Andrew Ortenberg
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The NBA playoffs continue on Saturday and we’ve got two more great games. The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks will get things started before the Golden State Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies for the nightcap. What better way to celebrate the weekend, and postseason basketball in general, than with a first-basket bet? Let’s dive in, using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Grizzlies vs Warriors: Ja Morant +850
Nothing jumped out to me from the Bucks vs Celtics game, so we’ll look to the last game of the day for our first basket bet. I’m not sure why oddsmakers have increased Morant’s price to +850 after what we’ve seen in the first two games. His volume has been off the charts in this series.
In both Game 1 and Game 2, Morant took a whopping 31 shots from the floor. He also attempted 13 free throws in Game 2, and free throws count as the first basket at FanDuel. Dillon Brooks is suspended for Game 3, which will only increase the amount of looks Morant gets early in the game by removing another high-volume scorer from the starting lineup.
He’s been getting it done right from the get-go recently. In Game 2 the other night, Morant hit a 25-foot 3-pointer just 45 seconds into the game. And he didn’t stop there, as he completely dominated the first quarter.
Memphis didn’t record a single point that Morant didn’t score himself or assist on until the 4:04 mark in the first quarter. Clearly he’s going to have the ball in his hands early and often, and we’re getting nearly 9/1 here.
Jaren Jackson Jr, Stephen Curry, Desmond Bane, Klay Thompson, De’Anthony Melton and Andrew Wiggins all have shorter odds than Morant to score the first basket, and that’s not supported by the facts.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors
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