The NBA has three games on the scoreboard this Monday, and even though it’s a slower start to the schedule, everyone still has plenty of ways to get involved in the many basketball markets on DraftKings Sportsbook. One popular way to find a quick-hitter that delivers a win early in the game is the first point props available for each game. Finding the first scorer in any contest is a hit that can bring big-time returns, as the odds are relatively long shots.
As a whole, it’s a very simple market, since it’s just a matter of which player will score the first point in the game. Not much explanation needed! On Saturday, I hit on one of my two picks, as Jalen Duren delivered a +660 victory!
Let’s take a look at two of the first scorer props that make sense to consider as longshot plays this Monday.
thu
First Scorer: Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz (+518)
Sengun has the shortest odds on the board in this matchup against the Jazz, but he still comes at over 5:1 odds. The Rockets’ big man has only had 13 and 16 points in his two games since the All-Star break, and in this smash spot against the Jazz, the Rockets should look to get him involved early on.
He has made the first basket in two of his last 14 games and six of his 48 games (12.5%) this season. He has more first baskets than any other player on the Rockets, although the Rockets don’t win many tip-offs (just 26.7% on the season).
Sengun won’t have to deal with Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee), Walker Kessler (shoulder), or Jusuf Nurkic (nose), and he should be able to attack Kyle Filipowski.
First Scorer: De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons (+670)
Even though Duren delivered the win on Saturday, I’m picking against him on Monday with this first scorer prop from the first game of the night, which is the premium matchup between the Spurs and Pistons.
The Spurs have been one of the best teams in the NBA at winning the tip-off this season, claiming the first possession in 73.2% of tip-offs overall and 86.7% of their last 15 games. While Wemby usually wins the tip, he has only scored the first basket four times in his 32 starts (12.5%), while Fox has scored the first basket a team-high seven times in his 47 starts (14.9%).
Fox’s odds are a little longer than Wemby’s and he may try to take it right at Cade Cunningham off the tip-off to get the Pistons superstar a little on his heels. The former NBA Clutch Player of the Year doesn’t have quite as huge of a role with the Spurs as he used to with the Kings, but he should be ready to step up in this spotlight matchup Monday night.
