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NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (2/2)

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Our plays were a bit sideways yesterday.

I grabbed Kristaps Porzingis to score the first basket in the Wizards game. That game was postponed. I also added Rudy Gobert to score the first basket for the Timberwolves, and he was officially ruled out of the game an hour prior.

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid scored the first basket for the 76ers but not for the game, with the Magic adding the first basket in that game.

We’ll try and get back on track tonight.

And check out our other top picks for Thursday:

View 5-star bets and historical prop performance by players with our Prop Bet Analyzer >>

First Basket Player Prop Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Season record: 0-7 (All wagers are .25 unit)

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

The Knicks have won the tip 58% of the time this season. They’ve also scored the first basket in 48% of games and have taken the first shot in 48% of games. Those are some solid stats compared to the Heat.

Miami has only won the tip 50% of games and has earned just 33% of first baskets this season. Even when they get the ball first, they’re struggling to score.

The Knicks are usually pretty good about sharing the ball early on. But Julius Randle has eight first baskets made this season with only seven first-shot attempts. Jalen Brunson usually takes shots first, but he’s not always making them.

Look for Randle to get the party starter in New York.

Bet: Julius Randle (+490) 

Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls

These two teams have already played twice. The Bulls and Hornets each earned a tip-off. But only the Bulls scored the first baskets.

Patrick Williams secured the first basket on November 2, while Ayo Dosunmu added the first basket in a more recent game on January 26.

The Bulls rarely win the tip. But they’re going up against a Hornets team that isn’t very good at winning the tip. Nikola Vucevic and Mason Plumlee have won the tip by 35% or less this season.

Throughout the season, Vucevic has earned nine first baskets of the 24 that the Bulls have hit this year. I’ll side with him in this one too.

Bet: Nikola Vucevic (+490) 

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks

The Pelicans have won the tip 46% of the time compared to the Mavericks, who have won the tip just 37% of the time this season. As a result, the Pelicans have scored the first basket in 54% of games, while the Mavericks have scored the first basket in only 35% of games.

These two teams have played twice before. They traded tips, but most recently, Jonas Valanciunas earned the first basket after winning the opening tip over Dwight Powell.

He’ll likely go up against Powell again tonight and should be able to earn the tip for the Pelicans again. Valanciunas has 13 of New Orleans’ 29 first baskets this season. He’s also attempted 12 first shots, more than any player on the Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum have often been absent from the lineup this season. But Valanciunas is still the go-to guy early on, even with those two starting.

Bet: Jonas Valanciunas (+380)

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