Some people like to sweat out a bet for 48 hard minutes – others like immediate satisfaction. Count us as being in the latter, which is why we like to get down with NBA first FG props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first FG bets for January 19. Go here for NBA Championship odds.
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 January 19.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First FG Props – January 19
Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics
Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
TD Garden – Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast – ESPN
On the surface, the first bucket statistics look pretty similar for these two teams. The Celtics hold a slight advantage with a 63.4% compared to Denver’s 54.8%. Both are in the top ten in the league in scoring the first hoop though. However, the difference maker is in the tip.
The Celtics have a far more robust lead when it comes to the tip. They have a 65.9% average which puts them third in the league. The Nuggets fall in the bottom half and are under 50%. It gets even better for the Celtics when you consider that Kristaps Porzingis should be back on the tip for this one. He, personally, has a 73.3% jumpball average on the season.
There’s obvious a number of players who have been on the board early for the Celtics. One of the ones that seems to frequent the early plays the most is Jaylen Brown. He took two of their first three shots in their last game and has had one of their first three shots in four of their last five.
First FG Bet for January 19: Jaylen Brown (+475)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic
Tipoff – 7:00 pm EST
Kia Center – Orlando, Florida
Broadcast – NBA League Pass
It continues to be hard to trust the Magic with Goga Bitadze on the tip. He has won just 20% of all tips, which puts him dead last amongst jumpers with at least 20 jumps. That alone should be enough to fade the Magic, but the 76ers also have a sizable lead in both the first field goal (4.8%) and the tip overall (29.5%). With that kind of data on the sheet, you have to lean to a member of the 76ers.
Despite the star power on the 76ers, Tobias Harris seems to be the one getting the early shots. He’s been heavily featured in their first three games, not just recently, but all season. It’s shown up more prominently recently as he has two of their last five first buckets, and I think he adds to it here.
First FG Bet for January 19: Tobias Harris (+650)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first FG bets for January 19, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
