Our free NBA Picks are out for Friday, October 29th, 2021! Make sure you check our NBA Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Indiana Pacers @ Brooklyn Nets – 7:30pm EDT
Will the Brooklyn Nets’ disappointing start continue? They are just 2-3 so far, and lucky to be there as well, but now host an inconsistent and struggling Indiana Pacers side that still doesn’t know how to play defense. This one looks to be a fast-paced exciting affair, but what are the best NBA picks for the game?
Denis Kirilov
The Indiana Pacers will try their luck on Friday night against a hesitant Brooklyn Nets squad, who are still out of rhythm. Kevin Durant finds it hard to carry the whole team as he desperately needs some help from his teammates. While Joe Harris has performed well from the beginning of the season, James Harden and Blake Griffin are the ones to blame for the losses so far. The Nets are 2-3 from the start of their campaign and they will do their best to compensate for these unexpected results.
The Pacers are also struggling in the beginning of the season. They are 1-4 with the only win coming up against the strong Miami Heat team at home. The team from Indiana suffered losses against the Wizards, the Hornets, the Bucks, and the Raptors. It’s unusual to find them at the bottom of the table especially with players like Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, and Chris Duarte. However, I guess the reality is different and this team will have to sweat a lot before they can think of securing a spot in the Playoffs. Having in mind that both Indiana and Brooklyn seem to be far away from their potential, I would trust Indiana to not lose by double digits.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Indiana Pacers +8.5 (-112)
“Yeah, we do miss Kyrie”
KD knows the Nets aren’t the same without Kyrie. pic.twitter.com/bqF2gu8wL2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2021
Michael Lantz
The Indiana Pacers are off to a less than stellar start, sitting at 1-4, and have been borderline atrocious on defense. Their lone win came against a great Miami Heat squad, albeit the Heat were missing veteran guard Kyle Lowry. An early silver lining for the Pacers—first round draft pick Chris Duarte has been a scoring spark, averaging over 18 per game.
On Friday evening, The Pacers head to Brooklyn to face a Nets team that’s been abysmal on defense as well. Brooklyn had a tough loss on Wednesday against the Miami Heat, but after their prior two losses they bounced back for victories. The Nets are still struggling to find a player not named Kevin Durant to provide consistent offense. James Harden has been less than satisfactory—this is in large part to him spending the entire offseason rehabbing his grade-2 hamstring strain and playing very little pickup ball. So, in the long run Harden should be ok, when it really matters later down the road. But, in the meantime, if he’s still not 100%, the rest of the Nets offense will have to step up. Since the Nets have done so well in bounce back games and this one is at Barclays Center against another weak defense in Indiana, I’ll take Brooklyn + the over.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Same Game Parlay – Brooklyn Nets ML / Over 224 (+149)
Noah Dunlap
Will the Indiana Pacers ever stop someone on defense? That’s been the question for them all year long, and currently the answer has been a resounding no. Sitting at 1-4, with their only win coming in a surprising game against Miami, it’s hard to imagine this Pacer team turning the corner anytime soon. The roster is similar to last year’s that ended up making the Eastern Conference Play-In game, and the results have been much worse. At this point, I think you have to just assume the defense is out of luck, but the lack of offensive production has been somewhat unexpected, and is going to have to flip if they plan on making a playoff run this season.
For Brooklyn, we’re learning that KD can’t do everything himself. Kyrie continues to sit, and with James Harden and much of the supporting cast struggling, it’s turned into a bit of a one-man show in Brooklyn. However, if there’s one cure for a supporting cast that’s played poorly this season, it’s an Indiana defense that more resembles matadors than they do basketball defenders. Brooklyn gets a much needed win, in a game that has the potential to feature many, many points. For this reason, take a Same Game Parlay with a Brooklyn moneyline and the over 224.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Same Game Parlay – Brooklyn Nets ML / Over 224 (+149)
Charlotte Hornets @ Miami Heat – 7:30pm EDT
We have a Southeast Division showdown between the veteran Miami Heat and youthful Charlotte Hornets. Both sides have only tasted defeat once this season, and will want to prove a point early on in the season that they mean business, especially since these sides could be fighting for postseason seeding come the end of the season.
