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NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (1/13)

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There is a decent amount of NBA action on the menu for Saturday. Eight games tip off with plenty of intrigue and angles of their own. Here are a few First Basket plays to get your Saturday on the right foot.

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Saturday’s Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics

The Rockets spent Friday night in a surprisingly heated battle with the Detroit Pistons. They’ll now travel to Boston to take on the Celtics. Boston will be looking to get back on the right foot after a disappointing outing against the Bucks on Thursday night. A hot start will be key for the Celtics against a tired Houston lineup so I’m targeting them for the First Basket prop.

Houston has had their fair share of difficulty against forwards when it comes to allowing opponent first scores. In nearly half of the games they’ve played, an opposing forward lit up the scoreboard first for their squad. Lucky for Boston, they have two outstanding forwards when it comes to First Baskets. I’ll be targeting the more successful one.

Jaylen Brown continues to dominate this prop into the 2023-24 season. He has already cashed this prop 10 times this season and we aren’t even halfway through. Continuing to go with Brown can feel like a square pick, but until the odds start adjusting to his success, he’s a must-play, especially in a matchup like this.

Pick: Jaylen Brown (+370)

Chicago Bulls at San Antonio Spurs

Both of these teams are on the second night of a back-to-back. The Chicago starters played some hefty minutes in a close game against the Warriors while the Spurs’ starters were able to get some rest in a blowout against the Hornets. I like the more rested team to get off to a hot start and cash a First Basket prop for us.

I’m going back to the well even though it wasn’t kind to us last night. Wembanyama wasn’t able to secure the First Basket, but he had a great game. I’m more than happy to ride that momentum again on Saturday night, given the matchup but Wembanyama looks unlikely to play. 

More than any other position, the Bulls give up opponents’ first scores to centers. Sandro Mamukelashvili is slated to start in his place. There isn’t a ton of data on him, but from a matchup perspective, he’s a good value at the number. It’s more of a dice roll than most picks I take for First Basket, but sometimes it pays to play the numbers blindly play.

Pick: Sandro Mamukelashvili (+700)

Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz

Another Jazz game and another day I’m fading them on First Basket. I picked Scottie Barnes last night. He didn’t come through, but Immanuel Quickley secured the first score in the contest for the Raptors. It was another game where the Jazz failed to score first. The Lakers come into this contest about league average when it comes to scoring first, but any team is head and shoulders better than Utah.

The Jazz have been most susceptible to forwards when it comes to First Baskets. In just under half of the games they play, an opposing forward scores for their team. I’m targeting a Los Angeles forward here, but probably not the one you’d think.

Taurean Prince hasn’t scored many of these, only three on the season, but the matchup makes him a value play. He took both of the Lakers’ first two shots on Thursday, although the First Basket had already been scored by the Suns. That isn’t as much of a concern here against Utah especially coming on the second night of a back-to-back. It’s a solid matchup for Prince and at this number, it’s a strong value play for First Basket.

Pick: Taurean Prince (+1000)

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


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