Germantas Kneita
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The NBA brings an 8-game slate for us on Wednesday night, headlined by a ESPN double-header. The first of the games will see the Milwaukee Bucks looking to secure the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They take on the Chicago Bulls. That will be followed by the battle of Los Angeles. The Lakers and Clippers are currently tied, with tonight’s game having major playoff implications. The losing team may well all but be forced into the play-in tournament.
Check out all of our NBA predictions for tonight’s slate. But for now lets dive right into my favourite first basket scorer props.
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Raptors vs Celtics first basket best bet: Pascal Siakam (+410)
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl is not only taller than Al Horford, but he should have a length advantage over the Boston Celtics big man tonight too. Considering that his opponent is 36 years old and past his athletic peak, the Raptors should be considered favourites to gain the opening possession. Pascal Siakam could take over from there. Over the last 10 games, he has knocked down the first shot for the Raptors on 3 occasions. He should have a size advantage in the paint tonight too as he is likely going to be picked up by Jayson Tatum. Siakam can be very effective in the post, utilizing his length and normally a spin move to create space. He dropped 29-points in his last meeting against the Celtics and could get proceedings started tonight.
Nets vs Pistons first basket best bet: James Wiseman (+600)
James Wiseman should have a size advantage when jumping for the opening possession against Nic Claxton tonight. It should give the Pistons man a great chance of gaining his team the ball first. Do not be surprised if he ends up with the first shot too. He was dominant the last time he faced off against the Nets, dropping a season high 30 points on 85.7% shooting from the field. Having a teammate like Jaden Ivey on his team should help him get going early tonight. The Pistons point guard has upped his assists numbers to 7 per night over his last 9 games. With his explosive ability to get to the rim, he is bound to draw the help from one of the leagues lead shot blockers in Claxton. That will make Wiseman a major lob threat. Look for him to open the scoring.
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Kings vs Mavericks first basket best bet: Kyrie Irving (+600)
The Dallas Mavericks have been able to win the opening tip in 6 of their last 10 games thanks to the help of Dwight Powell. Going up against Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings should help him improve on that streak. The Lithuanian center is having a fantastic season but due to his height and wingspan, winning jump balls is not his strong suit. With De’Aaron Fox having the worst defensive rating off all Kings starters, it would not be a surprise to see the Mavericks target him first. Kyrie Irving could be the man to do it. His handles should find him well positioned to get to his spots or to the rim, where Sabonis does not offer much rim protection. That should position him well to convert tonight.
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