NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Tuesday (4/14)
The NBA postseason begins today with two Play-In matchups that will help dictate the final two spots in each conference’s playoffs. I’ve added a first basket wager for each game tonight and shared them below.
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.
Tuesday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorers
(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.
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets
Bam Adebayo has won the opening tip in 68% of games this season. He’s also added a tip-win against Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate earlier this year. In addition, Diabate has won only 38% of opening tips this season, helping the Hornets score first in 51% of games.
Meanwhile, the Heat scored first in 57% of games this season.
The Miami Heat will likely get the first possession and attempt the first shot.
Ultimately, the Hornets have allowed the first basket to every position pretty evenly. However, it’s been Adebayo leading the way most of the time. He’s scored the first basket in 14-of-73 games and has taken the team’s first field goal attempt in 45% of games.
We’ll ride with Adebayo to score first in tonight’s first Play-In game.
Pick: Bam Adebayo (+460)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns
The Portland Trail Blazers will use Donovan Clingan for the opening tip tonight. He’s won 55% of attempts this season, but the Blazers have scored first in just 48% of games. Clingan will battle Mark Williams of the Phoenix Suns, who has won the opening tip 78% of the time and helped the Suns score first 54% of the time.
Williams has earned the opening tip in two of three meetings against Clingan and is the favorite to win another opening tip tonight.
Portland has allowed the first basket to centers 33% of the time, too.
Williams has the second-most first baskets of the Phoenix starters with five. He’s also scored the team’s first basket 16% of the time. Let’s take a chance with Williams at +700 odds.
Pick: Mark Williams (+700)