NBA Playoffs First Basket Scorer Odds & Picks: Tuesday (5/6)
The NBA playoffs roll on with two more games on Tuesday night. We have some intriguing matchups on tap, so let’s lock in some NBA first-basket scorer picks.
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 our predictions for the Pacers vs. Cavaliers Game 2 matchup and the Warriors vs. Timberwolves Game 1 contest 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, May 6th.
Tuesday’s Best NBA Playoffs First Basket Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers
Let's begin with the Cavaliers hosting the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Cleveland will be hungry for a win tonight after getting upset at home on Sunday in the series opener. Let's bank on that motivation leading to the Cavs scoring first.
Cleveland owns multiple first-basket advantages over Indiana in this matchup. The Cavaliers have a 72.4% win rate on opening tip-offs this year, with 51 team-first baskets. Conversely, the Pacers have a 31.8% win rate on tips with 37 first baskets. The teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum in this area.
During the regular season, Cleveland center Jarrett Allen went 3-1 on opening tips against Indiana center Myles Turner. The Cavaliers scored the first basket in three of those four matchups as well. Of course, the Pacers won the tip-off in Game 1. Yet, the Cavs scored first.
As for Cleveland, Allen presents value to be the first basket scorer. The Cavs big man scored first in two of the four regular-season matchups against Indiana. He took (and missed) the team's first shot attempt in a third game against the Pacers. Allen's 10 made first baskets this year are second on the squad behind Evan Mobley's 14.
The Cavaliers should look to get Allen going early on Tuesday night. In the Game 1 loss, he only had 12 points and five rebounds. Allen averaged 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in the first-round sweep of Miami. With Mobley possibly out, Allen could be in store for an even bigger role.
Pick: Jarrett Allen (+600)
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
The Warriors and Timberwolves begin their Western Conference semi-finals series tonight. This Game 1 matchup sets up to be an exciting one with the dangerous Minnesota squad hosting Golden State in a rare underdog role. Let's see which team and player could score first.
Both teams come in with similar first-basket stats and trends. The Timberwolves have a 51.7% win rate on opening tip-offs this year, with 42 first baskets as a team. The Warriors have a 42.7% win rate on tips with 40 first baskets.
Minnesota appears to have a slight edge on paper, but it's frankly a toss-up. The Timberwolves ideally should have a much higher win rate on tips with 7-foot-1 veteran center Rudy Gobert on jump balls. Meanwhile, Golden State has gotten by despite playing without an everyday starting big man this season and undersized centers on tip-offs.
This pushes us slightly to the Warriors. We'll see Gobert vs. Draymond Green for the opening tip. They faced off just once on a tip-off in the regular season - Green won. He's been better than you'd think on jump balls, considering his 6-foot-6 frame going against true seven-footers. Green won three out of seven tips versus Houston last round.
Let's also roll with Green to score the first basket as a value play. In the last series against the Rockets, he took the Warriors' first shot attempt in four of the seven games and scored their first points in four games as well. Green only averaged eight points per game in the series, but his points usually come early.
Pick: Draymond Green (+1300)