Denis Kirilov
The Charlotte Hornets are flying high since the start of the 2021/22 NBA season. They’ve been on fire in their first five games of the campaign, winning four of them. Plus, in their loss, the Celtics had to force an overtime in order to defeat them. Charlotte’s new face is exciting and relies much on its attack and mainly on Miles Bridges. They are probably the surprise of the first 10 days in the NBA this season and they hope this can become a trend and won’t turn out to be just a lucky circumstance.
On the other hand, we have a deadly-looking Miami Heat team. Bam Adebayo, Jimmy “Buckets”, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson are all a threat for the opposing defense. From the start of their campaign, they have managed to defeat the Bucks by 42 points, the Magic by 17 points, and the Nets by 13 points. They were stopped on a single occasion against the Pacers where the defensive plays were brilliant which kept them under 40% FG. However, I don’t think the Hornets can deal with the Heat’s offense the way the Pacers did and that’s why I am going all the way with Miami covering their spread.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Miami Heat -6.0 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the early surprises of the 2021-22 season. Their depth has been exceptional and Miles Bridges has been playing like an all-NBA talent. On Friday they have a big test, as they face division rivals the Miami Heat—a team that’s showing early similarities to the squad that made the 2020 NBA Finals.
Miami have squashed the two teams that were predicted to finish ahead of them in the Eastern Conference this year (Brooklyn, Milwaukee) and their lone loss comes against the Indiana Pacers in a game where they missed Kyle Lowry and still forced overtime. Right now, Lowry and teammate/all-star Bam Adebayo are listed on the early injury report for the game against Charlotte. Luckily, both are down as probable and should feature in the game, so if Miami is at full-strength, I expect them to win, but wouldn’t be surprised if the upstart Hornets put up a fight. But enough of a fight to cover a six point spread? Not sure I’d go that far.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Charlotte has been one of the pleasant surprises of this young NBA season so far. With a roster featuring young guns LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and relatively solid veterans such as Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, they’ve managed to start 4-1 and look like real contenders in the East.
In Miami, I see the team that I would honestly consider the favorites to win the conference at this point. Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and company have shown that they can put up points, as well as being willing to put in the effort needed on the defensive end to be an above-average defensive squad. For that reason, I think Miami continues the hot streak to start the year, and using an elite defensive effort, they get the win, taking care of the -6 number along the way.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -6 (-110)
Sacramento Kings @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8pm EDT
This matchup may not jump out at you at first glance, but both the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are exciting, up-and-coming sides, and this contest is sure to be close. The Pelicans still be missing Zion Williamson, while the Kings have mixed it with some of the league’s best, but Sacramento are only favored less than two points, showing how close this will be.
Denis Kirilov
The Sacramento Kings are coming up against the New Orleans Pelicans in a game which might turn out to be decisive once the Playoffs spots are determined. I know it’s quite early in the season to talk about that, but that’s exactly each team’s next goal, especially teams like these two. The Kings displayed great combinations in their opening games with both Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes having good performances in a particular match, they will definitely be a deadly threat for the opposing side.
The Pelicans are fighting hard in the absence of their main man, Zion Williamson, who is still recovering from a foot injury. However, their efforts have only paid off just once against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jonas Valanciunas has been a monster under the rim averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds per game. Brandon Ingram is also doing his best to keep the Pelicans above water with at least 20 points scored each game. It will take them something more to kick off with some wins, but I am sure they will eventually do it. However, in this game I’ll give my preferences towards the Sacramento Kings as they seem to be the team in better shape at the moment.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings -1.5 (-112)
HARRISON BARNES. GOODNIGHT!!! pic.twitter.com/epKrgdVLir
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 28, 2021
Michael Lantz
The Sacramento Kings pulled off an exhilarating win on Wednesday night as Harrison Barnes called “game” with a last second shot to propel the Kings to a 110-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Kings continue to be one of the league’s most exciting offensive teams, with De’Aaron Fox running (literally) the point position, Buddy Hield hitting big threes, and one of the league’s most promising young guards in Tyrese Haliburton.
