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.
Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Brandon Ingram
| Prop | Ayton +390 | Bridges +900 | Ingram +850 |
| Matchup | Pelicans vs. Suns |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| Book | FanDuel |
Deandre Ayton has won 73% of all opening tip-offs this year and is 6-0 versus Jonas Valanciunas this season. The Suns score first 56% of the time (sixth in the league) while the Pelicans score first just 40% of the time (third-worst in the league).
In the eight games this season between the two teams, the Suns have scored first six times. Ayton has cashed twice (both in the regular season) but he has taken the first Suns field goal attempt in four of the six games he started, including the last two games without Devin Booker.
Looking at other Suns players and early shot attempts, the one who seems to benefit the most is Mikal Bridges. Although his overall statistics are worse without Booker, in the 19 games with Booker out, Bridges' frequency of taking one of the Suns' first three field goal attempts nearly doubles over his usage rate for the season. Bridges scored first with a layup on Sunday.
Lastly, in the event that the Suns miss the first shot or somehow lose the tip, Brandon Ingram has taken exactly half of the early field goal attempts for the Pelicans this series. He cashed first points scorer/first basket last Tuesday and then scored the first team points on Sunday. He is worth a small bet.
You can increase these odds by playing exact methods on FanDuel, or you can pair one of the above with Phoenix / New Orleans to win.
Get NBA First Basket's bets instantly in The Action Network app.
