NBA First Basket Scorers: Best Odds for Today, January 5, 2024

Betting on the NBA “First Basket” market means you are betting on who is going to score the first points of the game they are playing in. Because first basket bets feature such juicy payouts, it is a very popular NBA market to bet on. Below, we will give you the best first basket odds and picks for the NBA slate today!

Who’s Scoring the First Bucket Tonight?

For today’s NBA slate, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is most likely to score first. He’s offered at +290 odds to score the first basket on FanDuel sportsbook. Betting markets are giving Joel Embiid a 25.64% chance of scoring the first basket in the New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers game today.

To really win big, you can even parlay first basket bets for extremely high profits. These players below are the next most likely to score first.

1. Anthony Davis: +320 odds on FanDuel in Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Jarrett Allen: +330 odds on FanDuel in Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Nikola Jokic: +350 odds on FanDuel in Orlando Magic vs. Denver Nuggets
4. Donovan Mitchell: +350 odds on FanDuel in Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Andre Drummond: +370 odds on FanDuel in Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls
6. Kristaps Porzingis: +430 odds on FanDuel in Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics
7. Jaylen Brown: +430 odds on FanDuel in Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics

Speaking of value and high payouts, the least likely player to score the first basket is Kris Dunn of the Utah Jazz. Sportsbook markets are implying that Kris Dunn has a 4.76% probability of scoring first. This is known as implied probability in sports betting. He is +2000 odds to score the first basket on FanDuel.

If you are loving these payouts, here are some players with “juicier” odds to score the first basket (e.g. higher payouts). But keep in mind, sportsbooks think it is unlikely these players will be the first to score in their respective games:

• Cody Martin: +1900 odds on FanDuel in Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls
• Xavier Tillman: +1800 odds on FanDuel in Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers
• Gary Harris: +1800 odds on FanDuel in Orlando Magic vs. Denver Nuggets
• Simone Fontecchio: +1700 odds on FanDuel in Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics
• Deni Avdija: +1600 odds on FanDuel in Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
• Bryce McGowens: +1600 odds on FanDuel in Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls

Our Picks Package covers the best player prop bets on a daily basis!