NBA First-Quarter ATS Betting
Malcolm Darnley
Updated: Feb 27, 2025
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NBA 1st ATS Stats Betting
| Team | ATS | Cover % | ATS +/- | Home | Away | Last 4 | Prev Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nets | 41-17 | 70.7% | +2.38 | 18-10 | 23-7 | 4-0 | 41-39 [51%] |
| Jazz | 36-21 | 63.2% | +1.89 | 19-9 | 17-12 | 2-2 | 35-45 [44%] |
| Thunder | 35-23 | 60.3% | +1.63 | 15-15 | 20-8 | 1-3 | 39-39 [50%] |
| Rockets | 34-23 | 59.6% | +1.16 | 13-14 | 21-9 | 1-3 | 35-43 [45%] |
| Pistons | 34-25 | 57.6% | +1.92 | 13-16 | 21-9 | 2-2 | 40-39 [51%] |
| Lakers | 32-24 | 57.1% | +1.48 | 15-12 | 17-12 | 2-2 | 34-46 [43%] |
| Cavaliers | 32-26 | 55.2% | +2.34 | 19-12 | 13-14 | 1-3 | 33-47 [41%] |
| Grizzlies | 32-26 | 55.2% | +1.28 | 13-15 | 19-11 | 2-2 | 46-33 [58%] |
| Wizards | 32-26 | 55.2% | +0.25 | 17-15 | 15-11 | 3-1 | 39-40 [49%] |
| Raptors | 31-28 | 52.5% | -0.44 | 16-16 | 15-12 | 2-2 | 37-42 [47%] |
| Clippers | 30-28 | 51.7% | +0.22 | 15-14 | 15-14 | 3-1 | 41-38 [52%] |
| Magic | 31-29 | 51.7% | -1.25 | 16-14 | 15-15 | 1-3 | 34-45 [43%] |
| Heat | 29-28 | 50.9% | +0.16 | 9-15 | 20-13 | 2-2 | 42-37 [53%] |
| Spurs | 28-28 | 50.0% | -0.64 | 12-16 | 16-12 | 1-3 | 42-37 [53%] |
| Hawks | 29-30 | 49.2% | -0.93 | 15-12 | 14-18 | 2-2 | 42-37 [53%] |
| Mavericks | 29-30 | 49.2% | +0.52 | 14-15 | 15-15 | 2-2 | 34-45 [43%] |
| Bulls | 28-31 | 47.5% | -0.20 | 13-18 | 15-13 | 2-2 | 38-42 [48%] |
| Pacers | 27-30 | 47.4% | -0.45 | 14-13 | 13-17 | 1-3 | 37-42 [47%] |
| Suns | 27-31 | 46.6% | -0.66 | 11-16 | 16-15 | 2-2 | 40-39 [51%] |
| Celtics | 27-32 | 45.8% | +0.47 | 12-16 | 15-16 | 3-1 | 47-33 [59%] |
| Timberwolves | 27-32 | 45.8% | -1.01 | 13-17 | 14-15 | 4-0 | 34-45 [43%] |
| Pelicans | 26-32 | 44.8% | -1.37 | 16-14 | 10-18 | 1-3 | 47-32 [59%] |
| 76ers | 26-32 | 44.8% | -1.04 | 14-16 | 12-16 | 2-2 | 40-39 [51%] |
| Trail Blazers | 26-32 | 44.8% | -0.83 | 13-17 | 13-15 | 3-1 | 47-32 [59%] |
| Bucks | 25-32 | 43.9% | -0.04 | 12-17 | 13-15 | 1-3 | 36-44 [45%] |
| Nuggets | 25-33 | 43.1% | -0.50 | 13-16 | 12-17 | 2-2 | 45-34 [57%] |
| Warriors | 24-34 | 41.4% | -0.94 | 10-20 | 14-14 | 1-3 | 47-32 [59%] |
| Hornets | 23-34 | 40.4% | -1.56 | 13-16 | 10-18 | 2-2 | 38-41 [48%] |
| Kings | 22-35 | 38.6% | -2.14 | 10-19 | 12-16 | 2-2 | 39-40 [49%] |
| Knicks | 21-37 | 36.2% | -1.66 | 13-18 | 8-19 | 0-4 | 39-41 [49%] |
| Standings Last Updated: February 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET | |||||||
Much like the NRFI bet in major league baseball or the Goal In First Ten (GIFT) in the NHL, betting on only the first quarter of an NBA game is quickly becoming one of the more popular basketball prop bet options amongst NBA bettors.
There are a couple of reasons a sports bettor may prefer to play on the first quarter point spread instead of betting on the entire game.
First off, there may be a perceived advantage in betting on a smaller amount of game time. In 2023-24, the Cleveland Cavaliers were 51-42-1 ATS in first-quarter action only.
However, over the course of an entire game, the Cavaliers fell to 44-50-0.
That is a difference of seven wins ATS and tells us that Cleveland liked to start fast last year but had trouble sustaining that throughout an entire game.
Another reason the first quarter point spread is gaining popularity is how quickly the bet is decided. The average time for an NBA game is somewhere close to 150 minutes, from start to finish.
