NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Thursday (1/2)
With six games on tonight’s NBA slate, we’ve got six opportunities to hit a first basket. After reviewing all six games and their opening tips, here are my favorite two first-basket bets for tonight.
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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Thursday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Who will score the first basket in today’s NBA games? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today’s best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.
Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat will ride with Bam Adebayo in tonight’s tip. He’ll face Indiana’s Myles Turner. Turner has won the tip-off just 44% of the time, which has led to the Pacers scoring first in 44% of games.
Meanwhile, Adebayo has won the tip in 70% of games. Yet, the Heat have only scored first in 42% of matchups. If Adebayo continues to win the tip at this rate, the Heat will see their numbers grow in the first-basket category.
That said, Turner and Adebayo are 1-1 against one another. But Adebayo certainly has better numbers than Turner heading into tonight’s game.
Indiana has allowed shooting guards to score first in 37% of games this season. For the Heat, that would be sharpshooter Duncan Robinson.
Robinson has scored the team’s first basket in 22% of games and added the first basket in two out of 18 starts this season. He’s got some real value heading into tonight’s game.
Pick: Duncan Robinson (+750)
Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Brook Lopez has won the tip in 61% of games this season for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have also scored the first basket in 61% of games this year.
On the other hand, Nic Claxton of the Nets has added the tip in just 42% of games. Ultimately, the Nets have scored first just 39% of the time.
Oddly enough, Claxton has already won the tip twice against Lopez this season. That said, Lopez has won the tip more than 60% of the time. It’s hard to imagine Claxton getting the best of Lopez in the opening tip for a third consecutive game.
Therefore, I have the Bucks winning the tip and getting the first shot. Additionally, the Nets have allowed the first basket to centers 30% of the time, which implies Brook Lopez is the play.
Lopez has already added five first baskets in 31 games and has scored the team’s first basket in 19% of games. He’s also attempted the team’s first field goal in 26% of games. Let’s roll with Lopez here.
Pick: Brook Lopez (+900)