NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Tuesday (11/19)
The NBA season rolls on tonight with six games on the Tuesday schedule. Every matchup is also part of the NBA Cup's group play action. If you want to get some instant action on Tuesday’s NBA games, then check out these NBA first-basket best bets.
NBA first-basket bets are quick and easy ways to place wagers with bigger payouts - and you’ll know if they cash right away. Let’s try to find some winners for a pair of games on Tuesday night. Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds. Enjoy these NBA first-basket picks and predictions for Tuesday, November 19.
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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Tuesday’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.
New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks
When picking a first-basket scorer in tonight's Mavericks vs. Pelicans matchup, it's important to understand the opening jump ball trends. New Orleans is winning only 21.4% of opening tip-offs this season, which immediately puts them at a disadvantage. In particular, rookie Yves Missi has gone 3-for-9 on his opening tips since moving into the starting center role.
Missi's poor win rate on opening tip-offs gives an edge right away to Dallas scoring the first points. Dereck Lively has started the past three games at center with Daniel Gafford shifting to the Mavericks' bench. The 7-foot-1 Lively is 2-1 in his opening tips and has a couple of inches on the 6-foot-11 Missi.
Since Missi joined the starting rotation, opposing teams have targeted a specific shot attempt in the first possession or two. Opponents have taken a three-pointer as their first shot attempt in eight of his nine starts so far. In the outlier, a three-pointer was the second shot attempt. Some of that has to do with Missi struggling to get out to the perimeter on pick-and-rolls. Plus, the Pelicans are allowing teams to shoot 37.3% from three this season (25th in NBA).
This all points to Klay Thompson getting that first shot attempt and (hopefully) scoring the first bucket. Thompson's 23.1% first-basket per game started rate and three made first baskets both lead the Mavs this season. Those numbers are even more notable when you consider Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving haven't scored a single first basket for Dallas.
The Mavericks are looking to get Thompson involved early and get him going from deep. He's shooting 35.6% from three so far and could be in for a big night against the Pelicans' weaker perimeter defense. Thompson has the fourth-highest odds to score first among Dallas' starters, making him a clear bargain bet.
Pick: Klay Thompson (+700)
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
Normally, a Thunder vs. Spurs game would mean an exciting head-to-head matchup between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. Unfortunately, neither will be in action on Tuesday when their teams face off. Holmgren is out for the next two months and Wembanyama is doubtful with a knee injury.
In their absences, the opening tip-off will look a lot different. Zach Collins is expected to start at center for San Antonio as he did last game. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is going small with Holmgren sidelined. Jalen Williams has been taking the opening jump and operating as the small-ball five recently.
This matchup of Collins vs. Williams at the start immediately gives the Spurs an edge to score first. Williams is 0-for-4 on opening tips since Holmgren's injury and, consequently, the opposing team has scored the first basket in three of those four games. The 6-foot-6 wing player is simply at a major height disadvantage against NBA centers. Collins stands at 6-foot-11 and should win the tip.
With that in mind, Julian Champagnie is a great bet to score the first Spurs points. Among their current starters, Champagnie's 30.8% first-shot percentage and 23.1% first-basket per game started rate are the highest. His three first-basket scores this year are also the most of any player on both sides.
Pick: Julian Champagnie (+750)