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NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Friday (10/23)

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The NBA season is finally underway. We've got 12 games to consider as we predict today’s NBA first basket scorers.

My picks for the day are below. Make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet to help you figure out today's best prop bets.

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    Friday's Best NBA First Basket Scorers

    (Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

    Who scores first in today’s NBA slate? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today’s best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.

    New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

    I expect this game to be a course correction for the Knicks on multiple fronts.

    After the Knicks started with a loss to the 76ers, I expect them to be highly motivated to bounce back with a win. They'll seek to put that loss behind them as soon as possible.

    Which is why I think they score first. And I'm picking Karl-Anthony Towns to be that scorer.

    Remember what I said about course correction? Towns only took nine shots against Philadelphia. I think he'll be much more involved this time around, including right away.

    Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (+650)

    Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat

    I picked Cade Cunningham to score first in the Pistons' season opener against the Celtics, a game Detroit won 121-113. I'm going with him again.

    Cunningham has the fourth-best odds to score first against the Heat, and I think that's great value. He'll have the ball in his hands, and he'll shoot early and often.

    Pick: Cade Cunningham (+600)

    Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs

    After the Spurs opened the season with a disappointing loss to the Thunder, they’re favored to bounce back and win at home. And I foresee that happening.

    I'm sticking with my pick of De'Aaron Fox - who I predicted would score first in the Spurs' season opener. He'll have the ball in his hands, and he'll be aggressive.

    That is, he's going to take more than nine shots, as he did against Oklahoma City. And I imagine that becomes clear quickly.

    Pick: De’Aaron Fox (+700)

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