NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (3/1)
NBA Friday action is hot, with nine games on the schedule. A few teams are on a back-to-back, but most teams will be well-rested, so expect to see plenty of stars in the lineup.
To get the NBA betting slate started off right, here are a few of my favorite First Basket plays for Friday.
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Friday’s Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Charlotte Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers
The Hornets will travel to Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back. They’ll take on a Philadelphia team that has been falling down the standings since Joel Embiid went out with an injury. In his place, Paul Reed has filled in at the starting center spot, and although he can’t match Embiid’s production, he’s filled the role of big man well.
Well enough, in fact, that I like him for First Basket in this matchup. Charlotte struggles mightily against big men in these early-game situations. Centers, in particular, are a huge weak spot. The 76ers should be able to exploit that matchup and look to Reed early here.
Reed has only made 22 starts on the season, but in those games, he has four first-team scores and has cashed this prop twice. Neither of those numbers is eye-popping, even with his limited chances, but the matchup is too good to pass up the value of Reed in this game.
Sacramento Kings @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Kings-Timberwolves is one of the best matchups of the night between two exciting teams. After being exceptional last season when it comes to First Baskets, Minnesota has fallen off a bit this year and ranks well into the lower half of the league. Sacramento finds themselves a bit over average this year, but there is a matchup for the Kings that stands out as a play.
Domantas Sabonis has excelled this season when it comes to First Baskets. He’s scored first for the Kings in 15 of the games he’s started, and in turn, he’s cashed the First Basket prop 10 times. Sharing the scoring load with a lot of great shooters is tough, which makes these numbers all the more impressive.
Although Minnesota sports two 7-footers in their starting lineup, they actually struggle against bigs regarding early scores. Opposing big men have scored their first team points in nearly half of the games Minnesota has played this season. Sabonis’s ability to score in the midrange helps tremendously against the rim protectors down low. I love Sabonis’s chances to grab his 11th First Basket on Friday.
Bet: Domantas Sabonis (+750)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls
Don’t look now, but the Bucks are rolling. Winners of four straight since the All-Star Break, they’ve really found their stride offensively. This includes scoring First Baskets. They are one of the best teams in the league this season, scoring first in almost 60% of the games they play. No player on their team is doing it more than their star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo has 11 First Baskets this season with Milwaukee. With the addition of Damian Lillard this offseason, it was thought that maybe his early looks would decrease. Yet, they haven’t, and he’s taken advantage of them.
The rivalry with Chicago is just added fuel to the fire. Chicago does about average guarding big men in First-Basket situations, but the sheer run that Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo are on is what makes me like him in this matchup on Friday night.
Bet: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+450)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday: