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NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (1/9)

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Happy New Year! Let’s start the new year by winning some money in first-basket bets. As always, there is a lot of variability in betting on the first basket. But keep in mind these bets are to maximize your profit in the long run.

Here are my favorite first-basket options for tonight’s slate.

And check out our other betting picks for Monday:

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (1/9)

Jaylen Brown (+550)

Jaylen Brown has been a money machine for me this year, and I’m hoping this continues tonight. Both Jayson Tatum (+340) and Al Horford (+500) are options, but the value is the best with Brown, and it should be a Celtics player. Going up against Chicago, Nikola Vucevic holds a tip-win rate of 31 percent this season, compared to Horford’s 50 percent clip.

Of course, I trust Boston’s top-ranked offense to capitalize way more than I do for anyone on the Bulls. Chicago has allowed an opponent’s shooting guard to score the first bucket just shy of a quarter of a time, so I like Brown’s chances here. 

Romeo Langford (+1600)

If you’re feeling extra lucky today, Romeo Langford is your selection. There are a lot of variables here so be sure to keep track of injury news. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Steven Adams have the questionable tag. Fading Memphis players to score first is the play here, one way or another, but Adams is the main one to follow.

The Grizzlies center is a tip-off machine, winning over 70 percent of tip-offs this season. Still, Poeltl holds a not-so-shabby 50 percent tip-off win rate this season with the Spurs converting first baskets 54 percent of the time. Langford’s odds shouldn’t be this long, especially considering the Spurs score their first basket from the shooting guard position over 30 percent of the time.          

Thomas Bryant (+700)

To round out today’s plays, I’m fading any Denver first basket-getters and going for value again. Despite the Nuggets’ 55 percent first-basket conversion percentage, Nikola Jokic only wins the opening tip at a 43 percent clip, compared to Bryant’s 62 percent. 

Denver has allowed opponent’s centers to score the first basket over a quarter of the time as well, more than any other position. Early on, I can easily see the Lakers going down low, something they have done about 22 percent of the time when scoring the first basket this season. 

All opening tip and first basket data courtesy of NBA First Basket (@NBAFirstBasket).

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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.