With just six games on the NBA slate, there are still six opportunities to hit a first basket. I’ve added my favorite two for tonight’s slate. By the time we get some NBA action, the NBA Trade Deadline will have passed!
Keep the deadline in mind before making any wagers!
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.
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.
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Thursday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets: Warriors vs. Lakers
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have Mark Williams for tonight’s game. However, Jaxson Hayes hasn’t been so bad. He’s started in six games and has scored the first basket in three of them. Additionally, the Lakers have won the tip in 60.4% of games this season and have scored the first basket 28 times this year.
On the other hand, the Warriors could be shorthanded tonight. It’s unlikely Jimmy Butler will make his debut and the Warriors ultimately don’t even have a center in the starting lineup. It’s likely Jonathan Kuminga will participate in the tip. With that, the Warriors have won the tip in just 30% of games this season.
It’s more likely the Lakers will score first. Interestingly enough, Austin Reaves has scored more first baskets than LeBron James. Reaves also leads the Lakers in first shot percentage, taking nearly 17% of the first shot. Therefore, let’s rock with Reaves to score first in tonight’s game.
Pick: Austin Reaves (+550)
