Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
With the NBA regular season coming down the home stretch, games are only increasing in importance – assuming a team is in playoff contention and has not yet clinched its seeding. Wagers will undoubtedly be coming in with a flurry, as bettors are pumped up for the playoffs and also no longer have March Madness to whet their appetites. As such, it’s a great time to bring you some first basket plays to be made on Friday.
Let’s take a look at 2 of the best bets for today’s 9-game schedule.
Bucks vs Pistons – Giannis Antetokounmpo +500
The Bucks can be expected to have the first possession in their road date with the Pistons on Friday. Brook Lopez will be jumping for Milwaukee and he comes in at 50& in the tipoff department (7 won, 7 lost). That obviously isn’t spectacular, but it’s better than Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart. With a much larger sample size of 74 jumps, Stewart has won just 40.5%. And you really don’t even need to take those numbers into account; they simply confirm what we would expect based on the size discrepancy. Lopez is a 7-footer, whereas Stewart registers at just 6’ 8’’.
Needless to say, the tipoff is the most important factor that should be looked at when deciding on first-basket bets. Obviously players on whichever team gains possession are going to have by far the best opportunities. Antetokounmpo may be the one to take advantage, and I like his value at reasonable +500 odds. The Greek Freak is averaging more than 30 points in 3 games against Detroit this season while shooting almost 60% from the floor. It should also be noted that the Pistons are the 9th-worst team at defending the paint in 2021-22 and the 5th-worst over the past 3 games.
Check out our Bucks vs Pistons preview
Hawks vs Heat – Kyle Lowry +950
This Hawks-Heat matchup is another case of the tipoff being a key component. Bam Adebayo will be lining up for Miami and he has won 44 of 66 jumps this season (66.7 percent). Atlanta center Clint Capela is at 41% (34 won, 49 lost). Adebayo is 1-for-1 in tips against the Hawks in 2021-22, although that came against Onyeka Okongwu as opposed to Capela.
If Miami corrals the ball off the tip, don’t be surprised if Lowry becomes the beneficiary. Lowry’s 3 most recent point totals are 23, 19 and 16. He has exceeded his points per game average of 13.4 in 7 of the last 9 contests. Keep in mind that he will probably have Trae Young guarding him tonight. That’s an advantage Lowry should exploit early and often.
Check out all of our NBA previews and picks for Friday
If you want to go really big, an Antetokounmpo-Lowry parlay pays out at +6200!
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.
