Of course, there are plenty out there taking blind guesses at this stuff. It’s easy to pick the most popular player or look at what happened in the last game. However, we spent the time pouring through the analytics to make sure that we give you the best odds to stay in the green on these first FG props for December 26.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First FG Props – December 26
Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards
Tipoff – 7:00 pm EST
Capital One Arena – Washington, DC
Broadcast – NBA League Pass
The Magic were my favorite team to fade last month. They’re 28th ranked on the tip and 25th ranked in the first field goal. However, they now have Michael Carter Jr. back on the tip. He’s won 75.0% of the tips on the year. The Wizards are, meanwhile, just as bad. They are 26th in the league on the tip and 22nd on the first buckets. They, on the other hand, don’t have an excuse for their poor numbers.
Franz Wagner has taken one of the Magic first three shots in each of the last three games. One of those, he had taken two of the first three shots. He has the second most amount of first buckets on the squad – only behind Jalen Suggs. Let’s close the gap a bit on Tuesday.
First FG Bet for December 26: Franz Wagner (+500)
Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Toyota Center – Houston, Texas
Broadcast – NBA TV
The Rockets are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to grabbing the first bucket. They currently rank 28th at just 34.0% of the time. Some of that can be attributed to their poor tip numbers, which come in at 44.4%. However, the fact that their first field goal numbers are lower than the tip ones is an even greater cause for concern. The Pacers are on the other end of the spectrum for both stats – they fall into the top 10 of the league in each.
The Pacers have had a couple of different guys go on first field goal runs on the year. Andrew Nembhard scored the last and seems to be getting early shots. However, there’s another name on the docket that I actually like the profile for against the Rockets. Obi Toppin has scored a bunch of first baskets and the Rockets seem to give up plenty to dynamic big men.
First FG Bet for December 26: Obi Toppin (+800)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first FG bets for December 26, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
