Best NBA First Basket Scorer Picks for Wednesday, April 3 (Target Anthony Davis)

Looking to get a quick win in the NBA on Wednesday night?

One way to do that is betting on a first basket scorer, which are tough bets to hit, but they are ones that pay well when they do.

With so may teams in action on Wednesday, April 3, there are plenty of players to target in this market, and I have a few that I'm eyeing based on some key statistics. Let's break down the picks for one of the most exciting prop markets out there!

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NBA First Basket Scorer Picks and Predictions

• Anthony Davis First Basket Scorer (+420)
• Kevin Durant First Basket Scorer (+750)
• Miles Bridges First Basket Scorer (+600)

Anthony Davis First Basket Scorer (+420)

Anthony Davis needed to play just 28 minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers blowout win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, so I’d expect him to suit up for a must-win on the second night of a back-to-back against the Washington Wizards. 

Washington lacks the interior defense to deal with AD since trading away Daniel Gafford, and I think that makes the Lakers star an obvious choice in the first basket market. Washington is tied with the Indiana Pacers for the most points allowed in the paint per game this season (58.5), and the team struggles to win the jump ball, taking it in just 34.2 percent of games.

AD has 10 first baskets on the season, and he takes the first shot for the Lakers in 16.9 percent of his games. It would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles to run a quick post up for AD to get things going tonight. 

Kevin Durant First Basket Scorer (+750)

Kevin Durant is a frequent pick in the first basket market for yours truly, because he has the numbers that make a perfect candidate to score first: 

• Durant has 11 first baskets on the season (best on the Suns)
• Durant takes the first shot 22.4 percent of the time (best on the Suns)
• The Suns win the jump ball in 70.7 percent of their games

Now, Phoenix has a tough matchup with Cleveland tonight, who wins the jump ball in 73.7 percent of games, but it’s very rare to see KD at +750 to score first. The value is too good to pass up. 

Miles Bridges First Basket Scorer (+600)

I’ll take a shot on Miles Bridges to score first against a weak Portland Trail Blazers team that wins the jump ball just 45.3 percent of the time this season.

Bridges attempts the first shot of the game 20.3 percent of the time, which has led to him scoring seven first baskets in the 2023-24 season.

The Hornets’ offense is heavily reliant on Bridges and Brandon Miller, but the rookie takes the first shot of the game just 11.8 percent of the time. Bridges – at +600 – is worth a shot given his usage. 

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.