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NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (12/15)

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Another weekend is upon us and that means a full weekend of NBA action. We get things started on Friday night with a pretty hefty slate.

Here are a couple of my favorite First Basket plays to get your weekend started on a winning note:

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    Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets

    (Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

    Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards

    The Pacers are fresh off of last week's In-Season Tournament (IST). They're also coming off of a hard-fought game against the Bucks on Wednesday. They'll take on a reeling Wizards team tonight.

    The Wizards have been terrible in almost every facet of the game this year, including First Baskets. They're going up against an elite offense in Indiana. One particular matchup sticks out to me as a must-play for this game.

    Myles Turner has an excellent matchup against this Washington frontcourt. The Wizards have given up almost a third of their opponent’s first field goals to centers, which already bodes well for Turner. Turner has had a lot of success with this prop over the last two years, leading the Pacers in First Baskets since the start of the 2021-22 season. I like him to continue that trend on Friday night.

    Pick: Myles Turner (+390)

    Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics

    This is a matchup of two of the most impressive teams in the Eastern Conference this season. Boston has been great all season and is finally back to full health. Not only have they been adept at winning basketball games, they're also pretty good as scoring first in many of those games.

    While the Celtics are fantastic as cashing First Basket props, the Magic are on the other end of the spectrum. They've been one of the worst teams in the league at scoring first this season. I'm targeting the Celtics for the First Basket in this game, particularly one strong matchup for Boston.

    The Magic have shown a weakness in giving up first field goals to guards at an alarming clip. Over half of their games this season have resulted in an opposing guard scoring first for their team. I'm targeting Jrue Holiday in this game. The Celtics have been pretty even distributing their first scores amongst their many all-stars. Holiday has still had a lot of success with this prop, picking up where he left off in Milwaukee. I like him again on Friday.

    Pick: Jrue Holiday (+700)

    Houston Rockets @ Memphis Grizzlies

    After a surprisingly hot start to the season, the Rockets have begun to cement themselves into the Western Conference playoff race. Memphis got off to a slow start but has been better in recent weeks. The First Basket department is one place where the Grizzlies have had a leg up on the Rockets.

    Memphis, picking up where they left off last season, continues to be an elite first-scoring team. Even though their record sits at just 6-17, they've scored first in 15 of those contests. No one has had more success with these first scores than Jaren Jackson. I'm going back to him in this game.

    Houston provides a pretty good First Basket matchup for Jackson. The Rockets give up around half of their opponent’s field goals to bigs. Obviously, Jackson fills that role. So long as Jackson remains one of the focal points of this offense, he'll be a strong play for First Basket with his ability to score at almost any level. With a matchup like he has with Houston, it's another must-play.

    Pick: Jaren Jackson (+340)

    Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:

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