One of my favorite ways to bet on an NBA game is with First Basket Scorer odds.
Betting on a game's first bucket brings immediate excitement to any contest. Below, I'll break down a few of my picks for NBA First Basket Scorer odds for tonight's games, with lines from some top sportsbooks:
Jump To Picks:
Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Game: Mavericks vs Cavs, 7:10 p.m. ET
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jarrett Allen | +425 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +550 |
| Evan Mobley | +550 |
| Kyrie Irving | +600 |
| Dereck Lively II | +650 |
| Luka Doncic | +700 |
| Darius Garland | +850 |
| Max Strus | +900 |
Pick: Donovan Mitchell (+550)
There is no player in tonight’s NBA slate that has more first baskets made than Donovan Mitchell. He’s cashed 12 first buckets on the season, scoring first in 26.7% of the games he’s started.
Obviously, Mitchell is Cleveland’s primary scorer, but his first bucket success is helped by Jarrett Allen’s success on tip-offs. The Cavs have won 73.2% of opening tips this season, and they match up against a Dallas team rocking a 42.1% tip win rate tonight.
Brooklyn Nets vs Orlando Magic
The Game: Nets vs Magic 7:10 p.m. ET
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nicolas Claxton | +475 |
| Franz Wagner | +550 |
| Paolo Banchero | +600 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | +650 |
| Cameron Thomas | +650 |
| Mikal Bridges | +700 |
| Markelle Fultz | +850 |
Pick: Nic Claxton (+475)
Nic Claxton isn't the most successful scorer in the Association, but the guy gets first buckets. He's cashed 12 first baskets made in his 47 starts (25.5%), despite averaging around 12 points per game.
In his last six games, he's scored double digits four times and attempted at least five shots in each contest. Last game against the Grizzlies, Claxton put up a first-minute dunk to cash this opening bet.
The only other guy I thought about here was Mikal Bridges, who is averaging over 20 points per game and put up Brooklyn's first bucket two games ago.
What Are First Field Goal Bets?
First Field Goal props or First Basket Scorer bets are pretty simple: pick the player who will score the first field goal of the contest. The only thing you have to remember is that free throws do not count as field goals, so if your pick gets fouled and scores from the line, the bet hasn't yet cashed.
Here's an example of how a First Basket Scorer market may look for a hypothetical Lakers vs Bucks game:
- Anthony Davis +450
- LeBron James +500
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +550
- Damian Lillard +600
Davis is the favorite at +450 and his odds mean a $100 bet would pay out $450 in profit. However, if you want to back one of the better value picks like Lillard, you could get $600 back on a $100 bet with his +600 odds. Betting this market is all about comparing first basket likelihood and line value.
