Looking for the best NBA first basket predictions and best bets today? You’re in luck! In this article, the Props crew will outline their top NBA first basket picks for every day of the basketball season.
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Below are our best NBA first basket predictions today. Be sure to check our NBA player props for more top selections for the current NBA slate.
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Jaxson Hayes First Basket Scorer (+600)
The Lakers have established themselves as significant threats in the Western Conference over the second half of the season. They’re up to fourth place in the standings, and they’re just 1.5 games behind the Nuggets for third. Adding Luka Doncic gives them two of the best players in the league, while their defense is much improved compared to the start of the year.
Acquiring Doncic means the team had to say goodbye to Anthony Davis, which has opened up minutes at center for Hayes. Hayes has some flaws, but he has kept the team competitive from a first-basket perspective. They’ve won seven of their past 10 tips, which gives them a solid edge over the Rockets in that department. Houston has won just four of their past 10 tips, and they’re at 42.7% for the year.
Hayes has also proven to be a capable first scorer. He’s taken the first shot in 14.6% of his starts, which trails only Doncic (19.0%) and Austin Reaves (15.4%) among their projected starters. Hayes has also been a big-time threat to score first recently. He’s scored the team’s first bucket in five of his past nine starts, and two of those have been the first basket of the game. Overall, he’s averaged 0.89 of the team’s first 3.0 shot attempts over that time frame.
Hayes is never going to be a huge scoring threat for this team overall, but he has seven first scores in just 28 starts for the year. He’s underpriced in a good matchup at +600.
Where to play: Jaxson Hayes First Basket Scorer (+600) | BetMGM
Wendell Carter Jr. First Basket Scorer (+950)
The Magic haven’t been a great first-basket team this season, but they’ve been significantly better when Carter has been in the starting lineup. That’s been the case for the team’s past 10 outings, and they’ve won the opening tip in eight of them.
In addition to being an upgrade on tip-offs, Carter has also proven to be a first-basket threat. He has two first scores in his past 10 outings, and he has six first scores in his 45 starts. He’s also taken the first shot in 12.9% of his starts, which is a solid mark for a player in this price range.
The Magic should be able to secure the first possession on Monday. They’re taking on the Clippers, who have been a mediocre team on tip-offs all season. They’ve won 50% of their tips for the year, including just four of their past 10.
Where to play: Wendell Carter Jr. First Basket Scorer (+950) | FanDuel
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Where To Place NBA First Basket Bets
The following sportsbooks have more than enough options to satisfy your NBA First Basket needs. As outlined before, always shop around for the best price for NBA First Basket Bets.
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Top Sportsbooks For NBA First Basket Props
- FanDuel Sportsbook (click here for our full review)
- Caesars Sportsbook (click here for our full review)
- BetMGM (click here for our full review)
- DraftKings Sportsbook (click here for our full review)
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