NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Friday (2/21)
We're on the other end of the All-Star break and Friday's NBA action is a jam-packed slate with plenty of games on the schedule. This means there is a lot of opportunity to find plays for any NBA fan or bettor. If you're looking to get in on the action early, here are a few value first-basket plays.
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Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorer Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Who will score the first basket in today’s NBA games? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today’s best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have been excellent at getting off to hot starts all year and it's directly correlated to their overall team success. Against a team like New York that has only scored first in around half of their games, I'll be targeting Cleveland again to score the first basket.
The matchups indicate Donovan Mitchell is the play. He's the most dynamic scorer on a very talented offense. He produced his 10th first basket on Thursday night against Brooklyn, which is near the top of the league leaderboard. New York is a team that gives up plenty of first scores to opposing shooting guards, so that makes this play even more tantalizing.
Pick: Donovan Mitchell (+460)
Memphis Grizzlies at Orlando Magic
The All-Star break came at a great time for both of these teams as they have battled injuries all season. On Friday, they'll face off in the second night of a back-to-back for both teams. As much as both teams will want to get off to a hot start in this one, I like Memphis to continue their red-hot first-score streak.
The Grizzlies have led the league in first score percentage and have taken the initial lead in nearly 75% of their games. They've been led by veteran sharpshooter Desmond Bane. Bane leads not only Memphis but the entire NBA with 12 first baskets this season. This is nearly 30% of the games he's started this season. The Magic have proven to be a strong defensive team. However, I'm not standing in the way of the Memphis first basket freight train, especially with Bane as the conductor.
Pick: Desmond Bane (+500)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City and Utah Jazz isn't the kind of game you would expect to get excited about or even care about. The Thunder are the best team in the Western Conference while the Jazz are catapulting toward a top-three lottery pick. However, when it comes to first baskets, you can throw all of that out the door. Utah has been one of the best first-scoring teams in the league and I'll be targeting them again on Friday night.
Walker Kessler is my pick for this matchup. Oklahoma City gives up first scores to centers the second-most of any position and Kessler is a strong candidate in his own right. He may only have five first baskets in 42 starts on the year but he has scored the team’s first basket 10 times. Some better tip-off win luck would help and he has a bit of an advantage over Isaiah Hartenstein or whoever the Thunder have take the tip. I'll play the matchup here and take Kessler.
Pick: Walker Kessler (+650)