NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (2/3)
Saturday provides a small slate of NBA games but plenty of opportunity for betting action. There is no better way to get you NBA card started than with some First Basket props. Here are a few of my favorite picks to get Saturday off to a hot start.
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Saturday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorer Prop Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks
Thursday night Jalen Brunson was serenaded by the Madison Square Garden crowd with chants of “MVPâ€. How will he respond on a national stage again this Saturday night? For one, I think he starts hot with a First Basket.
Brunson has a great matchup against this reeling Laker team. Los Angeles has allowed opposing guards to score first in more than 40% of the games they’ve played this season. There is perhaps no guard in the league that can take advantage of this mismatch right now more than Brunson.
The Knicks’ star point guard has been one of the best players in the league when it comes to First Basket props in his own right. His biggest strength is volume and with Julius Randle out in the immediate future, his volume will only go up. Brunson has attempted the first shot for the Knicks in just under half of the games he’s started. This has resulted in 15 first scores for the Knicks and 10 First Baskets on the season. I love him to get another on Saturday night.
Pick: Jalen Brunson (+650)
Milwaukee Bucks at Dallas Mavericks
Two of the biggest international stars in the game square off Saturday in Dallas. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks travel to Texas to take on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. Both of these stars will look to get off to a hot start in the contest.
On the season, Dallas has had a soft spot in their defense against bigs, especially when it comes to First Baskets. Around 40% of the games they’ve played this season resulted in an opposing big scoring their team’s first points. This bodes well for Giannis who tends to score first for the Bucks himself.
Giannis has already scored first for the Bucks 16 times this season in his 46 starts. Of those 16 scores, nine resulted in a First Basket prop winner. These nine First Baskets lead the Bucks on the season. With his success cashing this prop and the matchup with Dallas, he’s a great play for Saturday night.
Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+360)
Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back when they host the Cavaliers on Saturday night. Both of these teams have been excellent when it comes to First Baskets with both teams scoring first well over the league average. Although both squads are very impressive early in games, there is one specific matchup that I like.
Jarrett Allen should be able to exploit a matchup with the San Antonio frontcourt. They’ve given up the opposing team’s first scores to centers at a rate above any other position on the floor. Allen has already scored first for the Cavaliers 11 times in 41 starts on the season and should continue to find success.
Although Allen doesn’t quite have the same volume as his teammate Donovan Mitchell, he has had success with this prop because of his efficiency. His 11 first-team scores have resulted in eight First Basket winners. His efficiency and the matchup make this a really solid play for Saturday night.
Pick: Jarrett Allen (+600)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Saturday: