Halloween night in the NBA gives us a short three-game slate as a couple of teams are looking to avoid a scary start. Unfortunately for either Cleveland or New York, one of them is going home empty-handed. Maybe the Spurs dress up as a contender tonight and give the Suns a run. Maybe Orlando keeps their good start rolling. There’s plenty of entertainment available, get your chocolate ready, here are the best first basket bets across the three games tonight in the NBA. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our NBA betting tools or our NBA betting promos!
First Basket Odds & Best Bet Tonight for Tuesday, Oct. 31
Knicks-Cavs First Basket Odds & Pick Tonight
Target the tip. That’s the best angle in most attempts to cash a first basket ticket. Mitchell Robinson has an inch on Evan Mobley and should win the tip for the Knicks. The first person to touch the ball and control it should be Jalen Brunson. From there, the odds on expectation is that Julius Randle will score first and get the first bucket for the Knicks. While the team is accurate, the better play is actually Brunson. The quicker the Knicks get Brunson going, the easier it will be to fend off Cleveland’s backcourt, forcing them to play two ways early in the game. Brunson can be an elite scorer but also benefits from early looks. FanDuel allows bettors to take advantage of free throws for their first bet (you can find the rest of the books that do so here), so if Brunson decides to try and draw an early foul, he can still score the first basket from the charity stripe. There will be plenty of shots for Randle and RJ Barrett, but both are better served giving the first honors to Brunson.
Best First Basket Prop: Jalen Brunson +550 at FanDuel for 0.25 Units
Longshot First Basket Bet Tonight
There’s no better feeling than cashing a longshot first basket prop and then watching the rest of the game as a fan — or simply turning off the TV. Jusuf Nurkic is a great target to win the tip for the Suns tonight, even against the taller Victor Wembanyama. If Nurkic and the Suns do drop the tip, they will survive the first shot by the awful Spurs. While Nurkic did get the first shot attempt in their last game against the Jazz, it came off a transition rebound, not a pre-set offense. Expect Nurkic to bounce back and win the tip, but he won’t be on the shortlist to score first. Instead, avoid the Kevin Durant chalk and mosey on down past both centers to find Grayson Allen at 11-1. While a free throw to break the seal most likely isn’t in the cards, getting a mostly open look from three would be much more likely. Phoenix has a couple of threats from deep, but Allen maximizing his minutes while in for the injured Devin Booker is the best bet.
Best First Basket Prop: Grayson Allen +1100 at FanDuel for 0.1 Units
OddsShopper’s NBA Tools & Tips
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