NBA Best First Basket Bets Today – May 21 & 22

The NBA Eastern Conference Finals begin tonight with the New York Knicks hosting the Indiana Pacers at 8:00 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. 

We’ve provided first basket picks for tonight’s action and tomorrow’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves (8:30 p.m. ET).

Last night, the Thunder took a 1-0 lead in the series after a 114-88 rout. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 31 points, followed by Minnesota’s Julius Randle (28).

Remember to bet responsibly and monitor your bankroll. Don’t stake too much of it at once.

Note: Odds were correct at the time of writing.

Jalen Brunson (+550) at bet365

The Villanova product has elevated his scoring this postseason by averaging 28.8 points per game compared to his regular-season output of 26.

Brunson is riding high into this series after being the hero many times against the Celtics and leading his team to its first Eastern Conference Finals since the 1999-2000 season.

Ironically, it was against the Pacers, who won in six games. Reggie Miller and company went on to lose to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s Lakers.

The 28-year-old Brunson has played the Pacers three times this season and has taken the first shot of the game twice, successfully converting it once.

This year (during the regular season and playoffs), Brunson has made 10 first baskets in 76 games (13.2%) and has taken the first shot of the game 28.9% of the time, which is higher than anyone on either squad.

Karl-Anthony Towns is second-best, taking the first shot 12% of the time, followed by Indiana’s Myles Turner (9.9%).

During the regular season, Brunson attempted the Knicks’ first shot 42% of the time and made 29% of the team’s first buckets.

So far throughout the playoffs, Brunson has made two first baskets in 12 contests (17% and has taken his team’s first attempt on 33% of occasions.

Towns (7-feet) is slated to jump against Myles Turner (6-foot-11) for the opening tip.

Not only does Towns have a height advantage, but he’s also 2-0 against Turner in opening tips this season.

In total, Towns is 3-0 in tip-offs against the Knicks. During the most recent meeting on Feb. 11, he won against New York’s backup center, Thomas Bryant (6-foot-10).

The +550 odds at bet365 are significantly better priced than those of other bookmakers, as showcased in the table below.

Brunson and Towns are co-favorites to score first at +550, followed by Indiana’s Pascal Siakam (+600) and Myles Turner (+700).

Odds Comparison for Jalen Brunson First Basket

Sportsbook	Odds
bet365	+550
Hard Rock Bet	+475
BetMGM	+425
FanDuel	+420
Caesars	+380
DraftKings	+370

Chet Holmgren (+650) at bet365

The former second-overall pick in the 2022 draft has the highest first-basket rate (18.6%) among players on his team or the Timberwolves.

Holmgren missed a large portion of the season due to injury, but has made eight first baskets in 43 games (including the regular season and playoffs).

The Gonzaga product also tops the charts in terms of first-shot rate (20.9%), higher than Anthony Edwards (15.9%) and Julius Randle (14.1%).

Despite making 13 first baskets in 88 games (14.8%), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has attempted the first shot just 3.4% of the time. 

According to the BestOdds First Basket Tool, Holmgren has made two first baskets in 12 games (17%) during this postseason.

Throughout that span, the 23-year-old attempted the first shot for his team 33% of the time and converted at a 25% rate.

In three meetings against the Wolves this year, Holmgren has made one first basket.

The 7-foot-1 center will compete for the opening tip against Rudy Gobert, who is listed as the same height. 

Holmgren is 3-2 against Gobert this season in opening tips.

So far in the postseason, Holmgren has averaged 15.7 points per game, slightly more than his 15 in the regular season. 

The “modern” big man is a threat to score from anywhere on the court and is shooting at a 37.9% clip from downtown. 

He’s the second favorite at +650 on the odds board at bet365 to score first, behind Jalen Williams (+550). Gilgeous-Alexander is third at +700. 

Other oddsmakers list “SGA” as the favorite with Holmgren second. With so many Thunder players listed ahead of the Timberwolves, sportsbooks are anticipating OKC will win the opening tip.

The price at bet365 is much cheaper at +650 for Holmgren to score compared to other operators.

Odds Comparison for Chet Holmgren First Basket

Sportsbook	Odds
bet365	+650
FanDuel	+550
DraftKings	+500
Caesars	+480

Notes: Certain sportsbooks didn’t offer odds for this wager at the time of writing. Remember to double-check the first basket rules (first field goal or first points) at your bookmaker.