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NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (3/7)

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We’ve got an exciting slate of games with seven matchups on the NBA betting board. We’ll be attacking the first basket market, and we’re looking to hit at least one longshot bet tonight!

Make sure to check out our NBA first basket cheat sheet for even more betting advice.

Plus, be sure to join our BettingPros Discord to discuss the best first-basket bets for each and every slate of NBA games with our community of sports bettors!

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    Thursday’s Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets

    (Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

    Toronto Raptors vs. Phoenix Suns

    It’s likely Kelly Olynyk will be the Raptors’ tip-man tonight. In three opening tips, Olynyk has won none of them this year.

    If you go back to last year, Olynyk won just 36% of the opening tips in 36 tries. He’s unreliable and especially won’t be against Jusuf Nurkic of the Suns.

    Nurkic has won the tip in 70% of his 57 games started this season. He also won 71% of tips in 52 games started last year. Therefore, this looks like a huge mismatch. The Suns should get the ball first and have the opportunity to score first.

    This season, the Raptors have allowed 29% of the first baskets to shooting guards and 33% of first baskets to centers. In the last ten games, shooting guard Grayson Allen has added three first baskets made.

    Although Allen has only added seven first baskets this season, he’s clearly getting more comfortable early, as he’s added almost half of his first baskets over the last few weeks.

    Toronto struggles to defend shooting guards. With Devin Booker out, Bradley Beal is the point guard, and Allen is the shooting guard. Let’s give Allen a shot at +1000 odds.

    Bet: Grayson Allen (+1000)

    Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets

    In 44 opening tips this season, Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics has won the tip in 80% of opportunities. Meanwhile, the Celtics scored first 62% of the time when Porzingis was the tip-man.

    Tonight, he’ll face Nikola Jokic, whom he’d already beaten in the tip earlier this year. Jokic has been involved in the opening tip in 59 games this year but has only won the tip in 58% of games. With that, the Nuggets have scored first just 53% of the time.

    Therefore, the Celtics are more likely to win the tip and score first.

    Meanwhile, Denver has allowed the small forward to score the first basket 28% of the time this season and the center to score the first bucket in 31% of games.

    Over the last 20 games, Porzingis has started 15 of them. In those 15 games, the Celtics’ center has scored the team’s first basket in 40% of games and has added five first baskets in the last 15 games.

    We’ll roll with Porzingis at +550.

    Bet: Kristaps Porzingis (+550)

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

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