Ricky Dimon
NBA
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If you are a fan of the YRFI/NRFI prop in Major League Baseball, you surely dabble into the realm of first-basket scorers in the NBA. Needless to say, you don’t have to wait long to find out the result of this particular bet. The satisfaction (or in some cases disappointment) is immediate.
The All-Star Game has come and gone and the proverbial second half of the NBA is underway. On the heels of a 9-game Thursday slate, 8 contests are on today’s schedule. That means that there is plenty to work with in an attempt to come up with the best first-basket scorer bets.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks first basket best bet: Darius Garland (+600)
The Cavaliers can be expected to have the first possession in their road date with the Hawks on Friday. Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen is one of the best in the business when it comes to jump balls. Allen has won the most jumps in the entire NBA during the 2022-23 campaign (50) and his percentage stands at 69.4 (50 of 72). He will be going up against Clint Capela of Atlanta, who is among the worst in this particular department (21 won, 27 lost for 43.8 percent).
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 Cavaliers have the ball first, Garland may be the one to capitalize. He has hoisted up at least 13 field-goal attempts in 15 of the last 17 games and has scored at least 21 points 12 times during that same stretch. With Trae Young likely to be guarding him, Garland shouldn’t have any trouble putting the ball in the basket.
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Charlotte Hornets vs Minnesota Timberwolves first basket best bet: Jaden McDaniels (+1400)
This Hornets-Timberwolves game is another case of the tipoff being a key component. Rudy Gobert will be lining up for Minnesota and he has won 65.4 percent of his jumps this season (34 won, 18 lost). Charlotte’s new starting center is Mark Williams following the trade of Mason Plumlee. Williams has participated in only 10 jump balls this season. A total of 6 wins and 4 losses is a decent record, but it’s a small sample size. I’ll take Gobert to win it.
If Minnesota corrals the ball off the tip, don’t be shocked if McDaniels is the one to convert right away. The fact that he has the longest odds of anyone on either team is absurd; at +1400 he has outstanding value. McDaniels has attempted double-digit shots in 3 of the last 6 games as his usage rate rises thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence and D’Angelo Russell’s move to the Lakers. The 2020 first-round pick out of Washington has scored at least 14 points in 4 of the last 6 contests.
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