Friday night will decide the final two first-round matchups for the NBA Playoffs. Given what we saw in the Play-In games on Tuesday and Wednesday, we should get two exciting games. I've dug into the matchups to find some First Basket plays that I’m certainly sold on.
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Friday’s Best First Basket Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
The Bulls will travel to Miami with the Eastern Conference 8-seed up for grabs. During the regular season, Bam Adebayo won two of three opening tips in these matchups, and we saw three different First Basket scorers. Season-long data indicates the Heat have a large advantage as Adebayo was much more successful on tip-offs all year. All of this points to Miami Heat players for Friday night.
The Bulls had their most significant weakness against opposing centers during the season. This would typically point to Adebayo, but the matchups on the season have me going elsewhere. Against Chicago, Miami took all nine of their first three field goals from guards and wings. Tyler Herro took three of these field goals.
Herro isn't necessarily the leading Heat player in First Baskets, but it's clear Miami will look to his scoring in this game. In the matchup with Atlanta, he attempted 23 field goals, and I expect him to put up shots early and often. He's more of a longshot than some Heat players, but there is a lot of value on Herro in this spot.
Pick: 0.25u on Tyler Herro (+600)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves dominated the opening tip in four matchups between these two division foes, winning all four. Rudy Gobert, who returns from a one-game suspension, won all three tips against the Thunder. This points to Minnesota having a considerable edge for First Basket in this matchup.
The Thunder have also struggled against opposing bigs all year when it comes to First Baskets, giving up nearly half of opposing first field goals to bigs. Due to this, there are two players that I am focusing on for this prop. The first is Rudy Gobert. He was successful in cashing this prop all season, finishing near the top of the Timberwolves' roster in First Basket wins. At these odds, he's an excellent bet to sprinkle a play on.
The second player I'm focusing on is Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT). KAT was on fire in Tuesday's matchup with the Lakers until foul trouble sidelined him. He's a powerful offensive threat, and against a small Thunder frontcourt, he is in line to have another huge game. I like him to stay hot early again and love him as a First Basket play.
Pick: 0.25u on Rudy Gobert (+700)
Pick: 0.25u on Karl-Anthony Towns (+400)
Check out our other best bets for Friday:
- MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions
- NBA Play-In Game Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
- NHL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions
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