Mavericks vs Timberwolves First Basket Odds and Picks: McDaniels Puts Best Foot Forward

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to tip off your wagering this Memorial Day weekend, look no further than NBA First Basket props for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This quick-hitting market is exactly what it says it is: bet on the player to score the first basket of the game. This is an erratic outcome with longer odds, so don’t risk more than you can afford to lose. That said, it’s a crazy sweat for the first 10 to 30 seconds of a game.

I try to make sense of the madness and give my best NBA picks for the first basket scorer on Friday, May 24.

Mavericks at Timberwolves first basket picks

• Dallas: Luka Doncic (+650)
• Minnesota: Jaden McDaniels (+800)

Click on each name to jump to the full analysis

Dallas Mavericks

First basket pick: Luka Doncic
(+650 at FanDuel)

We kept it simple in Game 1 and sided with Luka Doncic to score the first basket for the Dallas Mavericks. It took a little while — and some missed shots — but that one cashed in at +600. 

Luka has been the first shot/first basket option for Dallas in the postseason, recording the first shot in five of 13 postseason games and knocking down the team’s first bucket in six of those contests. No one else is even close to that involvement.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — especially when you can get him at +650.

Minnesota Timberwolves

First basket pick: Jaden McDaniels
(+800 at FanDuel)

Jaden McDaniels been the Minnesota Timberwolves’ most active player out of the gate in the playoffs, shooting their first shot in four of the 12 postseason games and knocking down the team’s opening bucket three times.

While he didn’t strike first in Game 1 (that was Karl-Anthony Towns, who I correctly selected, thanks to Doug Farmer’s insights) he has been the spark for Minnesota all year. On the season, McDaniels ranked third in first shot percentage and No. 1 in first basket rate, opening scoring in 13.1% of games.

Bigger names like KAT, Anthony Edwards, and Rudy Gobert sit above him in the “first basket” odds for Game 2, giving extra value to McDaniels. He comes in with the hot hand, having scored 21+ in three straight, and Minnesota did win the Game 1 tip.

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Mavericks at Timberwolves first basket odds

• Karl-Anthony Towns (+500)
• Anthony Edwards (+550)
• Rudy Gobert (+600)
• Luka Doncic (+650)
• Jaden McDaniels (+800)
• Mike Conley (+850)
• Kyrie Irving (+900)
• Daniel Gafford (+950)
• P.J. Washington (+1,100)
• Derrick Jones Jr. (+1,500)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel

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