We have eight NBA Cup games on deck for Halloween night, including an Amazon Prime Video double-header that will see the Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers before the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies do battle in the nightcap.
With Lakers star Luka Doncic expected to return from injury against Memphis, there’s an intriguing opportunity to target him early against one of the worst 3-point defenses in the Association. And don’t look now, but Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell continues to carry the scoring load for Cleveland, who has a favorable home matchup against Toronto.
With that in mind, let’s dive into tonight’s NBA first basket bets, starting with Doncic.
NBA First Basket Bets for Friday, October 31
All NBA odds used for these first basket prop bets are current as of Friday, Oct. 31, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Lakers vs. Grizzlies First Basket: Luka Doncic (+487)
While he’s played just two games, Doncic leads the Lakers in field goal attempts per game at 25. Of those 25, 11 are 3-point shots and 14 are 2-point tries.
Now, he’s taking on a Memphis Grizzlies defense that allows opponents to shoot 41.1% from 3-point range, the second-highest percentage in the league.
Coming off the injury, what better way to get Doncic going than a quick shot from beyond the arc to go up 3-0?
Raptors vs. Cavaliers First Basket: Donovan Mitchell (+501)
Mitchell has been excellent to start the season for the Cavaliers, averaging 28 points per game and shooting 66% from 2-point range.
He averages 18 field goals per game, with 10 of them coming from 2-point range.
His opponent, the Toronto Raptors, allow teams to shoot 62.8% from 2-point range, which is the second-highest rate in the NBA. They’re also second-worst in defensive efficiency, giving up 120.7 points per 100 possessions.
Back the Cleveland guard to open the scoring tonight with our best sports betting promotions for 2025.
Pelicans vs. Clippers First Basket: Ivica Zubac (+524)
For my next NBA first basket prop, I’ll back Zubac.
Through four games this season, the Clippers center is averaging 15.5 points and 11 2-point shots per game. Now, he’ll take on a New Orleans Pelicans team that allows the highest 2-point shooting percentage at 66%.
Additionally, the Pelicans have the third-worst defensive efficiency rating (119.1), which means they allow that many points per 100 possessions.
Zubac will get looks early and often near the rim.
Hawks vs. Pacers First Basket: Pascal Siakam (+534)
While it’s only been four games, Siakam has been terrific this season, averaging 26.3 points per game, which is up from his 20.2 per game last season.
Siakam has been shooting much more, averaging 21 field-goal attempts (6 3-point shots and 15 2-point shots) per game. He also leads the Pacers in usage rate at 29.1%, just ahead of Bennedict Mathurin at 26.7%.
Tonight, he’s taking on a Hawks defense that allows teams to shoot 60.8% on 2-point shots and 49.7% overall, both of which rank as the league’s third-highest percentages in their respective categories.
Those factors make this first basket pick of my favorite NBA player prop bets today.
