NBA first basket odds for Tuesday, October 20: DraftKings’ price on 27 players to score the first basket in the three games, with the price on which team scores first, as ESPN’s odds feed listed them at 2:28 a.m. Eastern on Monday, October 19.
None of our NBA predictions calls the first basket, so this page names no bet. A first basket price pays only if that player scores the game’s first points; whether a free throw counts is a house rule, so read your book’s. One possession decides it, so the tip-off and who starts weigh more here than any season average.
The games
All times are Eastern. Spread and total are DraftKings’ game lines from the same read.
| Tip-off | Game | Spread | Total | First team to score | Our prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3:00 p.m. | Celtics at Pistons | Pistons -1.5 | 222.5 | Celtics -130, Pistons -105 | Pistons -110 |
| Tue 7:00 p.m. | 76ers at Knicks | Knicks -4.5 | 231.5 | 76ers -125, Knicks -110 | No bet |
| Tue 9:30 p.m. | Thunder at Spurs | Spurs -2.5 | 231.5 | Thunder +120, Spurs -165 | No bet |
How the prices read
The shortest first basket price on the slate is Victor Wembanyama at +371 in Thunder at Spurs: $100 returns $371 profit if he scores first, and the price implies a 21.2% chance.
Each game’s board prices eight to ten players, not the whole roster, so a player off the board can score first and no price covers him; that is why the margin cannot be taken out of these prices exactly. Even so, every board adds up to more than 100% (104.0%, 102.2% and 118.5%), which is the margin showing. First team to score is different, one price per side: in Celtics at Pistons the Celtics are -130 and the Pistons -105, a 7.7-point margin, which leaves 52.5% and 47.5% once it is removed. The prop betting guide covers the other kinds of player bet.
Beside each price are the player’s 2025-26 regular-season games, starts, points and shot attempts per game, from ESPN, with the team he played for then. No 2026-27 regular-season game has been played, so these are last season’s numbers.
Five of the 27 priced players changed team since: Jaylen Brown (last season with the Celtics, now the 76ers), John Collins (last season with the Clippers, now the Pistons), LeBron James (last season with the Lakers, now the 76ers), Mitchell Robinson (last season with the Knicks, now the Celtics) and Paul George (last season with the 76ers, now the Celtics).
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
Tuesday, October 20, 3:00 p.m. Eastern, Little Caesars Arena. First team to score: Celtics -130, Pistons -105. The eight first basket prices below add up to 104.0%. Our prediction for the game: Pistons -110.
| Player | First basket | Implied | Games (starts) | Points per game | Shots per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum, Celtics | +419 | 19.3% | 16 (16) | 21.8 | 17.9 |
| Cade Cunningham, Pistons | +535 | 15.7% | 64 (64) | 23.9 | 18.6 |
| Paul George, Celtics | +560 | 15.2% | 37 (37) | 17.3 | 13.9 |
| Jalen Duren, Pistons | +620 | 13.9% | 70 (70) | 19.5 | 11.5 |
| Mitchell Robinson, Celtics | +680 | 12.8% | 60 (16) | 5.7 | 3.4 |
| Derrick White, Celtics | +860 | 10.4% | 77 (77) | 16.5 | 14.4 |
| John Collins, Pistons | +990 | 9.2% | 69 (56) | 13.6 | 9.6 |
| Duncan Robinson, Pistons | +1240 | 7.5% | 77 (77) | 12.2 | 9.1 |
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, Madison Square Garden. First team to score: 76ers -125, Knicks -110. The nine first basket prices below add up to 102.2%. Our prediction for the game: No bet.
| Player | First basket | Implied | Games (starts) | Points per game | Shots per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson, Knicks | +477 | 17.3% | 74 (74) | 26.0 | 19.9 |
| Joel Embiid, 76ers | +539 | 15.6% | 38 (38) | 26.9 | 18.3 |
| Jaylen Brown, 76ers | +670 | 13.0% | 71 (71) | 28.7 | 21.7 |
| Tyrese Maxey, 76ers | +750 | 11.8% | 70 (70) | 28.3 | 21.4 |
| OG Anunoby, Knicks | +860 | 10.4% | 67 (67) | 16.7 | 12.0 |
| Mikal Bridges, Knicks | +900 | 10.0% | 82 (82) | 14.4 | 11.7 |
| LeBron James, 76ers | +950 | 9.5% | 60 (60) | 20.9 | 15.3 |
| VJ Edgecombe, 76ers | +1120 | 8.2% | 75 (75) | 16.0 | 13.7 |
| Josh Hart, Knicks | +1460 | 6.4% | 66 (52) | 12.0 | 9.0 |
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
Tuesday, October 20, 9:30 p.m. Eastern, Frost Bank Center. First team to score: Thunder +120, Spurs -165. The ten first basket prices below add up to 118.5%. Our prediction for the game: No bet.
| Player | First basket | Implied | Games (starts) | Points per game | Shots per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama, Spurs | +371 | 21.2% | 64 (55) | 25.0 | 16.9 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder | +610 | 14.1% | 68 (68) | 31.1 | 19.4 |
| De’Aaron Fox, Spurs | +620 | 13.9% | 72 (72) | 18.6 | 14.5 |
| Chet Holmgren, Thunder | +720 | 12.2% | 69 (69) | 17.1 | 11.3 |
| Dylan Harper, Spurs | +750 | 11.8% | 69 (4) | 11.8 | 9.5 |
| Stephon Castle, Spurs | +810 | 11.0% | 68 (67) | 16.7 | 12.0 |
| Devin Vassell, Spurs | +880 | 10.2% | 67 (65) | 13.9 | 11.3 |
| Jalen Williams, Thunder | +1020 | 8.9% | 33 (33) | 17.1 | 13.5 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder | +1140 | 8.1% | 47 (46) | 9.2 | 6.3 |
| Cason Wallace, Thunder | +1300 | 7.1% | 77 (58) | 8.6 | 7.6 |
Where these numbers come from
First basket, first team to score, spread and total are DraftKings’, as ESPN’s odds feed carried them at 2:28 a.m. Eastern on Monday, October 19. Games, starts, points and field goal attempts are ESPN’s 2025-26 regular-season statistics; each player’s team is ESPN’s 2026-27 listing. Starting lineups are confirmed shortly before tip-off, so check them before you bet. Points, rebounds and the other player lines are on NBA player props today.