The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to avoid going down 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals with a road matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paycom Center tonight.
To win, the Timberwolves will want to start strong. They did that in Game 1 and got out to a 10-3 lead, but ultimately fell 114-88 when all was said and done. That said, in that game, Rudy Gobert won the tip and Jaden McDaniels added the first basket.
What will tonight’s first basket outcome be? Let’s discuss it 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.
Thursday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel 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.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
In the first game of this Western Conference Finals, Rudy Gobert won the tip and helped the Timberwolves take an early lead. This matches what’s happened throughout the season.
Gobert won the tip in 48% of games this season. Meanwhile, Isaiah Hartenstein only won the tip in 22% of games this year. Gobert is much better at winning the tip and already proved it in Game 1.
That said, the Thunder have scored the first basket in more games this season. But again, it’s still likely the Timberwolves will get the ball first and take the first shot of this game.
The Thunder have allowed the first basket to centers 33% of the time this season. They’ve also given up the first basket to power forwards 23% of the time. Those are ultimately the two positions to look out for with the Timberwolves.
Gobert added the first basket six times for the Timberwolves during the regular season. He also scored the team’s first basket in 22% of games, while attempting the team’s first field goal in 20% of games this season.
On the other hand, Julius Randle, Minnesota’s power forward, also scored six first baskets in the regular season, and added the team’s first basket in 24% of games. But like Gobert, he added the team’s first field goal attempt in 20% of games.
Gobert is +900 to score first tonight. However, the Thunder typically allows the first basket to centers. Let’s give Gobert a shot tonight.
Pick: Rudy Gobert (+900)
