change this season.
Houston is loaded with players who can score, though. Sengun is going to be surrounded by scoring options, including veterans like Kevin Durant. We should also see their younger options take another step forward this season.
Even with the difficult matchup, I expect Sengun to see too many opportunities here. If this offense can take any type of step forward, which feels more likely than not, they’re going to be able to score, even on the best defenses. That will likely start with Sengun’s facilitating.
Where to Play: Alperen Sengun 6+ assists (-172) through 10+ assists (+520) | Ladder at FanDuel Sportsbook
