Germantas Kneita
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Last night Bradley Beal ensured that I hit a first-scorer prop for the second day running. Tonight, we’ll be hoping to make it 3 days in a row with 7 games on the night’s NBA slate. We have an ESPN doubleheader to look forward to with the Dallas Mavericks taking on the New Orleans Pelicans to begin the night. That will be followed up by the clash between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers. You can find my favorite first-basket pick for the first of those games below. Make sure you check out our NBA predictions for all of tonight’s games, but for now, let’s get into tonight’s NBA first basket scorer best bets. Can I add to my +1000 and +500 winners?
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Thunder vs Suns first basket best bet: Kevin Durant (+460)
Deandre Ayton has been dominant winning the opening tip for the Phoenix Suns of late. He has helped them gain the first possession in 9 of their last 10 outings. He should be able to keep this streak going against Jaylin Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Look for Kevin Durant to then take over against his former employer from there. The Thunder do not have the length on their wings to contest Durant’s jumper. His 37-point outburst against the Mavericks was his best in a Suns jersey so far, and I expect him to look to build on it from the very beginning, especially considering the Thunder should have trouble impacting his jump shot. Do not be surprised to see him knock down a patented mid-range fadeaway to open proceedings.
Be sure to check out our full Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns predictions
Bulls vs Nuggets first basket best bet: Michael Porter Jr. (+650)
The Chicago Bulls have been shocking in gaining the opening possession. With Nikola Vucevic jumping for the ball, they have won just 1 of their last 10 tip-offs. While Nikola Jokic is not a phenomenal athlete, he has won 5 over that stretch and should be favored here. The Bulls have moved Patrick Williams to the bench, running with a small-ball lineup. That should benefit Michael Porter Jr. tonight. The 6’10” small forward should tower over his matchups so expect him to have little trouble getting his shot off. With him being a mismatch, do not be surprised to see him being called upon early tonight. Porter Jr. dropped 31 points the last time these sides faced off so expect the Nuggets to try and get him going early once more.
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Mavericks vs Pelicans first basket best bet: Jonas Valanciunas (+460)
Jonas Valanciunas has helped the Pelicans to win the opening tip in 8 of their last 10 games. Considering he has a height advantage over Dwight Powell, he should keep that going against the Dallas Mavericks. Do not be surprised to see him go on to make the game’s opening shot too. He did so in their last game against the Sacramento Kings and could be used in the post early due to the size mismatch. He is making 60.6% of his field goals against the Mavericks this season, more than his average of 54.7% this year. Dallas is an opponent he certainly enjoys going up against.
The Pelicans are a top-10 team in assists this season so even if CJ McCollum or Brandon Ingram look to control proceedings to begin with, there is a good chance they could dish the ball down to the Lithuanian once they get in the paint. Over the last 10 games, the Mavericks are 26th in opponent second chance points per game giving Valanciunas another clear avenue on how he could score tonight.
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