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NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Tuesday (10/27)

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The NBA season is finally underway. We've got four 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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    Tuesday’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.

    Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics

    Both teams have won the opening tip-off in two of the three games each has played. So I'm looking for volume and value.

    Julius Randle leads the Nets in scoring, averaging 22 points per game through three contests, while shooting 51% from the field and 46% from three-point range. Yet, he has the sixth-best odds to score first in this game.

    Randle is playing well, so I see no reason to think he can't score first.

    Pick: Julius Randle (+800)

    Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks

    Somehow, neither team has won an opening tip-off yet. But I'm picking the Knicks to win. They’re 0-3 after winning the NBA Finals last season, and with this game at home and televised on NBC, I expect them to start with high energy.

    Jalen Brunson is the obvious favorite at +492. He's already scored first once this season. He's also a guard who will likely get the ball early. Brunson is averaging 21.3 field-goal attempts per game, so he’s taking more shots than anyone else in this matchup.

    But Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring nearly as much as Brunson. Brunson averages 22.7 points per game, while Towns averages 21. Towns provides more value.

    Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (+600)

    Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

    On the flip side, both teams are undefeated and have won opening tip-offs this season. The Lakers feel like the favorite to win this one since three of their players are the favorites to score first. With this game in L.A., I can see the Lakers scoring first again.

    Austin Reaves is an interesting pick. As a guard, he could easily have the ball on the first possession, and he takes the second-most shots on the Lakers, so the opportunity should be there. Plus, he's already scored the first basket in a game this season.

    Pick: Austin Reaves (+700)

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