NBA First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Wednesday (3/19)
There are 11 games on tonight’s NBA slate, and I’ve found two first basket props that I’m super excited about. Check them out below and consider tailing if you’d like!
Follow along and make sure to check out our NBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today’s best prop bets.
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.
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Wednesday’s Best NBA First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Memphis Grizzlies will roll with Zach Edey for tonight’s opening tip. He’ll go up against Donovan Clingan, who has only participated in the opening tip 25 times this season.
Clingan has won the tip in only 24% of games, and the Blazers have scored first in just 39% of games. Those are very weak numbers.
On the other hand, Edey has won the tip in 71% of games, with a higher sample size. As a result, the Grizzlies have scored first in 61% of games. Memphis certainly has the edge to start tonight’s game.
Ultimately, the Blazers have allowed the first basket to shooting guards 31% of the time. That’s the position we’ll target on the Grizzlies.
Desmond Bane, Memphis’ shooting guard, has scored the first basket 13 times this season. He’s also added the team’s first basket in 30% of games and has attempted the team’s first field goal in 29% of games. In addition, he’s added the first basket in 23% of games, which is easily the highest rate compared to any of the other starters on both teams.
Take Bane to score first.
Pick: Desmond Bane (+460)
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
It’ll be Jaxson Hayes going up against Nikola Jokic in tonight’s tip-off between the Nuggets and Lakers. Jokic is better at almost everything compared to Hayes. However, Hayes has won the opening tip in 65% of games. He’s also helped the Lakers score first in 61% of games this season.
Meanwhile, Jokic has won the tip in 49% of games and has helped the Nuggets score first in just 46% of games. Earlier this season, Jokic won the tip against Hayes. It’ll be hard for him to win the tip a second time against Hayes.
That said, Denver has allowed the first basket to centers 30% of the time. Hayes also has legitimate potential to score first. He’s already added the team’s first basket in 33% of games played and has attempted the team’s first field goal attempt in 29% of games. In addition, he’s added five first baskets in 21 games, averaging the first basket 24% of the time.
Roll with Hayes at +700 odds.
Pick: Jaxson Hayes (+700)