Ricky Dimon
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Welcome to March, when basketball is king. The NCAA Tournament is 2 weeks away and the NBA is coming down the home stretch of the regular season. For this piece it is the pros who have our attention. We can enjoy a 6-game slate on Tuesday, highlighted by a TNT doubleheader that begins with Hawks at Celtics before the Lakers host the Mavericks.
Let’s tip off a new month in the association by going big with some first basket best bets.
Clippers vs Rockets: Jalen Green +1000
The Rockets can be expected to have possession first in their home game against the Clippers on Tuesday night. In fact, it’s as close to a sure thing as first possessions can get. Christian Wood of the Rockets has won 65.15% of his jump balls this season, which is the 5th-best mark among regular jumpers. Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, on the other hand, has won an anemic 33.82% of his efforts.
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. Green is one of the most prolific scorers on the team that should win the tip, so at +1000 he has great value. The No. 2 overall pick in last summer’s draft has scored in double-figures in 12 consecutive contests and has exceeded the 20-point mark in 2 of the last 3. He is playing with confidence and has forked up at least 15 shot attempts in 3 straight games, his longest such streak since October.
Check out our full game preview for Clippers-Rockets
Mavericks vs Lakers – Russell Westbrook +700
This Mavericks-Lakers showdown is another case of the tipoff being a key component. With Kristaps Porzingis no longer a member of the Mavs, Dwight Powell is handling jump-ball duties to get things started. To say that it hasn’t gone well would be a gross understatement. Powell is winning only 33.33% of his tips, which is the second-worst mark in the association among players who have been a part of at least 28 (only Washington’s Daniel Gafford is worse). For Los Angeles, Dwight Howard has not been great (44.44%) but he is a whole lot more effective than Powell.
In 2 of the last 3 games, Westbrook has scored the first basket for the Lakers – one of which was the first overall. He has launched 36 shots in the last 2 outings, which is nothing out of the ordinary for a guy who will never shy away from shooting. LeBron James is obviously the man in LA, but he has no real value at short +320 odds. Westbrook is the No. 2 option with Anthony Davis sidelined, so for several reasons +700 is quite enticing.
Check out all of our NBA previews and picks for Tuesday
If you want to go really big, a Green-Westbrook parlay pays out at +8700!
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