NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Friday (12/20)
Friday's NBA action is a limited slate with only three games on the schedule. Fortunately for basketball fans, it's jam-packed with star players and championship contenders. If you're looking to get in on the action early Friday, here are a few First Basket plays with value.
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Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorer Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have started to turn things around after a dreadful start to the season. Their recent surge has them nearing the thick of things in the Eastern Conference standings. Their recent success has also culminated in success on First Baskets. With a game against Charlotte, they'll look to get going quickly and take control of the game.
Charlotte has shown all season that they struggle mightily allowing opponent first scores to wings. We saw this Monday when Kelly Oubre cashed this prop. This is also a bad matchup because star wing Paul George has been one of the better First Basket players all year. In 14 starts on the season, he already has four First Baskets, good for over a quarter of the games he's played.
Monday's matchup between these two saw George score the second basket of the game on his first shot attempt. However, he dominated in the game with 33 points on 20 field goal attempts. I like him to pick right back up where he left off and start torching the Hornets early on Friday night.
Pick: Paul George (+500)
Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers
How will the Bucks follow up their NBA Cup win on Friday night? We'll see as they take on the early class of the Eastern Conference in a big-time divisional matchup in Cleveland. These have been two of the very best First Basket teams in the league all season as well as two of the better teams as far as record.
Milwaukee has tallied a First Basket in nearly two-thirds of the games they've played this season and in this matchup with Cleveland, there is one freakishly good matchup. Cleveland, for as good as they've been at First Baskets, has allowed more opponent first scores to power forwards than any other position. It's no secret that Milwaukee has perhaps the best power forward in the league with Giannis Antetokounmpo and he's looking to follow up his NBA Cup MVP award performance.
Giannis has five First Baskets already this season and tallied his eighth first team score in Tuesday's win over Oklahoma City. With the matchup against Cleveland, I like Giannis to try and take control early to establish that Milwaukee has bigger goals than just an NBA Cup title this season.
Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+470)