Andrew Ortenberg
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The NBA is approaching the home stretch, and we have another full slate on Wednesday. There is a big card with 11 games on the docket, including a couple of highly anticipated showdowns. What better way to celebrate the weekend than with some first-basket bets? Let’s dive into them, using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Hawks vs Thunder: Kevin Huerter +800
When handicapping first basket prop bets, one of the most important factors is who will start with ball. And the Thunder aren’t winning too many jump balls these days. Darius Bazley is out for the rest of the season, which means Isaiah Roby has taken over the tip offs. Roby has lined up for 20 jump balls this season, and he’s only won four of them. It’s not like Clint Capela is dominant in the circle, but he’s a whole lot better than that.
Working from there I think Huerter makes the most sense. Capela is at +390 and Trae Young is at +450, and there’s just not enough value there to get me interested. Huerter’s volume has ticked up recently, and he’s been on fire the past couple games. He’s dropped 20+ in both of those games, going 11/22 from beyond the arc.
They should look to keep him rolling early here. In Atlanta’s most recent game he made the team’s first basket, and he took three shots in the first 2.5 minutes of that one.
Check out our full game preview for Hawks vs Thunder
Grizzlies vs Spurs: Tyus Jones +1000
Getting Jones at 10/1 here is just too good to pass up. Grizzlies center Steven Adams has been the best big man in the league at jump balls this season, winning a ridiculous 77.3 percent of his tips. Jones has been starting for the injured Ja Morant the past handful of games, and the ball has been in his hands a lot. He’s also shooting better than 44 percent from beyond the arc this month.
In Memphis’ most recent game against the Warriors, he took four shots in the first five minutes. He’s a better scorer and shooter than you might think, and Gregg Popovich will surely have his defense focused on slowing down guys like Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks.
If you want to go really big, a Huerter-Jones parlay pays out at +9800!
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