Best NBA First Basket Scorer Picks for Sunday, April 21 (Target Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown)
By Peter Dewey
Playoff basketball is HERE!
Day 2 of the NBA playoffs kicks off early on Sunday afternoon with four total matchups, including the No. 1 seeds in each conference getting their first action.
I'll be dialed into all four games, but if you want a quick thrill at the start of any of these playoff matchups, there is one bet to make:
A First Basket Scorer!
Here's who I'm targeting to score first in two of these games with a 1-0 series lead on the line:
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NBA First Basket Scorer Picks and Predictions
- Jaylen Brown First Basket Scorer (+450)
- Kyrie Irving First Basket Scorer (+600)
Jaylen Brown First Basket Scorer (+450)
Jaylen Brown has been a dominant first basket scorer all season long, hitting 14 of them.
Of every player in action on Sunday, Brown takes the first shot the most (21.7 percent of the time), and Boston is elite at winning the jump ball, taking it in 72.0 percent of its games.
Does that lead to a Brown first basket tonight?
It could, although Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo (15 first baskets) could be his biggest threat in this game.
Kyrie Irving First Basket Scorer (+600)
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is a great target on Sunday, as he takes the first shot 19.0 percent of the time this season.
Dallas could be in a good spot to get the first possession against the Los Angeles Clippers, who have won the jump ball just 26.8 percent of the time this season – one of the worst marks in the NBA.
Irving leads Dallas in first buckets with 10, and it may look to him early with the Clips likely focusing their defensive attention on MVP candidate Luka Doncic.
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.