NBA First Scorer Props – December 31

Some people like to sweat out a bet for 48 hard minutes – others like immediate satisfaction. Count us as being in the latter, which is why we like to get down with NBA first scorer props. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our first scorer bets for December 31. Go here for NBA Championship odds.

Of course, there are plenty out there taking blind guesses at this stuff. It’s easy to pick the most popular player or look at what happened in the last game. However, we spent the time pouring through the analytics to make sure that we give you the best odds to stay in the green on these first scorer props for December 31.

Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.

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NBA First Scorer Props – December 31

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
Broadcast – NBA TV

In one of the last games of the calendar year, the visitors are going to hold all the early game advantages. The Timberwolves have a 4.8% lead in tip win percentage, and that’s with the Thunder getting a big early season boost from Chet Holmgren, who is now out of commission. They also are far better at converting those early possessions into buckets. They have a 14.3% advantage over the Thunder who rank in the bottom third of the league in that category. As a result, we’ll snag a play on someone from Minnesota here.

If you look at the shot log for the Timberwolves during this three-game win streak, they look pretty similar. In the first three shots of the game you’ll see two names pop up every time. Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are getting the rock early. In each of those games, there’s a different name occupying the third spot in there. It may be no surpise that these two are coming in at similar odds. I’ll take the one who is taking twice as many shots and averaging nearly 10 points more than the other.

First Scorer Bet for December 31: Julius Randle (+700)

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angles Lakers

Tipoff – 9:00 pm EST
crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast – NBA TV

You aren’t going to find a game on Tuesday that has a bigger discrepancy on the early game numbers. The Cavaliers are one of just two teams in the league winning over 80% of their tipoffs. The Lakers, meanwhile, are right around league average – which puts them at a 29.8% disadvantage. The Cavaliers are also 6th in the league in converting their chances whereas the Lakers come in at 24th. With those clear arrows, we’ll follow a pick to Cleveland here.

Yesterday, I liked a play on Evan Mobley thanks to a few factors. With the first buckets spread out on the team, I liked the big man who had four consecutive games with one of their first three shots. He kept that going on Monday with an alley oop early in the contest. While he didn’t cash for that game, I like the chance to double down and get him on the board first here.

First Scorer Bet for December 31: Evan Mobley (+500)

If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for December 31, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.