NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Friday (1/17)
Friday's NBA action is a jam-packed slate with plenty. This means there is a lot of opportunity to find plays for any NBA fan or bettor. Below are a few first-basket value plays, if you want to get in on the action early.
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Fridayâs Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Who will score the first basket in todayâs NBA games? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify todayâs best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks
Julius Randle gets his turn to be welcomed back as the Timberwolves head to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks. You can bet that Randle and the rest of his teammates will be looking to get off to a hot start. I like the Timberwolves, who score first in about 60% of games, to get the first points here, but I'll be targeting Randle's All-Star teammate, Anthony Edwards.
Edwards has amassed seven first baskets on the season while starting 40 games. New York will have their hands full with the talented scorer and he could be looking to put on a show in the NBA's most famous arena. New York also struggles against shooting guards in these situations. All signs point to Edwards and I'll be backing him.
Pick: Anthony Edwards (+600)
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls
This won't be the hottest game on the schedule for Friday. Neither team is appointment viewing, but this is an opportunity for a good value on a first-basket prop. Charlotte isn't one of the stronger teams when it comes to this prop, but Chicago has been so poor that there is value in the Hornets.
One matchup that sticks out in this game features talented young center Mark Williams. Williams has missed a lot of time due to injury this year but has still managed to cash two first baskets in his 12 starts. One big reason is because Williams has scored first for Charlotte in five of those games. Heâs a solid choice to score first in a strong matchup against a Chicago team that gives up almost a third of their first scores to centers.
Pick: Mark Williams (+430)
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs
These two teams faced off on Wednesday with the Grizzlies getting the better of the Spurs. One of the big headlines in that game was how well Memphis contained Victor Wembanyama. They'll be tasked with that challenge again and rookie center Zach Edey will get first dibs. In an attempt to make his presence known, I could see Edey getting a good opportunity for a first basket.
Edey has been no stranger to first baskets this season. In 20 starts, the big man has scored first for Memphis five times and first overall four times. He doesn't often get first-shot opportunities but he's a blackhole for offensive rebounds. With his size, he can score at the rim on anyone, including Wembanyama. I'll be backing Edey to get the party started on Friday night.