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NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Sunday (11/1)

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The NBA season is finally underway. And we've got four games to consider as we predict who will score the first basket in some of these contests.

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.

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.

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    Sunday's Best NBA First Basket Scorers

    (Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

    Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

    This one is tough to pick because both of these teams have been great with opening tip-offs. The Celtics have won all of theirs this season, while the Magic are 4 for 5.

    Since the Celtics are undefeated with tip-offs, though, I'll go with a Celtic. But I'm not going with the two favorites, Jayson Tatum and Paul George.

    Those two are leading Boston with 27.6 and 21.4 points per game, respectively. Two more players are averaging double-digit points for the Celtics, too. That's Payton Pritchard, who comes off the bench, and Derrick White, who I'm picking to score first today.

    White has the ball in his hands plenty. While he hasn’t taken the first shot of a game yet, I expect that will happen.

    Pick: Derrick White (+1100)

    Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers

    The Nets may be 0-5, but they've been solid with opening tip-offs this season. They've won four of their first five while the Pacers are 3-of-6.

    So I like the Nets to have the first offensive possession, and I think Julius Randle is a good value pick based off of that. He leads Brooklyn with 21 points per game, and he's already made the first basket of a game this season.

    Pick: Julius Randle (+740)

    Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors

    And now we've got two teams which aren't great with opening tip-offs. The Clippers haven't won any in their four games, while the Warriors have won just one in their first six contests.

    So at least Golden State has won one. And I'm going to pick a Warrior who is one of the best young players in the NBA and we're not talking about enough.

    Yaxel Lendeborg, a rookie drafted 11th overall out of Michigan this year, is second on the team with 19.8 points per game. He's also already been the first scorer in a game this season.

    Pick: Yaxel Lendeborg (+640)

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