The NBA has eight games on Monday night’s schedule, including an exciting Peacock/NBC Sports doubleheader to bolster a solid slate of action. As you build your betting card for Monday night, DraftKings Sportsbook has plenty of ways to get involved in numerous basketball betting markets. One of the most popular markets lately has been the first point props market, which is available for each game.
First point plays are all over the most-bet player props, and they can be a great way to get a quick-hitter that delivers a win or loss right away without a long sweat or worrying about load management late in games. Finding the first scorer in any contest is a hit that can bring big-time returns, as the odds are all long shots.
As a whole, it’s an extremely simple market, since it’s just a matter of which player will score the first point in the game. Not much explanation needed!
I got a nice hit on Saturday with Jamal Murray at +498 as the first scorer against the Lakers, so let’s run it back and pick out a couple more first scorer props that make sense for Monday night.
thu
First Scorer: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics (+590)
Booker and the Suns are in Boston to take on the Celtics in what should be a fun inter-conference matchup. The star guard has averaged 30.9 points per game in his nine career games at TD Garden, highlighted by his monster 70-point game in 2017. In his last trip to Boston, he dropped 37 points in April 2025.
Booker leads the Suns with eight first baskets this season, but hasn’t scored the first basket in any of his last seven games. He should be due for an early bucket and could attack right off the tip-off.
The Suns have won 70.1% of tip-offs this season, while the Celtics have only won 38.8% of tip-offs. Over the last 15 games, the Suns have won 10 tip-offs, while the Celtics have only won three. Obviously, a tip-off win doesn’t guarantee the first bucket, but having the first shot of the game definitely helps.
In one of his favorite road venues, Booker is a nice first bucket longshot at almost 6:1.
First Scorer: Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs at LA Clippers (+680)
The Spurs and the Clippers face off in the last game of the night at the Intuit Dome. San Antonio has been rolling lately and defeated the Clippers at home just a few games ago. The Spurs have been dominating tip-offs lately as well as the final outcome, winning a slate-high 76.1% of tip-offs this season and an even more impressive 86.7% of tip-offs over their last 30 games.
While Victor Wembanyama has the shortest odds and has been scoring the first points more often lately, Vassell is actually the team leader in first points scored. The 25-year-old from Florida State has scored the first point in 10 games this season (19.2% of starts). He also took the first shot in the team’s last matchup with the Clippers, but he missed, setting up Derrick Jones Jr. to actually be the first scorer in the contest.
Vassell likes to be aggressive right away in matchups, and with the Spurs dominating tip-offs, San Antonio actually has several strong options. The value is definitely there in this prop, since Vassell is over +650 to get the first bucket in Monday’s contest.