The Kings head to NOLA on Friday to take on a Pelicans team that’s no longer using the Zion Williamson injury as an excuse. The Pels beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday and then took the Atlanta Hawks to the brink on Wednesday. They can always depend on Brandon Ingram to put up points, but they’re getting a lot of help from new addition Devonte Graham and veteran Jonas Valanciunas, who is having his best year as a pro so far averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds per game. This team is gaining confidence in their play ahead of Zion’s return and I expect that to translate to a win against the Kings.
Michael’s NBA Pick: New Orleans Pelicans (+104)
Noah Dunlap
This is a tough one to predict. Sacramento is a young, exciting team that focuses on an up-tempo offense to keep games close, which has worked to this point, though not necessarily getting them as many W’s as they would like. On that note, it is also fair to point out that they’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the league so far this year, and have scrounged a 2-2 record out of it, which is certainly respectable.
For New Orleans, life without Zion is proving to be difficult yet again, as the former number one pick is sidelined with a foot injury. In his absence, they’re getting phenomenal minutes from Jonas Valencunas, who is in his first year in NOLA after being traded by Memphis, as well as Brandon Ingram having another strong year, as more eyes are on him. With no way to know who shows up to play in this one, or who eventually comes out on top, I like the under 219 as the play, as neither team is averaging more than 110 a game so far this season.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Under 219 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets – 10pm EDT
The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a sweep of the In-State Series, defeating the Rockets and Spurs in their last two games. They now get on the road to take on a Denver Nuggets side that will be disappointed in their start to the season, sitting at just 2-2.
Denis Kirilov
The Dallas Mavericks travel to Colorado setting eyes on their 4th consecutive win. In their previous three games, they defeated teams without much potential and this might give wrong perceptions to their fans and to the whole NBA community. The Mavs even had to fight hard in order to get these important victories against the Raptors, the Rockets, and the Spurs. Luka Doncic is far away from his top condition, while players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, and Dorian Finney-Smith are also struggling to find their rhythm. However, a win is a win and it shouldn’t be disregarded.
The Nuggets are coming into this game after two straight losses against two totally different teams – the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz. Both games were lost by 12 points and in both games, Nikola Jokic was the main contributor for his team. However, he picked up a knee injury and had to abandon the game against the Jazz after just 15 minutes of playing time. He is questionable for tomorrow’s fixture and things are not looking good for the team led by Michael Malone. This gives me just enough reasons to take the Dallas Mavericks as my pick to win this one.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (+102)
Michael Lantz
Dallas gutted out a five point win over the San Antonio Spurs Thursday night; after having a lackluster first quarter the team finished strong against their Texas rivals. Luka Doncic had 25 points/3 rebounds/5 assists, which was actually an underwhelming performance when it comes to his normal numbers against the Spurs. Still, the Slovenian superstar shot a solid 11-19 and the Mavs also got 19 points from teammate Jalen Brunson to win their third straight.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are in an early state of concern. Already playing without star guard Jamal Murray, now reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is listed as questionable for this matchup. Regardless of Jokic’s health, this team will need Michael Porter Jr. to step up and play like the superstar many believe he has the potential to be. So far his 11 point/5 rebound averages are nowhere close to what a guy who just signed a 5-year $207 million contract should be producing. They hope tomorrow will be a breakthrough game for him against a Dallas defense that’s looked better this year, but can still be shaky at times. Right now the odds are in Denver’s favor, but I just don’t see it, especially if Jokic isn’t 100%.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Dallas Mavericks (+102)
Noah Dunlap
Despite not seeming quite like himself to open the year, Luka Doncic is still averaging 24/11/9. Those are astounding numbers for a guy who has done so quietly through four games so far this season. Leading the way, the Mavs managed to get a tough, five point win over San Antonio last night, and I don’t expect the momentum to slow down for Dallas. Luka is getting decent contributions from virtually everyone else on the roster, which is a must if the Mavericks want to continue to look like a team that can make a deep run in the postseason.
