The San Antonio Spurs added a Game 1 win to flip the series around in the NBA Western Conference Finals. The series is now tied, with the Spurs at home for Game 3. Usually, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs gain the first possession. Will that be the case tonight? Here’s our top NBA first basket scorers for tonight’s Game 3 matchup in the Western Conference Finals.
Follow along and make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today's best prop bets.
- More NBA Betting Advice
- Player Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- First Basket Cheat Sheet
- Prop Bet Analyzer
- Best +EV NBA Props
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Who will score the first basket in today's NBA games? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today's best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
All season, I’ve talked about Victor Wembanyama and how well he’s been at earning the first possession for the Spurs. In the regular season, he won the opening tip in 91% of games. The trend has continued in the playoffs, and Wembanyama has won both opening tips in this series. However, the Thunder still scored first in Game 3 after Devin Vassell missed his first shot attempt.
Still, it’s very likely the Spurs will gain possession first and take the first shot. That’s all you can ask for when putting together a first basket wager.
Meanwhile, in the regular season, the Thunder allowed the first basket to point guards 33% of the time. Centers scored first in 25% of games in the regular season. The point guard position is unclear right now, with De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper dealing with injuries. So we’ll stick to the center position and back Wembanyama to score first at +325 odds.
Pick: Victor Wembanyama (+325)
