The NBA season is finally underway. We've got seven games to consider as we predict who will score the first basket in some of them. Below are my NBA first basket scorers for the day.
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Saturday’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.
Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers
The Nuggets are favored to score first, and that's fair. They've won 43% of their opening tip-offs and have scored first in five of their seven games.
But I'm looking for better value. And the Pacers haven't been far off in opening tip-offs, winning 33% of them. They've also scored first multiple times in their first eight games.
Ivica Zubac already has a first basket this season despite playing in just four games. At home, I think he'll help his team get an early lead.
Pick: Ivica Zubac (+600)
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Both teams have been pretty effective at opening tip-offs and scoring first. The Cavaliers have won 78% of theirs while the Knicks have won 63%.
A combined eight players have scored the first basket between these two teams. Finding the best opportunity might be tough. Therefore, again, I'm going with value.
Peyton Watson may not be the primary option for the Cleveland offense. But he's taken the first shot for his team in 43% of their games thus far and has scored first once. He's seventh in odds to score first.
Pick: Peyton Watson (+1100)
Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns
Figuring out who'll win the opening tip-off is tough because the Suns have won 57% of theirs and the Rockets have won 56% of opening tips.
So I'm looking at how often players take the first shot. And who takes the most first shots compared to anyone else playing? Fred VanVleet has taken the first shot in 43% of Houston's contests so far.
VanVleet averages 13 points per game and can get the ball early. That’s the opportunity we're looking for. Plus, he's not even in the top eight in the odds to score first in this game, which is great value.
Pick: Fred VanVleet (+1100)
