Some people like to sweat out a bet for 48 hard minutes – others like immediate satisfaction. Count us as being in the latter, which is why we like to get down with NBA first scorer props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first scorer bets for December 4. Go here for NBA Championship odds.
Of course, there are plenty out there taking blind guesses at this stuff. It’s easy to pick the most popular player or look at what happened in the last game. However, we spent the time pouring through the analytics to make sure that we give you the best odds to stay in the green on these first scorer props for December 4.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – December 4
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics
Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
TD Garden – Boston, MA
Broadcast – NBA TV
This game features a pair of teams that are hovering right around average in terms of tip work. While the Celtics are giving up a bit to the Pistons in terms of surface numbers, the margin isn’t wide enough to use on it’s own. Additionally, the return of Kristaps Porzingis, who is fairly solid on the jump, complicates that matter a bit as well. Throwing aside the tip numbers, what we see on the first scorer success rates is enough to back the Pistons here. They have scored first in 60.9% of their games, which puts them 7th in the NBA. The Celtics on the other hand are 22nd in the metric with 42.9%.
When we look to the play-by-play data to find someone getting a lot of reps, it might be tempting to get in on Tim Hardaway Jr, who took two of the first three shots last game. However, it seems like a statistical anomaly as he’s been in that spot pretty infrequently. However, one down-ballot name that has shown up a lot recently is Jaden Ivey. Despite not getting any early looks last game, he has one of the team’s first three shots in each of the three games prior. Let’s get him back on track on Wednesday.
First Scorer Bet for December 4: Jaden Ivey (+750)
Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY
Broadcast – NBA TV
You have to love the opportunity to get a top ten team in terms of the tip, up against a bottom ten team in that same category. The Pacers with Myles Turner have won 59.1% of their tips on the year. The Nets, meanwhile, have managed only a 28.6% win rate on the tip. While the Pacers may not be converting at the rate I want, the fact stands that 66.5% of the tip winners get the first bucket. Turner should easily grab the tip here and that gives up a good chance to cash on someone from Indiana.
When you dig through the recent successes for Indiana, you’ll see the same name pop up over and over again. Out of the last four times the Pacers have scored first, three of them have been Bennedict Mathurin. The shooting guard is seeing a steady increase in the amount of shots he’s getting across the board, so this makes sense as a concept. Also, at seven-to-one, it’s hard to overlook this trend.
First Scorer Bet for December 4: Bennedict Mathurin (+700)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for December 4, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
