NBA Playoffs First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Tuesday (4/29)
The NBA playoffs roll on with four more games on Tuesday night. We have some intriguing matchups on tap, so let's find some NBA first-basket scorer picks for two of those games.
NBA first-basket bets are quick and easy ways to place wagers with bigger payouts, and you’ll know if they cash right away. Check out predictions for the Bucks vs. Pacers and the Pistons vs. Knicks Game 5 Eastern Conference playoff matchups tonight.
Note that all betting lines are accurate as of writing, but shop around for the best odds. Enjoy these NBA first-basket picks and predictions for Tuesday, April 29.
Tuesday's Best NBA Playoffs First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
We have Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. As home favorites with a 3-1 series lead, the Pacers can wrap things up and advance with a victory. Let's focus on which team and player could score first in this Eastern Conference playoff matchup.
On the surface, the Bucks hold multiple edges to score the first basket. They have a 58.1% win rate on opening tip-offs and have scored 45 first baskets this year. Meanwhile, the Pacers have just a 30.2% win rate on tips with 37 made first baskets. Milwaukee also scored first in all four regular-season matchups vs. Indiana.
However, the narrative and trends have completely flipped in the playoffs. The Pacers have scored the first points in each of this series' first four games. Indiana center Myles Turner is also 3-1 on opening tips against Milwaukee's Brook Lopez. During the regular season, Turner and Lopez split their four tips against each other.
The Pacers have control of this series and can close it out tonight at home. Let's bank on them setting the tone right away with the first basket of Game 5. The first-basket production is spread out fairly evenly on Indiana's starting unit. Myles Turner presents some value, though.
Indiana's big man leads the team in first-shot percentage and ranks second in made first baskets (behind Pascal Siakam). More notably, Turner just scored a team-high 23 points in Game 4 while averaging 15.8 PPG in this series. He's had offensive success against Milwaukee's frontcourt more often than not.
Turner has also scored the first points in both Game 1 and Game 3 of this series. In both instances, he won the opening tip and then scored on the first possession. Let's bank on that happening yet again tonight.
Pick: Myles Turner (+800)
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks
The Knicks host the Pistons in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. New York leads three games to one and can move on with a home win tonight. When it comes to the first basket scorer, though, we're targeting the visitors.
Detroit will be in desperation mode in this win-or-go-home scenario. Let's hope that mentality influences the beginning of the game, with the Pistons motivated to get on the board first. They scored the first basket in their lone win vs. New York so far.
The opening tip-off will see Karl-Anthony Towns against Jalen Duren. The two centers have both won two tips apiece through the first four games of this series. During the regular season, Duren was 2-1 against Towns on opening tips. Look for Duren to win the jump ball tonight after losing it last game.
As for the Pistons, Tim Hardaway Jr. presents the most value to score first. He leads the team in first-shot percentage and is second in made first baskets. More notably, Hardaway Jr. has taken Detroit's first shot attempt in three of four games in this series. In the outlier, he took the second shot attempt.
It's clear the Pistons are looking to get Hardaway going early on to stretch the Knicks' defense out. He's missed all of his aforementioned initial shots and should be due to make one. It's a good sign that the veteran wing has scored 19, 24, and 14 points in three of this series' games thus far.
Pick: Tim Hardaway Jr. (+850)