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 March 11. 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 March 11.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Scorer Props – March 11
Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Tipoff – 7:00 pm EST
Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
Broadcast – NBA TV
This game is not only one of the most lopsided in terms of skills, it’s also one of the most lopsided in terms of first bucket action. The Cavaliers are ranked first in the league in winning the tipoff. With tip winners getting 66.1% of the first buckets on the year, that could already be enough to get on that side. However, then you add in that they’re second in the league in terms of getting the first bucket.
On the other side, the Wizards are quite bad across the board. They’re 25th in the league on the tip with a win rate that comes in 43.2% lower than the Cavaliers. Washington also struggles getting early buckets – ranking 26th in that category. They’re only 18.0% behind Cleveland in that realm, but that’s still more than enough to be comfortable with a pick from the Cavaliers.
If we’re taking the Cavaliers, I like Jarrett Allen in this spot. He and Max Strus seem to be the two players getting the bulk of the early action for the squad. However, the Nets rank in the top 10 in the league in limiting made three-pointers. As a result, I like the inside option for them here.
First Scorer Bet for March 11: Jarrett Allen (+600)
Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons
Tipoff – 7:00 pm EST
Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
Broadcast – NBA TV
These two squads come in here with virtually identical tip win rates. The Wizards are winning 47.6% of their first possessions with the Pistons winning 47.7% of their tips. However, despite that fact, the Pistons are far better in terms of getting the first score. They rank 6th in the league with a 56.9% first bucket success rate. On the other hand, the Wizards are 22nd with a 44.4% success rate. With the tip seeming to not matter in this one, I’ll take the Pistons to get on the board first at -165.
When choosing a player, I usually like to try to extract a bit of value. That sometimes means going down ballot to find an option with odds that just don’t make sense. That’s not the case in this one, as the odds on favorite just makes too much sense. Cade Cunningham is getting nearly every early look for Detroit. He’s taken two of their first three shots in each of the last three games. Two of those three games saw him take the first shot overall. As a result, we’ll ride that trend even with the reduced rate.
First Scorer Bet for March 11: Cade Cunningham (+400)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for March 11, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
