NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Tuesday (12/17)
Tuesday's NBA slate features only one game but it carries plenty of weight. The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Cup Championship from Las Vegas. Before the action tips off, let's make an NBA first basket pick for the title game tonight.
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 a winner for 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 for Tuesday, December 17th!
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Tuesday's Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Before deciding who will score first tonight, let's examine which team has the better chance of gaining the first possession. The opening tip-off will presumably be Brook Lopez vs. Isaiah Hartenstein for the Bucks and Thunder, respectively. This matchup immediately gives Milwaukee an edge to score first.
The Bucks have a 60% win percentage on opening tips with Lopez at center this season. That's allowed them to score the first basket in 15 of 25 games - also a 60% rate. In three matchups last year, Lopez went 3-0 against Hartenstein in opening tips. The 7-foot-1 Lopez barely has a size advantage over the 7-footer Hartenstein, but he brings a lot more experience to the table.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have just a 40% win rate on opening tip-offs this season and have scored the first basket in only 10 of 25 games (40%). Chet Holmgren's absence has forced Hartenstein into the starting center spot. He has a 5-4 record on opening tips in his nine starts but is just 1-4 in the past five games. Hartenstein also lost the opening jump ball in both the NBA Cup quarterfinal and semifinal games.
If we bank on Milwaukee getting the ball first, there are many ways to go for the first scorer. Let's roll with one of the stars to set the tone in a championship game setting. Damian Lillard scored the first basket in all three NBA Cup Group Play games. Lillard's 23.8% first basket per game started rate and 19.0% first shot percentage both lead the Bucks this season.
Pick: Damian Lillard +600
