There are 14 NBA games on deck for Wednesday, Feb. 11, the penultimate day of play before the league’s All-Star break.
The top teams from each conference, the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder, will be in action, both facing conference opponents on the road.
While I’m not looking at the Thunder matchup for any of these NBA player prop bets, I do have a player in mind on the Pistons side.
Here are four NBA first basket bets to consider for Wednesday night.
NBA First Basket Bets for Wednesday, February 11
All basketball odds used for tonight’s NBA first basket prop bets are current as of Wednesday, Feb. 11, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Trail Blazers vs Timberwolves First Basket: Anthony Edwards (+361)
While the Timberwolves win the opening tip just over half the time (50.9%), if they manage to out-tip the Trail Blazers, who win it 55.6% of the time, I feel great about Edwards.
Of all the players on tonight’s slate, he has the most first baskets made (12). He has also attempted the first shot in 17.8% of the games he’s played in.
Edwards is shooting just over 49% from the floor, and the Trail Blazers allow teams to shoot 47.4%, which ranks 20th in the NBA.
This is my NBA pick of the day in the first basket department.
Bucks vs Magic First Basket: Wendell Carter Jr. (+630)
While Wendell Carter Jr. has only made the first basket in eight of the 50 games he’s started, that is the most on the Magic.
Furthermore, Orlando leads all teams on tonight’s slate with a 71.2% opening tip winning percentage, while the Bucks are at 29.4%.
I expect the Magic to win the jump, and if they do, Carter Jr. has shown himself to be the most reliable option to score first for his team.
Pistons vs Raptors First Basket: Paul Reed (+770)
Reed has only started six games for the Pistons, but he’s made the first basket twice.
Following a brawl during a recent Pistons-Hornets game, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren were ejected. They could face suspensions, opening up the potential for Reed to get a rare start.
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The Pistons win the opening tip just 42.3% of the time, but the Raptors are even worse at 40.7%.
Reed has played well with some extended minutes lately, putting up 12 points in back-to-back games.
As far as NBA first basket props go, I’m looking to take advantage of this opportunity.
Heat vs. Pelicans First Basket: Bam Adebayo (+416)
Adebayo has started 47 games for the Heat this season, and in the games he’s started, he attempts the first shot 25.5% of the time.
As a result, he’s made the first basket nine times, which accounts for 19.1% of the games he’s started.
The Pelicans allow teams to shoot 58.2% from inside the three-point line, which is where Adebayo does the most damage, averaging 14.6 2-point attempts per game.
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