Betsided

Best NBA First Basket Scorer Picks for Tuesday, April 30 (Target Joel Embiid, Max Strus)

Here's who you should bet to score first in the NBA playoff matchups on Tuesday, April 30.

By Peter Dewey

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dribbles.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dribbles. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

Looking for an early win in the three Eastern Conference playoff matchups on Tuesday night?

Since these games will have some overlap, betting on the full game could make for an interesting watching experience, but you always could tune in early to see the first few possessions -- and potentially cash a first basket scorer in the process -- right?

Betting on first basket scorers certainly isn't easy, but in the playoffs we know the stars will have the ball in their hands more. How do we use that to our advantage on Tuesday?

Here's some of the top players to target to score first -- based one some key statistics -- for tonight's playoff action:

NBA First Basket Scorer Picks and Predictions

  • Joel Embiid First Basket Scorer (+350)
  • Max Strus First Basket Scorer (+900)

Joel Embiid First Basket Scorer (+350)

Joel Embiid scored the first basket for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 against the New York Knicks, and he’s done a lot of his damage in this series in the first quarter. 

The Sixers want to go to him early and often, especially since he’s most fresh at the beginning of the game while playing on a bad knee. 

This is a low price for Embiid, but he takes the first shot 29.5 percent of the time, leading to 12 first baskets in 44 games this season. These are two of the best marks of anyone in action for Tuesday’s playoff games. 

Embiid and Jalen Brunson are the easy choices (if you want to take a Knicks player) in this matchup to score first. 

Max Strus First Basket Scorer (+900)

Max Strus had a first basket in Cleveland earlier in this series, and he’s tallied nine total first baskets in 74 games for the Cavs this season.

While that may not seem like a lot, it’s still good for third on the team, and Strus also leads the Cavs in first shot percentage at 21.6 percent. 

It’s possible the team looks to run a set to get the sharpshooter going early, and with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland struggling shooting lately, the Cavs may not look for them to isolate to open the game. 

Strus is a value bet at 9/1 odds.

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.

Home/NBA Prop Bets