I’m eyeing a couple of first-basket wagers for tonight’s eight-game NBA slate.
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.
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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 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.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks
It sounds like Anthony Davis is good to go for tonight’s battle against the Brooklyn Nets. If Davis plays, he’ll participate in the opening tip. Davis has won the opening tip in 56% of games this season. While most of these wins were with the Lakers, he’s still a part of a Mavericks team that has scored the first basket in 56% of games this season.
Meanwhile, it’ll be Nic Claxton for the Nets. Claxton has only won the tip in 48% of games. The Nets have scored first in only 41% of games as a result. I’ll trust Davis to win the opening tip over Claxton.
That said, the Nets have allowed shooting guards to score the first basket 27% of the time this season. They’ve struggled to stop shooting guards on the first couple of possessions the most.
Dallas’ shooting guard is Klay Thompson. He’s already scored eight first baskets this season and attempted the team’s first field goal in 26% of games, second only to P.J. Washington.
Consider Klay Thompson to score first at +950 odds. There’s value there.
Pick: Klay Thompson (+950)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets
The Los Angeles Lakers have won the tip in two-thirds of Jaxson Hayes’ starts. He’s added the tip in 67% of 27 attempts and has helped the Lakers score first 58% of the time this season.
While the Rockets have also added the first basket in 56% of games, Alperen Sengun has only won the opening tip in 40% of games. It’s way more likely the Lakers will win the tip and attempt the first shot.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have allowed the first basket to centers 33% of the time. That’s the third-highest rate to centers in the NBA. Hayes has scored the team’s first basket in 43% of games and has attempted the first field goal for the Lakers in 36% of games. That’s allowed him to score the first basket seven times in 28 tries. His first basket percentage of 25% leads the rest of the Lakers’ starters.
Despite playing way fewer games, Hayes has more first baskets than LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Pick: Jaxson Hayes (+490)
