There are three more games on the NBA slate tonight. I’ve added my favorite first basket wagers for tonight’s games. Let’s see if we can stay hot!
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.
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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.
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks
We nailed Jalen Brunson to score first in Game 4 of the series, and I still like the Knicks to win the opening tip in Game 5 at home.
The Hawks only scored first in 48% of games during the regular season, while the Knicks added the first basket in 59% of games. The opening tip is a toss-up between Towns and Okongwu, but Towns has the momentum leading into this one.
This season, the Hawks allowed the first basket to centers the most. Brunson led the team in first baskets made, but Towns was second on the list and took the team’s first field goal attempt in 20% of games. Let’s ride with Karl-Anthony Towns to score first tonight at +650.
Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (+650)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
I’ll never skip a Wembanyama opening tip. In the regular season, he won the opening tip in 91% of games. The Spurs won possession to begin the game in 9 out of 10 games.
That said, it’s very likely the Spurs win the opening tip and take the first shot. The Blazers have allowed the first basket to centers 33% of the time, and Wembanyama led all Spurs starters with 12 first baskets during the regular season, despite only starting in 55 games. De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each added ten first baskets in the regular season but played at least 65 games each.
Wembanyama scored the Spurs’ first basket in 42% of games during the regular season. He’s only +370 to score first, but that’s still the best play in this game.
Pick: Victor Wembanyama (+650)
