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 bucket props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first bucket bets for April 5. 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 bucket props for April 5.
Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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NBA First Bucket Props – April 5
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks
Tipoff – 3:00 pm EST
State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
Broadcast – NBA TV
In the matinee, I like the home town squad to get on the board first. The Hawks have modest, but significant advantages in all the major indicators of future first bucket success. They have a nice lead on the tip thanks to Onyeka Okongwu, who is better than league average at getting them the first bucket. They hold a 5.3% lead over the Knicks in that category. With the tip winner getting 65.7% of the first buckets, that’s a great start for Atlanta. They also have been better at finishing the first buckets, with a 6.6% lead in that category. As a result, I like them to score first at -120.
Over the last three games, the Hawks have seen just two players taking the bulk of the early shots. If you look at the first two shots they’ve taken in those games, only Trae Young and Dyson Daniels have been featured. Daniels is coming off of scoring the game’s first bucket last time out, which is usually a reason to stay away. However, Trae Young is listed as questionable for Saturday’s action, which just might mean they lean more heavily on Daniels yet again here.
First Bucket Bet for April 5: Dyson Daniels (+750)
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Maimi Heat
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Kaseya Center – Miami, FL
Broadcast – NBA TV
In the nightcap, these two teams are pretty even in terms of the tipoff wins. The Heat have a small 1.3% advantage on the year, but have also had an inconsistent presence in the circle – whereas the Bucks have just relied on Brook Lopez. However, despite those close numbers, the Bucks have far more first buckets on the season. In fact, the Bucks rank 4th in the NBA in first bucket success. Even with the better tip numbers, the Heat simply aren’t finishing their chances. They rank 19th in the NBA in first buckets. That lack of success means we’ll be riding with the Bucks to score first at -125.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the player with the most early action on the Bucks for sure. However, we’re late in the season and seeing more and more of the stars take it easy. So if we want to go down ballot a bit here, there is just one member of the Bucks regularly showing up in the early shot logs for the Bucks. That player is Ryan Rollins. He’s taken one of their first three shots in two of the last three games and has their first overall shot in one of those.
First Bucket Bet for April 5: Ryan Rollins (+950)
If you’d like even more info to help make your first bucket bets for April 5, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