For Denver, I think they are a more talented team overall, but coming into this one on a two game losing streak, including a double-digit loss to Cleveland, it’s hard to say that they’re actually playing like the more talented squad. Add in the fact that last year’s league MVP Nikola Jokic is currently listed as questionable for this one, and it seems as if everything is falling in line for Dallas to get another huge win to get them to 4-1 on the season.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Dallas moneyline (+102)
Los Angeles Clippers @ Portland Trail Blazers – 10pm EDT
After facing each other on Monday Night, the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers will face off yet again. LA got the result in that game, winning 116-86, but have come out and lost to the Cavs since, while Portland were able to dominate Memphis on Wednesday night.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers are ready to put on an impressive show on Friday night in the Moda Center. Both teams are off to an unconfident start of the season, as they are still struggling to find their game. In their previous match against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Clippers scored just 79 points. That’s probably the worst performance for the Clippers for a long, long time. It’s obvious that they are struggling without Kawhi, but I don’t think Paul George, Reggie Jackson, and Nicolas Batum will continue like that.
The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, have shown ups and downs in their game so far as they are also finding it hard to be consistent. They defeated the Suns by 29 points and the Grizzlies by 20 points. These are two of the strongest teams in the Western Conference and they just humiliated them. However, Portland also found a way to mix their performance as they suffered defeats against the Kings and these LA Clippers. I would like to think that the game will be full of extraordinary plays and I hope that we can witness an incredible 3-point contest between Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Paul George and Reggie Jackson. So, I will choose over 223.5 points including overtime.
Denis’ NBA Pick: Over 223.5 (-110)
Damian Lillard in 4 games this season:
17.7 PPG
8.0 APG
3.2 RPG
33% FG
17% 3P pic.twitter.com/jkWo5jCZdT— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 28, 2021
Michael Lantz
When these two teams faced off on Monday, it got very ugly for the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers won by 30, Damian Lillard only scored 12 points (0-8 from three), and they allowed Luke Kennard to score 23 points (just kidding).
Luckily for the Blazers, they had a great bounce back win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in front of a national audience. Although there’s still some concern with Damian Lillard’s play as he’s currently only averaging 17.8 ppg and shooting an abysmal 17% from three. Dame should be able to figure it out eventually, and when they get Norman Powell back from injury—hopefully in the next couple of games—the Trail Blazer offense could be unstoppable.
But first, they’ll have to figure out a Clipper team that was able to stifle them on both sides of the ball. Paul George may have only scored 14 points, but his 8 steals helped anchor a Clipper defense that had struggled in previous games. Unfortunately after the Portland game, L.A. looked like a team in need of Kawhi Leonard. They lost to the Cavs, only scoring 79 points against a team projected to be a high-end lottery pick. I think the Blazers get pay back in this one in front of their home crowd.
Michael’s NBA Pick: Portland Trail Blazers (-138)
Noah Dunlap
These two teams are absolutely impossible to figure out. They both have great wins this year, to go along with some completely inexcusable losses. For Portland, the defense has been shaky, which isn’t a good sign, since that’s a key reason Terry Stotts lost his job at the end of last season. Add in the questions surrounding Damian Lillard’s extremely mediocre play, and I think they’re are way too many questions surrounding this Blazers team than to be confident in picking them to win any game this year.
However, LA isn’t much better. They destroyed Portland earlier this week, winning by 30, and then turned around in their last game and got crushed by Cleveland, in a game where the Clipper offense only put up 79 points. In the end, I think defense plays a major role in this one, and seeing as Paul George had eight steals in Monday’s game, I expect a premier defensive effort from him in this one as well. Seeing that Vegas currently has Portland as a 2.5 point favorite, after losing by 30 to this same team four days ago seems a bit odd, and while I don’t think this one gets out of hand in that manner, I do think the Clips get another win in this series, this one coming on the road though.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
