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 23. 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 23.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – December 23
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas mavericks
Tipoff – 8:30 pm EST
American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
Broadcast – NBA TV
These two teams are pretty close when it comes to their season-long data on the tipoffs. The Mavericks hold a modest 3.6% advantage when it comes to getting their team the first possession. However, some of that is misleading as Daniel Gafford handled tipoff duties early in the season – which dragged down their average. Dereck Lively II is an above average tip guy, and gives them a better chance of scoring first. Not only that, but despite being close in tips, they are not close at all in first buckets. The Mavericks are a top 10 team in the league in first buckets with a 57.1% success rate. The Blazers, on the other hand, rank 29th in the league and are 32.1% lower than the Mavericks.
If we’re going to make a play on the Mavericks, you might be tempted at PJ Washington. He has scored the last two first buckets for the Mavericks and seems to be getting early looks in every game. However, something to consider is the return of Luka Doncic, which seems to be set for tonight. Washington’s early shot share is far less with Luka on the court. He’s far more likely to draw pressure away from his shooters and dish to one of them. Kyrie Irving seems to be getting more of that love than Klay Thompson lately, so we’ll ride with him.
First Scorer Bet for December 23: Kyrie Irving (+650)
Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tipoff – 10:30 pm EST
crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast – NBA TV
This is another game that features a pair of teams with almost identical numbers on the tip. The Pistons hold a 1.7% advantage, which might not be enough to sway a pick that way. However, what might do the trick is how much better Detoit’s conversions have been. Despite getting a similar percentage of first possessions, the Pistons have 13.3% more first scores. Also, as an added bonus, Anthony Davis is banged up and the Lakers used Austin Reaves for a tip in his absence last time.
It may be another chalk-like play, but I like Cade Cunningham in this spot. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been getting a lot of those early reps, but I just can’t see that trend continuing here – especially against a Lakers team that they’ll be trying to hold close early. Additionally, while Hardaway Jr. has taken the first shot in back-to-back games, Cunningham has the next two shots for the Pistons in both of those games.
First Scorer Bet for December 23: Cade Cunningham (+550)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for December 23, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
