NBA First Basket Prop Pick: Nikola Jokic Is Elite to Open Games

NBA First Basket will break down some of his favorite NBA plays of the day here, and will track all his bets in The Action Network app.

Nikola Jokic First Basket — Risk 1 unit

In the last game of the night, the Denver Nuggets square off against the Golden State Warriors . Nikola Jokic has won 59% of all opening tip-offs this season and has won all four tips versus Kevon Looney (won 34% of opening-tips this year).

The Nuggets also scored first in eight of their last 10 games, while the Warriors scored first in just two of their last 10 games. Denver takes fewer attempts than any other team in the league (1.7) to make their first team field goal. Meanwhile, Golden State gives up first baskets to opposing centers in 34% of games, which is tied for worst in the league.

Jokic has been a first basket machine, scoring the first team field goal in 42% of games started and cashing his first basket prop in 22% of games started. Both of those numbers are top 10 in the league.

In games against the Warriors this season, Jokic has taken the first shot in three of the four games, but only cashed the first field goal once. That is a bit of an oddity because Jokic has taken first shot 28 times this year and converted it to a first field 67% of the time.

You can find a bit more first basket data below on each team's projected starters, along with notes on the four regular season matchup between the Nuggets and Warriors.

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