NBA First Basket Predictions & Prop Bet Picks Today: Warriors Celtics 6/13

With this yo-yo NBA Finals series all tied up at two games apiece, it is a best-of-three series to decide the NBA champion. Neither team has lost back-to-back games in this series or in the entire playoffs thus far. It would be shocking if this series doesn’t go seven games at this point. The Celtics depth and overall team talent has been on display as the Warriors seem to be fully relying on massive performances from Stephen Curry to reach the winner’s circle. The home-team Warriors are 3.5-point favorites Monday as they look to take a 3-2 series lead. There are two games minimum left in the NBA season, which means it’s time to win some player and first basket props.

NBA First Basket Prediction & Prop Bet Picks Today 6/13

One would think there is a 20% chance of hitting this NBA first basket prop when picking two players among 10 starters, but it has been a struggle bus ever since the first article hit Kevon Looney at +1400. This article seems to be a game off of every player that hits, so taking Game 4 picks Jaylen Brown and Al Horford may be a sound strategy. The Warriors threw a curveball by starting Otto Porter in Game 4 in replace of Looney. Keep an eye out for their starting lineup because that will affect the odds a little bit, along with the specific Warriors first basket, as Looney has made the Warriors first basket in eight of their 20 playoff games.

Warriors vs. Celtics Game 5 | Monday, June 13 | 9 p.m. ET

Let’s dive into the starters and their odds to score the first basket, along with the first baskets from the first four games.

The Starters and Odds

Jaylen Brown +400
Stephen Curry +450
Jayson Tatum +600
Klay Thompson +600
Robert Williams III +750
Andrew Wiggins +850
Al Horford +1100
Kevon Looney +1200
Marcus Smart +1200
Draymond Green +1600

Results This Series

Game 1 – Stephen Curry (3-Pointer)
Game 2 – Andrew Wiggins (3-Pointer)
Game 3 – Kevon Looney (2-Pointer)
Game 4 – Marcus Smart (2-Pointer)

The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds

Stud NBA First Basket Prop Bet: Stephen Curry +450

BetMGM has kept nearly the same player odds to score the first basket all series. For the stud pick, Stephen Curry has been phenomenal for the Warriors in this series. He is averaging 34.3 points per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 49.1% from behind the arc. Curry has made at least five 3-pointers in each game of the NBA Finals and is averaging a 34.7% usage rate through the first four games. No one can match Curry’s first quarter flurries thus far. He leads the NBA Finals with 50 first quarter points, and the next closest is Jaylen Brown with 36 points. Despite losing the tip in three of the four games, the Warriors have scored the first basket in three of four games, with Curry scoring the first in Game 1 with a 3-pointer. A little over half (54.3%) of Curry’s attempts this series have come from behind the arc, and taking his first basket prop of exact method being a 3-pointer is +800. No one is playing as well as Curry in this series. His ankle injury seems like a non-issue after he poured in 43 points in Game 4. Look for Curry to continue to be aggressive right from the jump, even if the Warriors do not win the opening tip. He is playing better than anyone else.

Longshot NBA First Basket Prop Bet: Draymond Green +1600

This may seem crazy, but Draymond Green at +1600 is a decent longshot play. To get even crazier, put a little on Green to score the first basket exact method of a 3-pointer at +10000. That is an insane number to get for a player who has attempted a 3-pointer on 34.6% of his field goals during the NBA Finals. Granted, Green hasn’t made one yet, and he also has more fouls (18) than points (17) during the first four games. If the Warriors start Otto Porter again, the lane will be wide open for Green. It is not often that the Warriors pull Green for how badly he is playing, but that is what happened in Game 4. He shot 1-for-7 from the field and looked so lost on the court at times that even his own mother was roasting him on Twitter. Playing at home in front of Warriors fans has to help Green get back on track tonight. Scoring in the paint is difficult against the Celtics starting frontcourt of Al Horford and Robert Williams, which is why taking his 3-pointer for the first basket of +10000 is so intriguing. This is a gamble, but so is this bet in general.