NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Wednesday (3/5)
We’ve got an eight-game slate in the NBA tonight. Therefore, there will be eight different first-basket scorers tonight. I hope to nail at least one of those eight with the two best bets below.
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.
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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Wednesday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics
It looks like Luke Kornet will get the start for the Boston Celtics tonight. The backup center has already participated in seven tips and has won 71% of them this season. Meanwhile, he’ll take on Donovan Clingan of the Trail Blazers. Clingan has competed in 18 opening tips but has only won the tip in 22% of games.
Additionally, the Celtics have scored the first basket in 51% of games, while the Blazers have added the first basket in only 40% of games this season. It’s more likely that Kornet will win the tip and give the Celtics the first chance to score.
Ultimately, Portland has allowed the first basket to shooting guards 30% of the time. It’s easily the highest rate for any position this season. In tonight’s lineup, the starting shooting guard will be Jaylen Brown.
Brown leads the Celtics with 37% of the team’s first basket. He’s also added the team’s first field goal attempt in 29% of games, leading the team. Therefore, we’ll ride it out with Brown to score first tonight.
Pick: Jaylen Brown (+370)
Sacramento Kings vs. Denver Nuggets
Jonas Valanciunas of the Sacramento Kings will battle Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Valanciunas has won nine opening tips for the Kings, including one against Jokic and the Nuggets earlier this season. He’s won the tip in 56% of attempts this season. Meanwhile, Jokic has won the opening tip in only 48% of games. As a result, the Nuggets have only scored first 44% of the time.
Valanciunas certainly has an edge against Jokic in the opening tip.
That said, Denver has allowed the first basket to centers 26% of the time and power forwards 24% of the time. We’ll target those two positions.
In 13 games started with the Kings, Valanciunas has added the team’s first basket in 54% of games. Not only will Valanciunas likely win the tip, but analytically, it makes sense to back Valanciunas to score the first basket.
Pick: Jonas Valanciunas (+650)