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 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 March 19.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – March 19
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Target Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Broadcast – NBA TV
In this game, I like Minnesota to get on the board first. They have all the advantages in the early game action. First, they have a massive advantage on the tipoff. The Pelicans are one of the very worst teams in the league when it comes to winning the tip. They’re getting the first possession just 29.0% of the time. The Timberwolves do so at a 52.9% clip. With the tip winner getting 66.0% of the first buckets, that’s already enough to tail. When you add in an advantage when it comes to converting, they’re an easy smash play at -165.
If we’re looking for an individual player to get down on, I love Jaden McDaniels. He’s one of two players on the Timberwolves (Rudy Gobert being the other), that has taken one of their first three shots in each of their last three games. He also took one of the very first shots of the game in that span. Plus, when we consider how high the number here is on him, it seems like a great spot.
First Scorer Bet for March 19: Jaden McDaniels (+700)
Washington Wizards vs. Utah Jazz
Tipoff – 9:00 pm EST
Delta Center – Salt Lake City, Utah
Broadcast – NBA TV
In the evening game, I’m all about fading the Wizards. They continue to put up sub-par numbers on both the tipoff and when it comes to scoring the first bucket. They lag behind Utah in both categories by a pretty substantial margin. The lead is 8.7% when it comes to the first possession and it’s 5.9% when it comes to the first bucket. When you add in the Kyle Filipkowski will be on the jump, you have to like the chances of the Jazz even better. As a result, we’ll play them here at -135.
The odds on favorite for the Jazz is Kyle Filipkowski. While I like his chances to have a big night, it’s been Lauri Markkanen who is getting all the early work. If you take the first three Jazz shots in each of their last three games, Lauri Markkanen has 55.6% of those shots. He also has a first bucket in that span and is posted at a great number.
First Scorer Bet for March 19: Lauri Markkanen (+600)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for March 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.
