Best NBA First Basket Scorer Picks for Tuesday, May 28 (Target Luka Doncic, KAT in Game 4)
By Peter Dewey
What a Western Conference Finals it has been… when it comes to hitting first basket scorers!
Not only did we hit in Game 1, but in Game 3 we cashed a +1000 ticket on Mike Conley as the first basket scorer, a huge win ahead of Game 4.
The strategy in this series has been simple. I’m attacking the players who take the first shot the most often, and even though Conley didn’t attempt the first shot in Game 3, he still ended up with the first basket.
The first shot went to the struggling Karl-Anthony Towns, who finds himself on the bet slip for Tuesday night’s Game 4:
NBA First Basket Scorer Picks and Predictions
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Karl-Anthony Towns First Basket Scorer (+550)
- Luka Doncic First Basket Scorer (+500)
Karl-Anthony Towns First Basket Scorer (+550)
KAT has been awful in this series, shooting 0-for-8 from 3 in Game 3 and 4-for-16 from the field in Game 2.
Despite that, he still took the first shot of the game (and got blocked) in Game 3, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to get him going early in Game 4.
They need KAT to win, and he’s been a solid first-basket scorer all season, scoring eight of them and taking the first shot 11.8 percent of the time.
Luka Doncic First Basket Scorer (+500)
Back to the well with Luka Doncic.
Doncic has taken over in this series, scoring 32 or more points in every game, and he now has 14 first baskets on the season, the most of any player in this matchup.
Luka attempts the first shot 14.1 percent of the time this season, and given how well he’s played in this series, he’s worth a bet at +500 to score first in a closeout game.
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.