The average length for an NBA first quarter is 30 minutes.
Whatever your reason for betting NBA first-quarter point spreads, BestOdds has a lot of insight and information to help make your next bet a good one.
If you like betting on the first quarter, you might enjoy betting on the NBA 1st quarter total as well.
Betting NBA First-Quarter ATS
When it comes to betting first-quarter point spreads, understanding team trends and how they perform on average at the start of a game is a big deal.
One would assume that teams who cover first-quarter spreads also cover a lot of entire game point spreads.
That can be true for some teams, but not every team who starts great finishes strong
2023-24 ATS Betting Stats
| Team | 1st QTR ATS | Rank | Full Game ATS | Rank |
| Bucks | 43-44-1 | 9th | 40-45-3 | 22nd |
| Cavaliers | 51-42-1 | 3rd | 44-50-0 | 13th |
| Lakers | 50-38-1 | 4th | 45-41-3 | 11th |
| Warriors | 40-41-2 | 17th | 39-39-5 | 27th |
| Grizzlies | 39-42-1 | 19th | 38-44-0 | 28th |
In our table above, we identified five teams and compared their first quarter ATS record vs. their ATS record over an entire game, including the postseason.
It is interesting to note that all five teams finished at least in the top 20 for first-quarter spread betting, but over an entire game, many of these were among worst teams league-wide at covering spreads.
This tells us that a sign of a bad team isn’t necessarily how they start but how they finish.
NBA First Quarter ATS Odds
Typically, first-quarter point spreads are very close to ¼ of the overall game point spread.
| Teams | Game Point Spread | 1st QTR Point Spread |
| Lakers | +8 | -108 | +2 | -110 |
| Clippers | -8 | -112 | -2 | -110 |
In our example game above, we can see that the Lakers are +8 point underdogs visiting their rivals down the road.
This example’s first quarter point spread is exactly ¼ or 25% of the overall spread.
Of course, there is always a moneyline factor to betting point spreads. Most books start with a moneyline of -110 on both sides when they set their odds.
The -112 moneyline indicates more money has been bet on the Clippers at this point. It may also tell us that the -8 might eventually move to -8.5.
The first quarter spread will also be impacted when the overall point spread moves.
Handicapping NBA First Quarter Point Spreads
Very few teams are good enough to dominate all four quarters of a basketball game.
Good teams will start fast and be prepared from the opening tip.
Great teams will finish strong and close out opponents in the fourth quarter and crunch time.
2023-24 Top 5 Teams – 1st QTR ATS Betting
| Team | 1st QTR ATS | Full Game ATS | Win/Loss Record |
| Pacers | 59-40-1 | 61-37-2 | 55-44 |
| Celtics | 54-47-0 | 52-45-4 | 80-21 |
| Cavaliers | 51-42-1 | 44-50-0 | 53-41 |
| Lakers | 50-38-1 | 45-41-3 | 48-39 |
| Mavericks | 49-53-2 | 53-51-0 | 63-41 |
Our table above lists the 2023-24 Top 5 NBA teams when it comes to covering first-quarter spreads, including the postseason.
ATS in the first quarter, those teams combined to go 263 – 220 – 5, which is a 54% win percentage.
Overall, those same teams combined to go 299-186 straight up. (62%) All five teams had winning records at the end of it all.
This confirms our belief that there is a correlation between playing well in the first quarter and winning games.
What Is The NBA First Quarter Standings Page
If you are into NBA First Quarter betting, then BestOdds.com needs to become a regular destination for you.
After every NBA game, we will provide an updated standings page, ranking each team’s performance based on their ability to cover the first-quarter spread.
How To Use The NBA 1st Standings Page
The NBA first-quarter spread standings page will allow a bettor to analyze and identify key trends before most of the betting market.
How many people last year realized Cleveland’s ability to cover first-quarter point spreads, despite not finishing as strongly?
The standings page will also allow you to analyze team trends at home or away. How do individual teams differ in the first quarter when at home vs. on the road?
Another key benefit of the standings page is the ability to search for league-wide trends. What is the average cover percentage for home or away teams league-wide?
How often do teams cover two, three, or four games in a row?
The first quarter ATS standings page will become a valuable resource for all those who enjoy getting some action on the games opening 12 minutes.
Always Shop Around
When it comes to betting on NBA first-quarter point spreads or any form of NBA betting, the most significant edge is our ability to shop around and find the Best Odds.
Specifically for first-quarter point spreads, it will be rare you find additional full points when you shop around with different sportsbooks.
First-quarter spreads tend to be small.
But you will be able to find an advantage with the moneylines associated with the point spread.
The difference between a -110 line and a -115 line on a single bet is not overly significant.
However, over time the ability to bet moneylines in our favor can add an additional 20% ROI to our overall profit.
If we aren’t shopping around for our Best Odds, we are leaving profit on the table.
Looking for more stats? Check out the NBA First-Half Spread stats for betting.
About the author
Malcolm loves to watch all kinds of different sports. He also writes about them.
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