Top NBA First Basket Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (11/12)
Let’s take a look at Saturday’s NBA games to find some First Basket prop plays.
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Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards
The Wizards face off Saturday against a Jazz team that has been white hot to start the season. If we were picking against the spread I might be enticed to take the Jazz, but for a First Basket prop, the Wizards are a better target.
The Wizards have been scoring the first basket as often as they’ve been winning the tip-off (50% over their last ten) and scoring their first field goal within their first two shots on average. No one on the Wizard roster has been scoring those first field goals more than Kristaps Porzingis.
With Bradley Beal likely still out for Washington, Porzingis is the smart play.
Pick: Kristaps Porzingis +340
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
These two Eastern conference foes face off again for the second time this week. Both teams are traveling on the second night of a back-to-back so it might be hard to pinpoint what kind of lineups we’ll see Saturday night.
I want to target the Celtics in this game. They’ve been exceptional on offense and are squaring off against the worst defense in the league in Detroit. The numbers suggest you take a Celtic player every time here.
Normally I’d go Tatum in this spot and just ride the hot hand, but I’ll sprinkle a little on Jaylen Brown too given the nature of the back-to-back. These two are scoring Boston’s first basket in eight of the last ten games and both will be targeted early if they’re starting, making them the best plays.
Pick: Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans will look to get back in a winning way against a Houston team that has struggled out of the gate.
New Orleans has a big advantage in the First Basket department as Houston is one of the worst teams at both winning the tip and scoring the first basket. Meanwhile, New Orleans has been better than average at cashing First Basket props.
The Pelicans like to spread out the ball early in the game so you can get some pretty good value taking almost anyone for First Basket, but I’m going to focus on two in particular, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas.
Neither are strangers to cashing the prop, but I particularly like them from a matchup perspective as Houston will have a tough time stopping either throughout the game and it will likely start from the tip off.
Pick: Brandon Ingram +550
Jonas Valanciunas +475
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