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Best NBA First Basket Scorer Picks for Thursday, May 16 (Target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nikola Jokic)

Here's who you should bet to score the first basket in the NBA playoff matchup on Thursday, May 16.

By Peter Dewey

Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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Why not take some long shots to score first in Game 6?

We’ve seen some crazy first-basket scorers in this series, with only one player (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) recording multiple first baskets through the first five games.

Since the first basket market is so hard to predict, sometimes it’s worth looking further down the odds board, especially with the data we’ve gotten so far throughout this series.

Let’s break down two veterans to bet on to score first on Thursday:

NBA First Basket Scorer Picks and Predictions

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope First Basket Scorer (+1500)
  • Nikola Jokic First Basket Scorer (+380)

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope First Basket Scorer (+1500)

Yes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has two first baskets in five games this series, yet he has the longest odds at +1500 to score first in Game 6.

KCP has been the beneficiary of Nikola Jokic’s great passing, as he’s usually able to find a few wide open spot-up looks on offense. 

He only takes the first shot 4.7 percent of the time, but it’s worth taking a shot on KCP at these odds given how this series has been played. If the matchup is allowing him to get free early, why not take a shot on him in Game 6? 

Nikola Jokic First Basket Scorer (+380)

Nikola Jokic went for the Nuggets in Game 5, scoring 40 points and dishing out 13 assists, so we know the offense is once again going to run through him in Game 6.

Jokic has 17 first baskets this season, and he’s taken the first shot 21.6 percent of the time for Denver -- those are elite numbers, and by far the highest amongst players in this game.

Given how often Denver runs the offense through the league MVP, Jokic is worth a shot in this market, especially with Rudy Gobert struggling to contain him the last three games. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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