With Kyrie Irving sidelined until God knows when, the Dallas Mavericks entered this season desperately needing someone to run the point. That somebody could be D'Angelo Russell, whom I'm backing on his assists prop in my NBA picks tonight.
Here are my three favorite NBA player props for Wednesday, October 29.
Best NBA player props today
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Trae Young |
Over 23.5 points | -115 |
 D'Angelo Russell |
Over 5.5 assists | +110 |
 Kevin Huerter |
Over 2.5 rebounds | +100 |
Prop #1: Trae Young Over 23.5 points
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is averaging 20.8 points per game this season, which is a significant drop-off from last year when he put up 24.2 ppg.
The four-time All-Star has struggled to find his shooting stroke from deep, knocking down 1.3 threes per game at an ugly 19.2% clip.
Expect positive regression from Young in that area as he has a mouth-watering matchup at home against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. The Nets are last in the league in scoring defense (130.5 ppg) and allow opponents to shoot a sizzling 46% from the arc.
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: YES
Prop #2: D'Angelo Russell Over 5.5 assists
The Dallas Mavericks were hoping that first pick overall Cooper Flagg could run the point. However, he's been disappointing and is coming off a game where he didn't log a single assist in 31 minutes.
D'Angelo Russell was signed to a bargain contract in the summer and should pick up the slack, though.
The veteran guard didn't see much of the floor in the first two games of the season, playing a total of just 24 minutes, but still had six assists. He's seen his minutes surge in the last two contests and responded with six dimes against Toronto and 10 assists in a season-high 31 minutes vs. OKC.
Russell should see his playing time and usage rate stay high in tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers. Indiana allows the third-most ppg in the NBA (127.7) and struggles to pressure ball-handlers, ranking 30th in opponent turnover rate.
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: FanDuel SN IN | KFAA-TV
Prop #3: Kevin Huerter Over 2.5 rebounds
Despite the presence of Domantas Sabonis, the Sacramento Kings are just 26th in the league in rebounding rate (45.6%). The problem isn't Sabonis, who is second in the NBA with 14.7 rebounds per game; it's the rest of their undersized lineup.
DeMar DeRozan has been playing in the frontcourt and is averaging 5.0 rpg, with Zach LaVine averaging just 2.7 rpg. Meanwhile, Keon Ellis and top backup Malik Monk are combining for just 3.0 rpg in 40.3 mpg.
The Chicago Bulls have plenty of length throughout their lineup, and that includes 6-foot-6 guard Kevin Huerter, who will continue to get plenty of minutes with Coby White sidelined.
Huerter is coming off a game where he had zero rebounds, but he pulled down five and seven boards in his first two contests this year. He averaged 3.3 rpg in 26 games with the Bulls last season after Sacramento traded him to Chicago in February.
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: CHSN
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