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 25. 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 25.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Bucket Props – April 25
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Fiserv Forum – Wilwaukee, WI
Broadcast – ESPN U
The Pacers not only lead in this series – winning both of the opening games – but they also have been on the board first in both games. Myles Turner has won one of the two tips, and Aaron Nesmith and Turner have split the first buckets. While that seems to be a trend, I just can’t imagine them keeping it up. Myles Turner won just over a quarter of the tipoffs that he jumped this year. The Pacers were also the 25th best team when it came to getting that first bucket. With the Bucks in the top five of the league in terms of scoring first and now at home, I expect a regression to the mean in this one. Take the Bucks to score first at -160.
In Game 2, Kyle Kuzma out taking a lot of shots. He wasn’t terrible accurate with those, but it did seem like a priority for the Bucks to try to get him involved in the offense. He took each of their first two shots and ended the day with double digit attempts. I like that volume and the clear indication that they want him to be a factor. As a result, we’ll play him to get the first hoop.
First Bucket Bet for April 25: Kyle Kuzma (+750)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota timberwolves
Tipoff – 9:30 pm EST
Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
Broadcast – ESPN
We’ve got another top five team in terms of scoring the first bucket. The Lakers were one of the very best when it comes to scoring first and it was largely due to how good Jaxson Hayes was on the tip. He won 65.6% of the tips and the tip winner during the regular season scored first 65.7% of the time. The Timberwolves have split with them so far on the first bucket despite being swept on the tips. With the Timberwolves being a middle of the pack team in terms of the first score, I’ll expect the Lakers to get one in first at -130.
While only starting about half of the season, Jaxson Hayes was still one of the biggest first bucket scorers for the Lakers. Over the short sample size, he scored eight first bucket. He also took one of the first shots in Game 1. With Rudy Gobert’s defense allocated elsewhere for the bulk of the possessions, Hayes should be set up for a short, high-percentage shot in this game.
First Bucket Bet for April 25: Jaxson Hayes (+650)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first bucket bets for April 25, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
