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 19. 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 19.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – December 19
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
FedExForum – Memphis, TN
Broadcast – NBA TV
This is a tipoff advantage that we simply can’t overlook. In the NBA this year, tip winners are scoring first 66.0% of the time. In this game, we see the Warriors, who are winning just 24.0% of the tips – 29th in the NBA. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are winning three times that many with 76.9%. That lead should be enough on it’s own to favor someone from Memphis in this game. However, you can also add in a conversion rate that is 21.4% higher.
Showing up frequently in the play-by-play data for the Grizzlies is Brandon Clarke. The Gonzaga product has appeared in the first three shots of their game log in two of the last three games. One of those was a first shot and the other was their second. Additionally, he fits the bill of the type of first buckets Golden State gives up. Their last two were to PJ Washington and Alperen Sengun, who have a similar role to what we see from Clarke, particularly in the early game action.
First Scorer Bet for December 19: Brandon Clarke (+800)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Tipoff – 8:30 pm EST
Frost Bank Center – San Antonio, TX
Broadcast – NBA TV
On the year, the Blazers have been just a touch under league average on the tipoffs. They are coming in at a respectable 46.2% with Deandre Ayton doing most of the heavy lifting for that number. He’s currently listed as a gametime decision for Thursday’s action, but even if he plays the Spurs will have the advantage. Victor Wembanyama is grabbing the tip at a 70%, which puts him in the top five of players with at least 15 tips.
However, it’s not just the tip that gives the Spurs the advantage. While the Spurs may only score first in 42.3% of games, they are still well ahead of Portland. The Blazers score first in just 26.9% of games, which puts them at 29th in the NBA – only ahead of the Chicago Bulls.
There are just two players on San Antonio who appear in the first three shots of the last three games. Victor Wembanyama is one of those. He features prominently and the odds reflect such – he’s currently betting off at +370. However, the other is seeing much longer odds. Julian Champagnie continues to get an insane amount of early looks and has nearly double the odds of Wemby. We’ll ride with him in this one on Thursday.
First Scorer Bet for December 19: Julian Champagnie (+650)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for December 19, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
