Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NBA is back in action, baby. The all-star break is officially in the rearview mirror, and we have another full slate on Friday. We have a big card with 9 games scheduled, including an intriguing double-header on ESPN. What better way to celebrate the start of the weekend than with some first basket bets? Let’s dive into them, using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Jazz vs Pelicans: Donovan Mitchell +650
One of the most important things when betting first basket props is determining who is going to win the opening tip-off and start with ball. Rudy Gobert is pretty solid at jump balls, and he’s winning around 55 percent of them this year. From there, I’m not sure why Donovan Mitchell has significantly longer odds than Gobert — who is at +470. In Utah’s most recent game, Mitchell made the team’s first basket and took each of the first 2 shots.
In their game right before that he made the team’s first bucket against the Suns. Their two games prior to that were against the Mavericks and Lakers. Against Dallas he made Utah’s second shot and against Los Angeles he took the first. Mitchell’s volume is as consistent as they come and he’s been shooting it ridiculously well lately. He has gotten to at least 30 points in 4 of his past 5 games.
Knicks vs Suns : Deandre Ayton +500
For our second play I’m keeping things fairly chalky. Ayton has often been great at cashing these first basket props, and that was before Chris Paul and Devin Booker both got sidelined. With both those guys now on the shelf, we can expect to see a significant increase in Ayton’s scoring. In the team’s first game after Booker entered COVID protocols Ayton had 18 points in only 26 minutes in a blowout win. Their previous game was against the Jazz, and Ayton took 3 of the Suns’ first 4 shots. And that was with Booker still in the lineup!
Ayton scores 2.3 points per game more at home than he does on the road, which is something else to keep in mind. He averages 1.6 field goal attempts more per game when playing in front of the home crowd. Ayton is also excellent at jump balls, as he is winning nearly 64 percent of his tips in 2021-22. That’s one of the better marks in the league.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns
If you want to go really big, a Mitchell-Ayton parlay pays out at +4400!
Pickswise is the home of free NBA picks and predictions. Make sure to also check out our NBA parlays and NBA prop bets tabs for more expert picks.
