# NBA First Basket Picks Today: November 1, 2026 (Every Game) > Who scores first tonight? A first basket pick for each of the 4 NBA games, built on tip-off wins, shots per game, and first shot share. Updated daily. **Date:** 2026-11-01 **Author:** HeatCheck HQ **Tags:** First Basket, NBA, Daily Picks, Player Props, Betting Strategy **Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/nba-first-basket-picks-nov-1-2026 **Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io --- **Today's best NBA first basket picks for Sunday, November 1, 2026** are Paul George (Score: 83, 16.2 shots per game, first shot in 40.0% of starts), RJ Barrett (Score: 78, 15.8 shots per game, first shot in 20.0% of starts), Austin Reaves (Score: 73, 14 shots per game, first shot in 0.0% of starts). Rankings are generated by HeatCheck HQ's ten factor composite scoring model, updated daily. # NBA First Basket Picks Today: November 1, 2026 There are 4 NBA games tonight, and I have a first basket pick for every one of them. For each game I start with the opening tip, then look for the starter who is most likely to get the first shot and has the volume to make it count. It is early in the season, so the first basket rates are small samples. I am weighting shot volume and role more heavily until the numbers settle. > [First Basket dashboard](/nba/first-basket): live lineup confirmations before locks. > **Yesterday's picks:** [NBA First Basket Picks: October 31](/blog/nba-first-basket-picks-oct-31-2026) ## Tonight's First Basket Picks at a Glance | Game | Tip (ET) | Pick | First Shot % | First Baskets | PPG / FGA | |------|----------|------|--------------|---------------|-----------| | BOS @ ORL | 3:30 PM | Paul George (BOS) | 40.0% | 2/5 | 21.4 / 16.2 | | BKN @ IND | 5:00 PM | Julius Randle (BKN) | 20.0% | 1/5 | 21 / 15 | | LAC @ GS | 8:30 PM | Isaiah Jackson (LAC) | 25.0% | 1/4 | 8.6 / 6 | | TOR @ LAL | 9:00 PM | RJ Barrett (TOR) | 20.0% | 2/5 | 19.4 / 15.8 | ## Celtics vs. Magic First Basket Pick *3:30 PM ET · NBA League Pass · Total 221.5 · Top play of the night* The Celtics are 5 for 5 on opening tips this season, and the Magic are 4 for 5. Paul George is putting up 21.4 points on 16.2 shots a game, and he has taken the opening shot in 2 of 5 starts. It is early, 2 first baskets in 5 starts, so the volume is doing more of the work here than the hit rate. **Pick:** Paul George (BOS) to score the first basket **Also consider:** Wendell Carter Jr. (ORL) ## Nets vs. Pacers First Basket Pick *5:00 PM ET · NBA League Pass · Total 230.5* The Nets are 3 for 5 on opening tips this season, and the Pacers are 3 for 6. The volume is there for Julius: 15 field goal attempts and 21 points a game, with the first shot of the night in 1 of 5 starts. He has scored the first basket in 1 of 5 starts so far. That is an early sample, so I am leaning on the shot volume more than the rate. **Pick:** Julius Randle (BKN) to score the first basket **Also consider:** Pascal Siakam (IND) ## Clippers vs. Warriors First Basket Pick *8:30 PM ET · NBA League Pass · Total 220.5* The Clippers are 0 for 5 on opening tips this season, and the Warriors are 1 for 6. Isaiah is averaging 6 shots and 8.6 points a night, and the LAC have run their first look through him in 1 of 4 starts. He has scored the first basket in 1 of 4 starts so far. That is an early sample, so treat this as a lean, not a lock. Yaxel Lendeborg (19.8 PPG) is the name most people will reach for here, and he will likely be priced like it. I am going with Isaiah because he gets the first look more often (1 of 4 starts vs 1 of 6 for Yaxel). **Pick:** Isaiah Jackson (LAC) to score the first basket **Also consider:** Yaxel Lendeborg (GSW) > **Want the full board?** See all of today's plays on [Top Plays](/top-plays), or dive deeper on the [First Basket dashboard](/nba/first-basket). ## Raptors vs. Lakers First Basket Pick *9:00 PM ET · NBA League Pass · Total 224.5* The Raptors are 3 for 5 on opening tips this season, and the Lakers are 4 for 6. The volume is there for RJ: 15.8 field goal attempts and 19.4 points a game, with the first shot of the night in 1 of 5 starts. He has scored the first basket in 2 of 5 starts so far. That is an early sample, so I am leaning on the shot volume more than the rate. Austin Reaves (23.8 PPG) is the name most people will reach for here, and he will likely be priced like it. I am going with RJ because he gets the first look more often (1 of 5 starts vs 0 of 5 for Austin). **Pick:** RJ Barrett (TOR) to score the first basket **Also consider:** Austin Reaves (LAL) ## Related Guides - [First Basket Betting Guide](/blog/nba-first-basket-betting-guide) - [NBA DVP Matchups Explained](/blog/nba-dvp-matchups-explained) - [NBA Dashboard Quickstart](/blog/nba-dashboard-quickstart-for-beginners) ## Before You Lock Confirm lineups on the [First Basket dashboard](/nba/first-basket); starters can change up to 2 hours before tip. A late scratch changes who takes the first shot, so recheck any pick whose team is listed as questionable. For the complete breakdown of our scoring methodology, tipoff analysis, and bankroll strategy, see the [First Basket Betting Guide](/blog/nba-first-basket-betting-guide). **More from HeatCheck HQ:** - [Live First Basket Dashboard](/nba/first-basket): real time data for all tonight's starters - [Streak Plays Tonight](/nba/streaks): players on hot streaks vs their lines - [First Basket Betting Guide](/blog/nba-first-basket-betting-guide): full methodology *Picks update as lineups confirm. Bookmark [heatcheckhq.io](https://heatcheckhq.io) for today's full slate.* ## Related Resources - Parent hub: [NBA Props Hub](/blog/topic/nba-props) - Daily stream: [NBA First Basket Picks](/blog/stream/nba-first-basket-picks) - Author: [HeatCheck HQ](/blog/author/heatcheck-hq) - Browse all posts: [Sports Betting Insights & Guides](/blog) --- *Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*