Zach Thompson details his top first scorer props bets for Sunday’s 10-game NBA slate.
The NBA has 10 games on the schedule for Sunday, closing out a huge weekend of hoops with games all throughout the afternoon and evening. With so many teams hitting the hardwood, 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 longshot plays this Sunday.
First Scorer: Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors vs. Dallas Mavericks (+464)
The Raptors host the Mavericks in one of the early games on Sunday night, and Brandon Ingram has been very aggressive scoring first baskets recently, making him a solid option to consider in this contest.
Ingram has been the first scorer in five of his last 10 games and is up to 11 first baskets in his 59 games for a team-leading 18.6% first basket percentage. The Raptors don’t win the opening tip that often (38.7%), but the Mavericks are only a little bit better (41.3%). Whether they win the tip-off or not, Ingram is a solid pick to get the first points since he has been so aggressive early in games lately.
Two of those recent first points scored were at home for Ingram, and he’s a strong play to stay aggressive in this favorable matchup Sunday night.
First Scorer: DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls (+556)
In their last 15 games, the Kings have won the tip-off 73.3% of the time, the second-highest win rate of any team on the floor this Sunday over that span. On Sunday night, the Kings welcome in DeRozan’s former team, the Bulls. The veteran forward will be the focus of the offense again since so many of the team’s other regular starters have been lost for the season.
Like Ingram, DeRozan has been aggressive right off the jump lately. He has made the first basket in three of the Kings’ last seven games and has taken the first shot in 42.9% of those contests, and 35.7% of his team’s last 15 games. He has been the first scorer in four of his last 14 games and a total of eight times this season. No other player in either team’s starting lineup for this contest can match his total or his 12.5% first-scorer rate.
Add in that he could be extra motivated to take it right at his former team, and DeRozan can be a solid late-night option to hit the first basket and boost you to some late Sunday night success.