NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Friday (2/28)
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 Friday, here are a few First Basket plays with value.
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Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorer Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics
Friday gets kicked off with a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview. Cleveland and Boston own the two best records in the conference and you can expect a hard fought battle between these two heavyweights. Both of these squads will be looking to get off to a great start but I'll be targeting Cleveland who is scoring first in well over 60% of games this year.
Power forwards have had Boston's number all year long when it comes to First Baskets. This is great news for Cleveland because their talented power forward, Evan Mobley, leads the team in First Baskets with 11 on the year. I like him to take advantage of that matchup edge and produce another First Basket in this massive East tilt.
Pick: Evan Mobley (+750)
New York Knicks at Memphis Grizzlies
Often when the Grizzlies are playing, I like to look in their direction for First Baskets. This is for good reason as they score first in nearly three-quarters of their games this year. This is the best mark in the entire NBA. Against the Knicks, who are slightly below average at just under 50%, I'll be targeting a frequent First Baskets casher for Memphis.
Jaren Jackson Jr. continues his feasting in early scoring situations. He's been one of the best players in these scenarios for a few years now. Although he only has eight First Baskets this season, he scores Memphis's first points in about 25% of his starts and is often a target for the first shot of the game. New York has a weakness against bigs in these situations so I feel very comfortable backing Jackson here.
Pick: Jaren Jackson Jr. (+430)
Toronto Raptors at Chicago Bulls
The North's team travels to the Windy City on Friday night as the Raptors take on the Bulls. This matchup doesn't have the cache that Cleveland and Boston or New York and Memphis do, but it has a great edge at First Basket. Chicago is one of the worst First Basket teams in the league so right off the bat Toronto has an advantage. Throw in that one of their weaknesses is wing shooters and the pick here is clear.
Gradey Dick has shown he's a very capable scorer in the Toronto lineup. His First Basket numbers indicate he's someone Toronto likes to go to early too. He scores first for Toronto in nearly a quarter of his starts and that has led to eight First Baskets. As a little bit of a longer odds pick, I really like Gradey Dick on Friday night.
Pick: Gradey Dick (+850)