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 February 28. 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 February 28.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
CHECK OUT THE SPORTS GAMBLING PODCAST’S DAILY BEST BETS
NBA First Scorer Props – February 28
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
TD Garden – Boston, MA
Broadcast – ESPN
The two best teams in the Eastern Conference square off on Friday. While the matchup is a close one, the early game stats don’t bear out that way for first buckets. The Celtics are an above average team in all the meaningful metrics or first scores. However, the Cavaliers rank at the very top of the league. They have the best tip win percentage in the NBA (82.8%) and they rank second when it comes to scoring first buckets (63.8%). Those figures give me all the confidence I need here to get down on the Cavaliers at -125.
If you’re looking for a specific player to get down with, why not take a look at Max Strus. He’s coming off a game where he scored the first bucket of the game. He’s also taken the first shot For the Cavaliers in two of the last three games. Despite all of that volume, his number is sitting at four digits, which is hard to pass up here.
First Scorer Bet for February 28: Max Strus (+1300)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tipoff – 10:00 pm EST
crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast – ESPN
In the battle of Los Angeles, the Lakers should have plenty of advantages on the first bucket data. Firstly, they are scoring first at a rate 5.4% higher than the Clippers. They are also winning the tip at a 7.2% better clip. That doesn’t even include the fact that the Lakers are now taking tips with Jaxson Hayes. Hayes is winning 66.7% of all of the tips he’s taken this year, which even further outpaces the numbers the Clippers are putting up. For that reason, I like the Lakers to get on the board first at -120.
As for players to score first, I’m liking the line on Jaxson Hayes here. Since the departure of Anthony Davis, he’s not only provided them with stability on the tip, but he’s also been in the early scoring frequently. He’s started just 15 games this year and has scored first in six of them. That volume is enough for me to like where he’s sitting here on Friday.
First Scorer Bet for February 28: Jaxaon Hayes (+650)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for February 28, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
