NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (11/19)
The NBA Season is here! We've got some exciting matchups early on in the season, so let's look at some of the players who could score the first points of the game.
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Sunday's Best NBA First Basket Prop Bets
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors
The Eastern Conference seems to have established a pecking order of teams we believe can compete for a title but don't count on Toronto being one of them. The firing of Nick Nurse and moving on from Fred VanFleet shows this team is ready for a rebuild.
They take on the Pistons, who have been in a rebuilding phase for over a decade, and it looks like that will continue as they're 2-11 and have lost ten straight.
One stat that the Raptors have been great at this season is getting the first basket. They lead the league in first baskets, with Pascal Siakam leading the team with four. The Pistons have struggled defending the wings stemming back to last year, allowing the highest percentage of first baskets to power forwards. Siakam is poised to grab the points for tonight.
Pick: Pascal Siakam (+425)
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz
The Suns and Jazz played a thriller the other night, with Phoenix coming out on top 131-128. No doubt, with the lack of defense these two teams play, we will see another high-scoring affair.
The Suns have done very well at grabbing the first basket this season with the fifth-highest percentage, while the Jazz have not done so well with the third-lowest. You would believe the Suns easily grabbed the first basket in their last matchup, and you'd be right because Kevin Durant hit a three in the game's first possession. In fact, Durant leads the team with three first baskets, so this is a great play on the percentages because the Jazz have allowed the most first baskets to forwards this season.
Pick: Kevin Durant (+450)
Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers were among the better teams in the Eastern Conference last year, but they've struggled out of the gate by starting 6-6. The team isn't much different, the defense is still great, but the lack of offense still hurts them.
They'll have a tough matchup tonight against the defending champs, but the Nuggets are coming in, losers of three straight on the road.
The Cavs have the advantage at first baskets, even with the Nuggets having Nikola Jokic. Denver has the third-lowest first-basket percentage and seventh-lowest tip-win percentage.
Jamal Murray is still out of the lineup, and it hurts their perimeter defense, so we're seeing opposing guards playing well. With no Donovan Mitchell at the moment, Darius Garland has stepped up, so look for him to grab the first points.
Pick: Darius Garland (+650)
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