Betting on NBA First Basket Scorer odds is a great way to add a thrilling spark to the start of a basketball game.
Betting on the first bucket brings excitement to your props right from tip. 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:
New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets
The Game: Pelicans vs Nets, 7:40 p.m. ET
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jonas Valanciunas | +550 |
| Nic Claxton | +600 |
| Brandon Ingram | +600 |
| Zion Williamson | +600 |
| Mikal Bridges | +650 |
| Cameron Thomas | +700 |
| CJ McCollum | +850 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | +1000 |
Pick: Nicolas Claxton (+600)
Every time I see a Nets game on the board, I know I'm gonna be betting Claxton first bucket.
The Brooklyn big man is one of the best first baskets made players in the league, cashing the prop in 26% of his starts (15 of 58). He's scored the first basket of a game more than any other player in tonight's NBA slate, yet he's not even first in his own game, sitting second in the odds behind Jonas. Keep giving me these bad Claxton lines, and I'll keep taking them.
Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs
The Game: Mavericks vs Spurs, 8:10 p.m.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | +425 |
| Devin Vassell | +550 |
| Jeremy Sochan | +550 |
| Kyrie Irving | +650 |
| Daniel Gafford | +700 |
| Luka Doncic | +700 |
| Tre Jones | +900 |
Pick: Kyrie Irving (+650)
Kyrie is lowkey a first-basket assassin himself. He doesn't have as many first buckets as some other players tonight, but his rate of hitting them is right up there. He's missed ~20 games this year, but when starting Irving hits the first bucket in 19.6% of his games. That's the fourth-highest rate of any player in tonight's NBA slate, and yet he's fourth on this specific game odds board.
Another reason I love this bet is because of the Spurs' defensive weakness. San Antonio allows the most points per game in the NBA to opposing point guards, setting up Kyrie for a hot start and a big game.
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.
