NBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Wednesday (11/4)
We get a full 14-game slate across the NBA this evening. Countless betting options are available. Without further delay, here are five NBA first basket scorers worth sprinkling a few dollars of your bankroll on for Wednesday, November 4th.
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Wednesday’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.
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons
Our first selection is most certainly a longshot, given the abundance of talent this contest offers. That said, John Collins has been a reliable first-basket option. If you've been riding with him, you’re in a great spot through the first week of the NBA season.
Collins has scored the first basket in three games this season. The Pistons forward is one of three players with that many first baskets, and could be seriously undervalued today. The +1000 return is the highest of all our selections today. The success rate alone makes it worth a small portion of your bankroll.
Pick: John Collins (+1000)
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
New York hasn't been the most efficient team through the first 10 minutes. The Knicks rank 25th in the NBA in first-quarter field-goal rate (42%). As bad as that is, it's still almost 7% higher than the Chicago Bulls, who are shooting a league-worst 35% through the first 10 minutes.
It stands to reason to back New York to score the first basket against Chicago. OG Anunoby makes for a fantastic candidate to do exactly that. Chicago doesn't really have an answer for most of New York’s starting five. But when it comes to Anunoby, rookie Caleb Wilson or Matas Buzelis will likely defend him at the start. Those are matchups Anunoby can exploit from the first possession.
Picks: OG Anunoby (+700)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Houston Rockets
On Monday, we opted for Kevin Durant and Jaden McDaniels in this matchup. We were successful with Durant. Despite some intriguing options, including Durant (+700), we’re going back to the well with McDaniels. The Timberwolves forward has knocked down the opening field goal in two games this season, and leads the Timberwolves in this prop.
Rudy Gobert has successfully won the opening tip-off in five out of seven games this season for the Timberwolves. Gobert’s consistency gives McDaniels a fantastic opportunity to get up the first shot in this contest. LaMelo Ball (+600) and Rudy Gobert (+550) are also options to ponder. McDaniels has been the catalyst for Minnesota’s scoring this season.
Pick: Jaden McDaniels (+850)
Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies
Our next selection is as straightforward as it gets. Indiana, as with most teams, doesn’t have anyone near the size of Zach Edey. The Purdue alum will face Ivica Zubac, who ranks 72nd in defensive rating among centers. This could be a monstrous performance from the young center. And it could start with the first offensive set.
Edey has lost one tip-off in six games this season and has scored the first basket twice. Ty Jerome (+450) is absolutely surging right now. If you’re more comfortable going that direction, we wouldn't argue with it. Jerome is the favorite to score the first basket this evening. However, we are taking the size advantage and putting our money on Edey to sink the first bucket against Indiana.
Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings
We close out the evening with an underwhelming return. Austin Reaves is the third-highest-priced player to score the first basket. That's all well and good. Yet, his +550 odds should be higher. Reaves has had success knocking down the first field goal, leading the Lakers in first-basket scoring with two this season.
Walker Kessler has won the opening tip-off in six out of eight contests. We emphasize securing the tip-off because your odds of making the first basket increase when your center gets the chance to score first. This is a very correlated series of events that will improve your success rate on an extremely difficult prop.
We strongly believe Kessler will secure the first possession for the Lakers, and Reaves will get the first look to either knock down a jump shot or attack the rim for a quick two points. Obviously, we have to include Luka Doncic, the favorite to make the first field goal. That said, Doncic’s +300 odds make Reaves the better value play.
Pick: Austin Reaves (+550)