Ricky Dimon
If you are a fan of the YRFI/NRFI prop and can’t wait for Major League Baseball season to begin, then have to also be enthused by the first-basket scorer offering in the NBA. Needless to say, you don’t have to wait long to find out the result when it comes to those particular betting markets. The satisfaction (or in some cases disappointment) is immediate.
Before the MLB season gets started on Thursday, let’s try to nail some first-basket winners on Tuesday. That is exactly what I did last night, cashing Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris at +950. Only 6 games are on the schedule, so there aren’t a ton of options – but there’s enough to keep the momentum rolling!
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks first basket best bet: Evan Mobley (+650)
The Cavaliers can be expected to have the first possession in their road date with the Hawks on Tuesday. Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen is one of the best in the business when it comes to jump balls. Allen has won the second-most jumps in the NBA this season (58) and registers at 69.1%. He will be going up against Clint Capela of Atlanta, who comes in at 45.5% (30 win, 36 lost).
Obviously the tipoff is the most important factor that should be looked at when deciding on first-basket bets. It goes without saying that players on whichever team gains possession are going to have by far the best opportunities. Assuming the Cavs have the ball first, Mobley could be the one to capitalize. The USC product has forked up at least 12 field-goal attempts in 6 of the last 7 contests. He has exceeded his scoring average of 16.7 ppg in 6 of the last 7, as well. It should also be noted that Mobley is shooting 58.8% from the floor in 2 games against Atlanta this season.
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Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors first basket best bet: Jimmy Butler (+700)
This Heat-Raptors game is another case of the tipoff being a key component. Bam Adebayo is lining up for Miami and he has won the 4th-most jumps in the association this season (49 won, 40 lost). Adebayo’s percentage isn’t that much better than that of Toronto center Jakob Poeltl (55 to 52), but what has to be mentioned is the previous head-to-head encounter 3 months ago. That was when Poeltl was with San Antonio, and Adebayo took the opening tip.
If Miami corrals the ball right away, look for Jimmy Butler to be the beneficiary. Butler has attempted at least 13 shots from the field in 6 of the last 8 outings and he has scored at least 23 points (more than his 2022-23 average) in 9 of the last 10. The only exception is the Heat’s most recent game in which they got blown out by Brooklyn on Saturday. As such, I think Butler comes out with a vengeance on Tuesday. Don’t be surprised if the first bucket goes to Jimmy Buckets.
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