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 bucket props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first bucket bets for April 16. 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 bucket props for April 16.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Bucket Props – April 16
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
United Center – Chicago, IL
Broadcast – ESPN
The early game on this second day of play-in action should be an easy one in terms of the first score. The Heat should be an obvious pick to get on the board first. The main reason is that nobody was worse this year at winning the tip or scoring first than the Bulls. They ranked 30th in both categories and put up particularly ugly numbers when it comes to winning the tip – just a 18.2% success rate. By comparision, the Heat are winning the tip at a 34.6% higher of a clip. With tip winners on the year getting 65.7% of the first buckets, that’s a stat you want to be on the right side of.
If we’re getting fancy with our plays here and getting an individual player, I like Kel’el Ware. He’s taken one of the team’s first three shots in three of the last four games. One of those includes an early shot in their game last week with the Bulls. Additionally, the Bulls struggle in the post on defense and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a dunk right off the bat.
First Bucket Bet for April 16: Kel’el Ware (+650)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings
Tipoff – 10:00 pm EST
Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
Broadcast – ESPN
Another team to fade on the jump and early buckets is the Kings. Over the last two years, Domantas Sabonis has been one of the worst at grabbing the opening tip in the league. He posted just a 34.3% success rate this year. The Mavericks are likely to use Derrick Lively II in the circle on Wednesday. He’s won 63.0% of his tips in the year. Additionally, the Mavericks are 6th in the NBA when it comes to scoring first. So not only are they likely to win this tip, they’re likely to be able to actually convert the chance as well.
If we’re looking for players, sometimes to pays to play the chalk. Anthony Davis may be the odds on favorite, but there is a clear reason. He has taken the first shot in each of the last two games he’s appeared. Not only that, but he takes extremely high percentage shots when he does shoot. As a result, he might be a safe pick, but one that should cash for you here.
First Bucket Bet for April 16: Anthony Davis (+425)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first bucket bets for April 16, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
