NBA Playoffs First Basket Scorer Picks & Predictions: Friday (Heat vs. Celtics)
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off on Friday night. Miami took Game 1 in Boston on Wednesday night behind a sensational effort from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Adebayo cashed the First Basket prop in the contest and will look to get off to another hot start tonight. Here are my favorite picks to score the First Basket.
Season to Date: 19-66-5, +4.65 units
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Friday's Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
As stated, Adebayo cashed this prop in Game 1. He took both of the Heat's first two field goal attempts in that game. This follows along with the numbers Boston allowed during the season. The Celtics have had a soft spot in their defense for allowing opposing centers to score the first field goal at about a 28% rate.
Adebayo has had a lot of success against Boston the last few years so he's typically a good bet to play well. Throw in that he leads the Heat in first team baskets during the playoffs and he's another must-play on Friday for First Basket.
Pick: 0.25u on Bam Adebayo (+700)
When healthy, Robert Williams III was one of the best opening tip winners in the league. Having the first possession is one of the biggest indicators for a team scoring first. This edge has me wanting to target a Boston player as well. When looking at matchups, Jayson Tatum is my favorite play.
Tatum sits just behind Jaylen Brown for most first team baskets in the playoffs, with five to Brown’s six. Tatum has been one of the biggest competitors in the playoffs and it's hard to think the end of Game 1 isn't still fresh in his mind. He's been the Celtics’ leading scorer and I think he'll look to get off to a good start. It's worth making a play on Tatum for First Basket.
Pick: 0.25u on Jayson Tatum (+390)
Lastly, I'm going to make one small longshot pick. When looking at how Miami gave up first team field goals on the season, there was a stark mismatch with centers, allowing 24% of opponent first field goals to big men.
Robert Williams III didn't cash this prop very much during the regular season and just scored his first team first basket of the playoffs in Game 1. However in this case, it's a good enough matchup with Miami to take a small play at this long number.
Pick: 0.1u on Robert Williams III (+1100)
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