NBA First Scorer Props – December 27

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 scorer props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first scorer bets for December 27. 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 scorer props for December 27.

Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.

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NBA First Scorer Props – December 27

New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

Tipoff – 7:00 pm EST
Kia Center – Orlando, FL
Broadcast – NBA TV

The Knicks aren’t a team with much to write home about on the early game numbers. They are just a touch above league average in terms of first buckets and a touch below in terms of winning the tipoff. However, the Magic are a team we actively seek to fade. They rank in the bottom five in the league in scoring the first buckets. They are just barely out of that distinction for tipoffs, but that’s only because Wendell Carter pumped those numbers up a bit for Goga Bitadze. Karl-Anthony Towns should easily take the tip here and then we’re off to the races for a Knicks first bucket.

The early action for the Knicks all points in a pretty obvious direction – Jalen Brunson. Some teams have some less prominent players taking the first or second shots of the night, but not the Knicks. The last time they came out of the gate and someone other than Jalen Brunson took the first shot for the Knicks was December 11th against the Hawks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. That’s a run of early shots that you simply do not want to ignore.

First Scorer Bet for December 27: Jalen Brunson (TBD)

Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
Broadcast – NBA TV

When you look at the success rates for these two teams, the numbers are pretty clear to begin with. The Grizzlies, who rank 2nd in the league at first bucket success rate, have a 19.0% advantage when it comes to scoring first over the Pelicans. However, while that might be enough for some, there is even more to like about the Grizzlies here. The Grizzlies are also second in the league in tip wins – and that includes both of their potential tip guys. They hold a 49.3% advantage over the Pelicans in that category, and with the tip winners in the NBA this year getting roughly two-thirds of the first scores, we like Memphis’ chances here.

It might be a little chalky, but I think you have to go with Jaren Jackson Jr. here. Since the Grizzlies started using him and Zach Edey together in the starting lineup, he’s gotten an inordinate amount of the early action. In the last two games going into Thursday, he had taken the first shot in one and two of the first three shots in the other. His volume is so good that even with a reduced number, he’s still got value here.

First Scorer Bet for December 27: Jaren Jackson Jr. (TBD)

If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for December 27, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.