On Wednesday, Nov. 5, several teams are dealing with injuries that could significantly impact NBA first basket bets.
These teams include the Dallas Mavericks, who will be without Anthony Davis, the Golden State Warriors, who are slated to be without both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, and potentially one of the players on this list, as Anthony Edwards is questionable with a hamstring injury.
Below, I’ll sort through the injuries and find the four best players for this quick-hitting prop bet.
NBA First Basket Bets for Wednesday, November 5
All NBA odds used for these first basket prop bets are current as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Pelicans vs. Mavericks First Basket: P.J. Washington (+598)
For the first of my NBA first basket props, I’m looking to the Dallas Mavericks.
With Anthony Davis out for this matchup, I’ll back P.J. Washington to score the first basket of this game, as the Pelicans allow a league-high shooting percentage of 65.4% on 2-point shots.
Besides Davis, Washington leads the team with 8.7 2-point attempts per game and is shooting 55.7% on such shots.
Warriors vs. Kings First Basket: Jonathan Kuminga (+552)
For the second of four NBA first basket prop bets, I’m taking a player on the injury-riddled Warriors.
In this game against the Kings, it appears the Warriors will be without both Butler and Curry.
Sacramento allows teams to shoot 59.9% on 2-point shots (the second-highest percentage in the league), and over their last three games, opponents are shooting 40.2% beyond the arc (seventh-highest in that stretch).
Kuminga is shooting 53.4% this season, including 57.8% on 2-point shots, while averaging eight such baskets per game.
Nets vs. Pacers First Basket: Aaron Nesmith (+780)
Next up, I’m backing a 3-point shooter in Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith.
He’s endured a rough start to the season from beyond the arc, shooting just 34.5% while averaging 8.3 attempts (2.9 makes) per game. However, he’ll have a chance to get things going against a Nets team that allows opponents to shoot 42.9% from beyond the arc, the highest rate in the league.
This matchup against a winless Brooklyn squad is enticing, making Nesmith a prime target for NBA player prop bets.
Back him to open the scoring tonight with our best sports betting promos for 2025.
Timberwolves vs. Knicks First Basket: Anthony Edwards (+780)
To close out my NBA first basket bets tonight, I’ll take Edwards under the caveat that he actually plays in this game.
The Knicks are allowing a shooting percentage of 39.6% from beyond the arc, and it has been even higher over their last three games, as teams have shot 42% from 3-point range during that stretch.
Edwards attempts the second-most 3-point shots per game for the Timberwolves (6.3), but I believe he’ll have the ball in his hands before Donte DiVicenzo, who averages eight attempts per game. Not only that, but Edwards is shooting 47.4% on 3-point attempts.
Look for him to make his mark early at MSG if he suits up.
