Zach Thompson details his top first scorer props bets for Saturday’s six-game NBA slate.
The NBA has six games spread throughout Saturday afternoon and evening with plenty of exciting matchups and fun games to follow. With a dozen teams in action, DraftKings Sportsbook has plenty of ways to get involved in the many basketball betting markets. One of the most popular markets lately has been the first point props available for each game.
First point plays are all over the most-bet player props, and they can be a great way to get a quick-hitter that delivers a win or loss right away without a long sweat. Finding the first scorer in any contest is a hit that can bring big-time returns, as the odds are all long shots.
As a whole, it’s a very simple market, since it’s just a matter of which player will score the first point in the game. Not much explanation needed!
Let’s take a look at two of the first scorer props that make sense to consider as long shot plays this Saturday.
First Scorer: Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks (+790)
The public is backing Tyrese Maxey for the first bucket in this matchup as one of the most popular player props of the day, but I’m looking to get a little spicier and play Oubre Jr. at even longer odds at almost 8:1.
Oubre didn’t play the Sixers’ two most recent games on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week due to illness, but after returning to practice Friday, he is not on the injury report and ready to return on Saturday.
He scored the first basket in his most recent game, which was against the Celtics, and he also scored the first basket against the Pacers three games ago. On the season, he has scored first in five of his 38 games (13.2%) which trails only Maxey among the Sixers’ expected starters on Saturday.
He’s usually aggressive right away, and he could look to showcase early that he’s back to serve as Maxey’s wingman in this matchup with the Hawks. Maxey is a strong play as well, but Oubre’s longer odds are too juicy to pass up.
First Scorer: Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors (+840)
In the showcase game on ABC on Saturday night, the Thunder host the Warriors in a Western Conference showdown. Draymond Green (+900) and Wallace have each scored the first basket in two of their last five games, and each of those options brings tons of value at their odds.
The Thunder win the tip-off in 53.1% of their games, while the Warriors win the tip in just 41.9% of their games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander actually has the shortest odds of the Thunder, but he has only scored the first points in two of his games all season. Chet Holmgren actually leads the team with 10 first points this season, with Wallace and Lu Dort just behind him with six first points each.
Since Wallace has been more aggressive early in games lately, he’s my longshot play for this matchup. He has been in the starting lineup since Feb. 1, averaging 13.3 points in 30.6 minutes per game in his 15 games since then, and the 22-year-old from Kentucky is one of the lesser-known key contributors to the Thunder’s success this season.