NBA First Scorer Props – January 3

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 January 3. 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 January 3.

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

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NBA First Scorer Props – January 3

Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors

Tipoff – 7:30 pm EST
Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
Broadcast – NBA TV

The Raptors haven’t been a good team on the jump this year. Jakob Poeltl’s 46.3% tip win percentage has them ranked 24th in the NBA. However, despite that, they are still ranked 8th in the league in converting first scores. They’re currently scoring first 58.8% of the time. That difference can instill some confidence, but I find even more confidence in fading the Magic. While the Raptors are scoring well for a team not winning the tip, they are actually better than the Magic on the tip. Goga Bitadze is getting just 38.5% of his tips. So with a rare tip advantage and good early scoring, you have to like Toronto here.

While Scottie Barnes is the star you expect to see in an article like this, there is a down ballot option that I like for Friday. Ochai Agbaji has been particularly active early in the game as of late. He’s taken one of the Raptors’ first three shots in each of the last three games. That stretch includes a game where he took the first shot as well. Being that he doesn’t get loads of shot attempts over the course of the game, we’ll also see a good number next to his name.

First Scorer Bet for January 3: Ochai Agbaji (TBD)

Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Tipoff – 10:30 pm EST
crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast – NBA TV

The Hawks are a team that us just a touch above average when it comes to the early game action. They have a 52.9% win rate on the tips and an identical 52.9% success rate for the first scores. While neither of those numbers are anything to write home about, it is plenty to give them an edge over the Lakers. The tip numbers are pretty close, but the Lakers rank 27th in the NBA in first scores. Their 40.6% success rate is enough for me to fade them in this one.

In this game, we will make a play on one of the bigger names on the squad. Jalen Johnson is having a hell of a year and the Hawks go to him early and often. He’s taken one of the Hawks first three shots in three straight games. Additionally, he has two of the first three in each of the last two games. You simply can’t ignore that kind of volume and we won’t here for Friday’s late night game.

First Scorer Bet for January 3: Jalen Johnson (TBD)

If you’d like even more info to help make your first scorer bets for January 3, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.