NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Monday (11/2)
A staggering 15 NBA games are on the schedule this evening. With such a massive slate, there are endless options to consider. As an added bonus for tonight, we have suggested more than one candidate for a few of these contests. Without further delay, here are some players worth sprinkling a few dollars on in the NBA first basket scorers market for Monday, November 2nd.
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Monday’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.
Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic
Our first selection may not be popular given the rosters involved in this contest. Anthony Davis (+480) is always going to be an option to score first when on the floor. If you’re more comfortable going that direction, we wouldn't fault you. However, Alex Sarr offers a higher return on investment and could easily score first.
Sarr hasn’t scored the first field goal of a game this season yet. That said, the Wizards have won the tip-off in more than 60% of games and should do so again against the Orlando Magic. Washington has scored first in two of five games and should be able to attack Orlando immediately down low. With most of the attention going to Davis, Sarr could be available quickly for a look on the wing or at the basket.
Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks
Our next selection is as straightforward as it gets. The Brooklyn Nets played on the road in Indiana yesterday. The Nets could sit a veteran or two. That would leave Brooklyn unable to stop Jalen Brunson from getting to the rim - one of the skills that stand out most for an elite scorer.
Brooklyn truly has no answer for Brunson to begin with. If Karl Anthony-Towns wins the tip-off, Brunson can make a beeline to the basket for a quick jumper or attack the rim for a layup. Brunson has scored the first basket in one contest this season and should have one of the easiest opportunities to raise that total to two against Brooklyn.
Oddsmakers have Brunson as the favorite at a low-profit return despite his success rate. This is almost certainly no coincidence.
Pick: Jalen Brunson (+410)
Milwaukee Bucks at Minnesota Timberwolves
Jaden McDaniels is our most contrarian play, even though the return on investment doesn’t match the success percentages. Jaden McDaniels leads the Timberwolves in first-basket scoring. The Minnesota forward has knocked down the opening field goal in two games this season.
Rudy Gobert has successfully won the opening tip-off in four out of six games this season for the Timberwolves. Gobert’s consistency gives McDaniels a great chance to get the first shot. LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert are also worthy options. McDaniels has been the catalyst for Minnesota’s scoring in the 2026-2027 campaign.
Pick: Jaden McDaniels (+650)
Boston Celtics at Houston Rockets
One might think such a high-profile matchup would offer a myriad of options to consider. Truth be told, that isn't the case at all for this contest. It primarily boils down to three players. Fred VanVleet is a longshot candidate (+1200). However, we’re more confident in Kevin Durant, Paul George and Jayson Tatum. With all due respect to the other talent involved, these are the stars of the game, and we think they have the best chance to sink the first bucket.
George and Tatum have scored the first basket in two of Boston’s six games. That's simply too high a success rate to pass up on - especially on such a niche prop. Boston seems very comfortable going to their stars early, and that is exactly what we are expecting tonight.
It's kind of the same for the Rockets. Kevin Durant will look to be featured almost immediately in this game given the matchup. Tatum or George will guard Durant - a battle Durant can win either way. The veteran forward leads the Rockets in first-quarter scoring with 41 points.
Picks: Jayson Tatum (+460), Paul George (+460) & Kevin Durant (+850)
Portland Trailblazers at Denver Nuggets
We went with the revenge narrative on Friday and backed Ja Morant to score the first basket against Memphis. Morant suffered a hamstring injury in that contest and will miss the next few weeks. In Portland's next game on Saturday, Damian Lillard looked spry and aggressive. The veteran guard not only scored the first basket, but he also finished with 11 points in the first quarter.
Deni Avdija was also highly active on the offensive end in the first 10 minutes, scoring eight points. While it's somewhat of a coin flip between Lillard and Avdija, it's worth putting a few bucks on either to make the first field goal.
Both Portland players are averaging over five points per game in the first 10 minutes. The Trail Blazers’ offense will run through either Lillard or Avdija. If Portland gets the chance to score first, one of their more aggressive players will likely take the shot.
Picks: Damian Lillard (+700) & Deni Avdija (+650)