NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Saturday (12/14)
Saturday's action is a doubleheader in Las Vegas for the semi-finals of the NBA Cup. The Hawks will square off against the Bucks and the Rockets will take on the Thunder. It should be an exciting day of basketball. Below are my favorite first-basket scorer plays.
Also, make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today’s best prop bets.
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Saturday’s Best NBA First Basket Scorer Props
Who will score the first basket in today’s NBA game? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today’s best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The NBA Cup semi-finals get started with an Eastern Conference battle between the Hawks and Bucks. This should be a great offensive performance by both squads and the race for the first basket will be tight. Both of these teams have been excellent this year in securing these first baskets. In recent weeks, though, Atlanta has cooled down.
Taking a look at the matchup between these two teams shows that the Hawks have struggled the most against opposing power forwards when it comes to early scores. Fortunately for Milwaukee, they have one of the best power forwards in the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has managed only four first baskets so far this season, but he was very successful with this prop last season. In a big game, he will look to take some of the spotlight. Getting on the board first could help propel him to a big game and lead the Bucks to the NBA Cup Finals.
Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+370)
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Rockets and Thunder tip off in the nightcap. These are two of the strongest defensive teams in the league. Typically, the Rockets have been a great first-basket team all season while the Thunder are pretty average. But it's not the team results that have me looking to play Jabari Smith - it's the strong matchup.
Oklahoma City gives up nearly 60% of their opposing first scores to forwards. Smith has had a bit of success this season. His four first baskets rank second on the Rockets, behind only Alperen Sengun. He also has three more team first scores, so he's had plenty of early scoring opportunities for Houston all year.
This should be an incredibly competitive game between two of the best Western Conference teams. As competitive as the game is, the race for the first basket should be just as tight. I'll be backing Jabari Smith for a big payout on this exciting prop.
Pick: Jabari Smith (+950)