Here we go with a monster slate for tonight in the NBA that has 10 games on tap. Three of the best teams in the league are in action as Philadelphia hosts Indiana, the Mavericks are in New Orleans and Denver looks to hand the Clippers a sixth straight loss. Targeting a first basket prop with so many games may seem overwhelming, but the easiest thing is targeting teams that win tips and play defense. Securing the opening possession is key, but so is stopping the opponent if they do happen to lose the tip. Here are the top two options for first basket props tonight for Tuesday, Nov. 14. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our NBA betting tools or our NBA betting promos!
NBA First Basket Bets Tonight: Odds & Picks
NBA Clippers-Nuggets First Basket Bet Tonight
The easy focus on the Clippers seems to be the crumbling of this team since the arrival of James Harden. While they stand a better chance than not of losing another game, especially on the road in Denver, getting the first basket against Nikola Jokic may not be impossible. On the other side is Jokic and his Nuggets team, who have knocked down the first bucket in nearly three-quarters of their games this year. The Clippers have a decent chance of winning the tip; it’s more about what they do with the first possession. As bad as things are for Los Angeles, it still has two prolific scorers in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — so getting to the basket or free-throw line first won’t be as difficult. Throwing the ball down to Ivica Zubac is a recipe for disaster. The most competent player right now — despite being unable to hit most of his shots last game — is Leonard getting a quick bucket or to the line. Though he is struggling from the floor, Leonard is still capable of forcing pressure on the Nuggets defense right away, especially without Jamal Murray in the backcourt.
This should be quick pressure from Russell Westbrook to set up a shot or drive from Leonard, as even a free throw will cash this bet on FanDuel.
Best NBA First Basket Bet Prop: Kawhi Leonard +750 at FanDuel for 0.25 Units
NBA Pacers-76ers First Basket Bet Tonight
The 76ers enter tonight’s game against the Pacers with the league’s best record, the returning MVP and one of the brightest young stars in Tyrese Maxey. Neither he nor Joel Embiid will get the first bucket despite the latter winning the opening tip against Myles Turner. The Pacers are in for a track meet — mostly their own doing — but the Sixers should slow things down to deliberately move the ball to another scoring option. With Kelly Oubre still out, Tobias Harris now enters the picture. Harris comes in with three first baskets already on the season and is a prime candidate to score again against the Pacers. Expect Maxey to be the distributor first and get the ball to Embiid as the big man finds a wide-open Harris from outside. It’s a quick way to get anyone involved other than the Sixers top two scoring threats. While Maxey should have little trouble creating his own madness against the Pacers, getting Harris involved from the wing helps the Sixers offense breathe.
The Pacers will have to focus a lot on both Embiid and Maxey, which should allow for some easy swing passes to an open scorer. That starts tonight with the first bucket from Harris.
Best NBA First Basket Prop: Tobias Harris +550 at FanDuel for 0.25 Units
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