Ricky Dimon
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If you are a fan of the YRFI/NRFI prop and thrilled that Major League Baseball season has begun, then you also have to like 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.
With the postseason underway, the Pickswise NBA handicappers have been absolutely on fire with their first-basket picks. We went 2-for-2 on Wednesday, giving us 3 winners in the last 2 nights of basketball. Those include Anthony Davis at +450 in Tuesday’s nightcap, followed by Jonas Valanciunas at +370 and OG Anunoby at +1100.
Let’s keep the momentum rolling as the play-in tournament concludes on Friday.
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Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat first basket best bet: Jimmy Butler (+550)
The Heat can be expected to have the first possession in their win-and-in, lose-and-go-home play-in game against the Bulls on Friday night. Miami big man Bam Adebayo won 56.38% of his jump balls during the regular season, finishing with the fourth-most total successful jumps (53). He will be going up against Nikola Vucevic of Chicago, who was a dreadful 34 of 103 (33.01%) in the regular season. Adebayo and Vucevic have faced each other 3 times in the circle in 2022-23 and Adebayo has corraled the tip twice, including in last month’s meeting.
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 Heat have the ball first, Butler could be the one to capitalize. He scored the game’s first basket once against the Bulls during the regular season and he will be eager to do the same in this must-win situation on the heels of a poor performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the first play-in contest (6-for-19 from the floor). In 2 regular-season meetings with Chicago, Butler averaged 24.0 ppg and shot 54.2%.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves first basket best bet: Rudy Gobert (+700)
There is also a clear winner in the Thunder vs Timberwolves opening tip – at least on paper. Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert is back from a 1-game suspension and he was at 60% during the regular season (45 won, 30 lost). Going toe to toe with Gobert is Jaylin Williams of the Thunder, who leaves a lot to be desired in the jump-ball department. Williams won only 17 of 39 jumps (43.59%) in the regular season and also lost it against Jonas Valanciunas of the New Orleans Pelicans during play-in competition on Wednesday.
If Minnesota corrals the ball right away, don’t be surprised if Gobert benefits from his own success. Following the in-house spat in the regular-season finale, it would make sense if his Timberwolves teammates feed him the rock right away as an obvious olive branch sign. Oklahoma City is not stound defensively in the paint and in 3 regular-season games Gobert averaged 14.7 ppg at the Thunder’s expense while making 74.1% of his field-goal attempts.
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