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 March 22. 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 March 22.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – March 22
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tipoff – 10:30 pm EST
crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast – NBA TV
Under the new leadership of Jaxson Hayes on the tip, the Lakers have been one of the very best teams in the league when it comes to getting the first possession. They are up to winning the tip at a 63.3% clip on the year and Hayes himself is winning a touch more than that. Meanwhile, the numbers in Chicago are atrocious. Nikola Vucevic is winning just 16.7% of the tips he’s taken, which is the worst for anyone with at least a dozen tips. With the tip winner getting the first bucket at a rate of 65.9%, that’s enough to like the Lakers. Although it is worth mentioning that the Bulls are dead last in first bucket conversions as well.
Based on the injury report, it looks as if the Lakers are going to assemble at least something close to their starting five for this one. That’s important, because in games in which they start their usual crew, Jaxson Hayes gets a wild share of the early shots. You might expect LeBron James or Luka Doncic to be taking more attempts, but instead they’re drawing attention and dishing the rock early. Add in Vucevic not being particularly reliable on defense and I love the Lakers’ big man here.
First Scorer Bet for March 22: Jaxson Hayes (+500)
Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers
Tipoff – 5:00 pm EST
Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
Broadcast – NBA TV
Another game where we’ll see a team that’s brutal on the tip is the early game on Saturday. The Pacers and Myles Turner mostly don’t ever win the tip. He is a touch better than the aforementioned Vucevic, but barely at 26.7%. Nic Claxton, meanwhile is better than average when it comes to winning the tip – coming in at 50.9%. In addition to the tip advantages, they also are scoring first more often. The Nets score first 6.7% more frequently and should be able to do so here too.
If you look at the last three games, two players have been getting the lion’s share of the early looks. The first is D’Angelo Russell, who just so happens to be out on Saturday. The other is Keon Johnson, who should be heavily featured in the early parts of this one. Over the last three games, he’s taken the first shot once and the second shot another time. With the Nets likely winning the tip, he should get a chance here to be the first scorer.
First Scorer Bet for March 22: Keon Johnson (+550)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for March 22, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
