NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Thursday (4/10)
There are only five games on tonight’s slate. However, there’s still plenty of value, specifically in the first basket market. I’ve added multiple first basket wagers that you’ll want to consider taking tonight.
Follow along and make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today’s best prop bets.
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Thursday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel)
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.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 9.5-point underdogs against the Indiana Pacers tonight. Don’t expect many of Cleveland’s starters to get minutes tonight. That said, it looks like Jarrett Allen will still play tonight. That should at least help the Cavaliers win the tip and attempt the first shot. After all, the Cavaliers have won the tip in nearly 76% of games this season.
Allen will likely go up against Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers. Turner and the Pacers have won the tip in only 27.8% of games this season. Despite the Pacers playing all of their starters, the Cavaliers still have the edge, at least for the first basket market.
Ultimately, the Pacers have allowed the first basket to point guards, small forwards, and centers at least 22% of the time. Tonight, Cleveland’s main contributor will likely be Allen. He’s also taken 7.8% of the first shot for the Cavaliers and easily has the most first baskets of any of the Cavaliers starters tonight. In addition, Allen has added the first basket in nearly 12% of games this season.
Let’s take a chance with Allen to score first tonight.
Pick: Jarrett Allen (+600)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have won the tip nearly 70% of the time this season. They’ve had Zach Edey as the tip-man for many of these games, and he’ll likely compete for the tip tonight against the Timberwolves.
He’ll likely face Rudy Gobert, who has helped the Timberwolves in the tip in 54.4% of games this year. However, it’s much more likely that Edey will win the tip and give the Grizzlies the first shot attempt.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has allowed the power forward to score first 27% of the time. That would be Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies. Ultimately, Jackson Jr. has attempted the first shot in 19.7% of games with the Grizzlies this season. He’s also added eight first baskets and has attempted the first basket in 11.3% of games this season.
Let’s ride it out with Jackson Jr.
Pick: Jaren Jackson Jr. (+650)