NBA First Basket Scorers Picks: Saturday (Thunder vs. Timberwolves)
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals tips off on Saturday night. The Thunder took both games at home, but the series now shifts to Minnesota. There will be a lot of great betting angles in this contest. If you're looking to get in on the action quickly, here are some of my favorite NBA first-basket plays.
Saturday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
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.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
During the regular season, Chet Holmgren had the edge on Rudy Gobert when it came to the opening tip. That has changed during this series. Gobert has won both opening tips, which, in turn, has led to Minnesota securing both first baskets.
Although he made only his 10th first basket of the season in Game 1 of this series, I like Jaden McDaniels to cash another on Saturday. His numbers suggest that his lower first-basket total is a bit of bad luck. He has 20 first-team scores, which trails only Julius Randle on the year. And his odds look even more enticing when you take into account that Oklahoma City allows first scores to wings more than any other position.
If McDaniels' odds are a little too long for your liking, I have a more palatable option, too. Anthony Edwards had a big game in the loss on Thursday. His 32 points led all Timberwolves scorers. They'll need him to come up big again on Saturday to avoid a 3-0 hole in the series.
It's no surprise Edwards led the team in first baskets this year, and he added another one in Game 2, his 13th of the season. This is a crucial game at home for the Timberwolves, and Anthony Edwards needs to make a statement early. I like him to take control of this offense and produce a first basket.
Picks: Jaden McDaniels (+1000) & Anthony Edwards (+600)