Today’s NBA Player Prop Picks: Barnes' Noble Effort on D

There are seven games on the docket for Friday, October 29, with the Charlotte Hornets facing the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Denver Nuggets as the night’s two national television games. 

For bettors, there’s a whole lot to choose from when looking at all of these matchups, but you aren’t going to want to forget to get some player props in. With 14 teams in action, it’s a great way to find some value and enjoy rooting for individual players. 

Keep reading our NBA player props for Friday’s games, with three of our favorite picks of the evening.

NBA player props for October 29

• Harden Over 20.5 points (-118)
• Valanciunas Over 13.5 rebounds (-130)
• Barnes Over 0.5 steals (-160)

Picks made on 10/29/2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.    

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Fear the Beard

James Harden is still playing his way into shape after injuring his hamstring last season, but he is averaging 33.6 minutes per game. As long as a player of his caliber is getting that many minutes, it’s only a matter of time before some big scoring eruptions come. 

Social media is having a field day with Harden not getting to the free throw line this season, but the superstar is going to adapt. He’s still one of the best offensive players this league has to offer, and he now faces a Pacers team that has the fourth-worst defensive rating in basketball this season. 

Last year, Harden averaged 24.7 points per game in three games against this Indiana team, and the Pacers are doing a far worse job defensively this year than they did last year. They just have nobody that is giving the team any fight at the point of attack, which means that Harden should be able to get to the rim in this one. 

Harden is also bound to start shooting the ball better. He’s shooting just 35.9% from the field this season, but he’s a career 44.4 percent shooter. 

Pick: James Harden Over 20.5 Points (-118 at FanDuel) 

Chewing up the Glass

Jonas Valanciunas’ rebound total is at 14.5 on nearly every single book, but you can grab the Over at 13.5 on DraftKings (which is why it’s so important to have options). If you have this as an option, you’re going to want to go and grab it. 

Valanciunas has been an absolute monster on the glass since being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, but he has taken it to new heights after being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans. The big man is averaging 15.0 rebounds per game this season, which is the second-highest mark in the league. 

The Pelicans now face the Sacramento Kings on Friday, and the Kings have the second-lowest defensive rebound rate in the league. Considering Valanciunas averages 4.8 offensive rebounds per game, that’s not going to be a good thing for the Kings. 

Look for Valanciunas to make his mark on this game, and he’s going to do it with brute strength in the paint. Another 15-rebound game is definitely in the cards here. 

Pick: Jonas Valanciunas Over 13.5 Rebounds (-130 at DraftKings)

Scottie Does Know

Barnes is off to a solid start to his rookie campaign, as the rookie is averaging 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Barnes is, however, averaging only 0.4 steals per game this season, which is somewhat surprising after averaging 1.5 steals per game as a freshman at Florida State last season. 

The 20-year-old has all the tools to be a tremendous multi-positional defender, and he has been good on that end to start the year. Racking up steals and blocks isn’t required to be a good defender, but the fact of the matter is that Barnes has the potential to do so. He especially should be able to get himself into the box score in the steals department, and it’d be pretty surprising if he doesn’t have at least one against the Orlando Magic. 

Orlando has been really loose with the basketball this season, as the Magic are tied for the third-worst mark in the league in turnover percentage. They’re also more traditionally tied for fifth in the league in turnovers per game, and opponents are averaging 10.0 steals per game against them. 

With so many players likely to lose a handle or throw a bad pass, Barnes’ length should stand out in this game. The fact that he only needs one for you to cash is an added bonus. This has the potential to be something that hits in the opening quarter or two and then you stop worrying about it. 

Pick: Scottie Barnes Over 0.5 Steals (-160 at DraftKings) 

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