Saturday provides another strong NBA schedule. Plenty of the Association’s best are in action, and the best way to start the day is with some First Basket winners. Here are a few of my favorites.
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Saturday’s Best NBA First Basket Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Charlotte Hornets @ Atlanta Hawks
Although the Hawks haven’t had the success this season that they’d hoped for they are still in the playoff hunt. They’ll host a Hornets team that is lottery bound. Charlotte is also one of the worst First-Basket teams in the league this season, so I’m looking at Atlanta here.
Charlotte struggles mightily against opposing centers regarding this prop. They give up over 30% of their opponents’ first scores to the big men, which suggests that Clint Capela is a play for this matchup.
Capela admittedly doesn’t get many opportunities, as he doesn’t take the first-team field goal very often. Still, he’s scored first for Atlanta 14 times, half of which resulted in a First Basket winner. Taking a player with such a low-scoring volume is a bit of a gamble, but it’s hard to ignore the matchup.
Pick: Clint Capela (+550)
Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls
The Celtics travel to Chicago on the second night of a back-to-back. I went with Jaylen Brown for First Basket yesterday and I’m going back to the well again. They couldn’t take advantage of their opportunity last night, but it’s always a good bet to back Boston when it comes to this prop. Chicago is just a tad bit worse than average.
I highlighted this yesterday, but Brown is fantastic at cashing this prop. He’s already hit 13 First Baskets, and the success is no surprise, as he’s been one of the best in the league for a few seasons now. Even on a stacked Celtics roster he’s scored first for the team 19 times.
When Boston is playing, I’m looking for an edge in First Baskets. There’s one here again. Additionally, Brown once again has a great matchup. I like him to pull through here on Saturday.
Pick: Jaylen Brown (+500)
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trailblazers
When you think about the best players in the league, one name is typically at the top of the list: Denver’s Nikola Jokic. He’s putting together another MVP-caliber season, and the Nuggets are rolling.
Portland is a great matchup for Jokic for many reasons. He can cook offensively against this defense, but I particularly like his chance to cash a First Basket. Like most teams, Portland gives up more first scores to centers. This is welcomed news for Jokic.
Jokic is one of the best First-Basket cashers in the league. He has 16 already, up toward the league lead. It’s not just luck, either. There is volume in that stat, as he has 23 first-team scores for Denver this season. In a matchup where he should eat like he usually does against Portland, I’ll be looking for him to cash yet another First Basket on Saturday.
Pick: Nikola Jokic (+340)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Saturday:
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