NBA First Basket Prop Pick: Bet Nikola Vucevic & Zach LaVine for Wizards vs. Bulls (Feb. 26)

NBA First Basket Prop Pick: Bet Nikola Vucevic & Zach LaVine for Wizards vs. Bulls (Feb. 26) article feature image
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Via Michael Reaves/Getty Images. Pictured: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls argues with Zach LaVine #8 against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at United Center on December 31, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.

  • The Bulls are short home favorites on Sunday afternoon against the Wizards.
  • With Kristaps Porzingis out, how should we be betting which player will score the first points of the game?
  • NBA First Basket has two picks on the Bulls as they are a rare favorite to win the opening tip-off.

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.

NBA First Basket Prop Pick: Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine

OddsVucevic (+500) I LaVine (+900)
Time3:30 p.m. ET
Book FanDuel

The Washington Wizards take on the the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon.  Daniel Gafford (17% opening tip win rate) moves over to the center position for the injured Kristaps Porzingis and will face off against Nikola Vucevic (33% win rate) on the opening tip. Vucevic won both of his previous two tip-offs against Gafford last season, and this is one of the rare occasions where the Bulls should be favored to win the tip-off. 

These two teams have played each other three times this season, with Ayo Dosunmu cashing the first basket in the first game and Zach LaVine scoring the first team basket for Chicago the last two games (and cashed first basket in one of those games).

Defensively, the Wizards are generally weakest against centers, small forwards and power forwards on early possessions. With Porzingis out, Kuzma likely shifts to the power forward spot.

The Bulls have also shaken up their starting lineup recently, with newly acquired Patrick Beverley starting for Dosunmu and Alex Caruso starting for Patrick Williams.

Vucevic has been one of the hottest first-basket players recently, having scored the Bulls' first team field goal in 11 of the last 17 games. He has cashed six first-basket bets during that timeframe as well.

I'll be taking Vucevic and LaVine to score first this afternoon.

Pick: Nikola Vucevic First Basket +500 (risking 0.70 units | play down to +400)

Pick: Zach LaVine First Basket +900 (risking 0.30 units | play down to +700)

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