WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Friday (6/5)
We are well into the WNBA season, and it's shaping up to be a fun one with the expansion of teams and arguably the most talent the league has ever seen. WNBA first basket scorers are some of the best ways to get in on the action, as you don't have to sweat the entire game.
Of course, these are high-variance bets with long odds similar to first touchdown scorer bets in football, but that is why the odds allow for a nice payout when you get one right. With a large sample size, the risk is rewarded. Remember to shop around as odds vary widely across sportsbooks. Remember, these bets are for the first point scorer, so free throws also count.
We missed a couple of first basket bets last time out, so let's bounce back today. Here are the best WNBA first basket bets for Friday, June 5th.
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Friday's Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks
Last Time: 0-2 | Season: 6-13 (+25.15 units)
Connecticut Sun vs. Chicago Sky
We start in the Windy City as the 3-6 Chicago Sky host the 2-9 Connecticut Sun. This is a battle of two bad teams that both rank in the bottom third of the league offensively, so it may take a few possessions to actually see points scored.
Still, I'm valuing who will get the first shot, and that will likely be Connecticut. Kamilla Cardoso has been awesome at the tip this year for the Sky, winning 78% of the time, but Brittney Griner should be taking the jump today. It's hard to bet against her and her 6-foot-9 frame.
It's tough to say what Chicago tends to allow because they've only let up three first baskets this season - a three-pointer, a jumper and a layup. Overall, however, Chicago has allowed the third-fewest three-point attempts in the league, so I think the Sun will try to attack inside early.
That does lead me to a pretty chalky play. If you want to go with Aneesah Morrow, then by all means, be my guest. But when Griner is healthy, she gets heavy usage. We saw that play out on Tuesday against Atlanta, as Connecticut went right to her in the paint. Expect more of the same tonight.
Pick: Brittney Griner (+440 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Dallas Wings vs. Los Angeles Sparks
On the West Coast, Los Angeles hosts Dallas as the Wings sit around 1.5-point favorites with a total of 178.5 in what should be a spectacular game to watch. Dallas may have the most efficient offense in the league, so it's tempting to pick one of their playmakers early, but I don't think they'll have the first shot at the rim
Alanna Smith will likely jump for Dallas, and she has been bad, winning just one of her seven opening tip-off attempts all year. Dearica Hamby for the Sparks hasn't been much better, but she’s still more dependable than what we've seen from Smith.
For the Wings, they also force teams into it, as they rank second in fewest three-point attempts allowed and have allowed zero first baskets from deep all year.
Nneka Ogwumike is the play. She leads the team with two first baskets, and we've seen her usage stay steady. The veteran forward just had a double-double against Las Vegas on Tuesday, where she was executing early with two boards, a bucket and a block all within the first two minutes. That's enough for me to fade the top chalk and go down the board a bit.
Pick: Nneka Ogwumike (+650 at DraftKings Sportsbook)