NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Monday (12/30)
There are seven games on tonight’s NBA slate. That gives us seven opportunities to hit a first-basket wager. I’ve added two of my favorites with analysis below. Tap in.
Also, make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today’s best prop bets.
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Monday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Who will score the first basket in today’s NBA game? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today’s best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets
When in doubt, pick on Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls for first-basket bets. The Bulls center has won the tip in only 6% of games this season and the Bulls have scored the first basket just 22% of the time.
He’ll face Mark Williams of the Hornets tonight, who has only participated in the tip six times. Yet, he’s won the tip in 83% of games with a much smaller sample size. The Hornets have scored the first basket in 45% of games this season, which isn’t great, but it’s still way better than 22%.
The Hornets certainly have more potential to score the first basket tonight. Ultimately, the Bulls have given up the first basket to centers 48% of the time.
Williams has scored the first basket in one of his six starts. He’s also scored the team’s first basket in 67% of games. Williams stands out in tonight’s game.
Pick: Mark Williams (+600)
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Jarett Allen will participate in tonight’s tip for the Cavaliers. He’ll take on Trayce Jackson-Davis of the Warriors.
Allen has earned the tip in 81% of games. He’s helped the Cavaliers get off to hot starts, as the Cavaliers have added the first basket in 61% of games. Additionally, he already earned the tip once against Jackson-Davis earlier this season.
It’s also not so hard to beat Jackson-Davis for the tip. The Warriors center has won the tip in just 26% of games this season, which is one reason the Warriors have scored first only 45% of the time.
Cleveland has the advantage.
The Warriors have allowed the first basket the most to small forwards. Small forwards have scored first in 29% of games this season against Golden State. That would be Dean Wade, who hasn’t scored the first basket in 13 starts this season. He hasn’t even attempted the team’s first field goal in all 13 games started. So we’ll pass on Wade and look at the next two highest positions scoring first against the Warriors.
That’s shooting guard and power forward. This year, both have scored the first basket 24% of the time against the Warriors. Donovan Mitchell is the shooting guard for the Cavaliers and has scored the first basket in four games this season. He’s also scored the team’s first basket in 30% of games and has attempted the team’s first field goal in 30% of games.
Ride with Mitchell to score first tonight.
Pick: Donovan Mitchell (+370)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday: