NBA first basket predictions for Wednesday include Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant [10/22/2025]

This Wednesday, October 22nd, we have another exciting day of professional hoops ahead of us, headlined by the Cavaliers' matchup against the Knicks at 7:00PM ET.

After going over Wednesday's NBA simulations early this morning (see Dimers Pro for full access), our team of data experts have produced their best first basket bet of the day.

Additionally, this article reveals the NBA players our predictive analytics model has projected to have the highest probability of scoring the first basket in their respective matchups on Wednesday.

Let's dive into today's NBA first basket news and updates.

Who will score the first basket tonight? [NBA cheat sheet for October 22, 2025]

According to our data-driven analysis, the most likely NBA player to score the first basket across all of today's matchups is Donovan Mitchell, with a probability of 18.2%.

Thanks to simulating Wednesday's NBA games 10,000 times each, Dimers has determined the list of players most likely to score the first basket in their respective games.

Player (Team)	First Basket Probability
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)	18.2%
Ja Morant (Grizzlies)	17.5%
Cam Thomas (Nets)	17.0%
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)	16.0%
Zion Williamson (Pelicans)	15.7%
Anthony Davis (Mavericks)	15.7%
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)	15.4%
Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)	15.3%
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)	14.4%
DeMar DeRozan (Kings)	14.2%

Following Mitchell closely, the players with the next highest likelihood of scoring the first basket today are Ja Morant at 17.5% and Cam Thomas at 17.0%.

Wednesday's NBA first basket best bet [10/22/2025]

After simulating the outcome of today's NBA matchups 10K times each, our predictive model has found the best NBA first basket betting pick for Wednesday.

For full access to our comprehensive analysis and top picks, subscribe to Dimers Pro.

Shaedon Sharpe to score first basket

• Odds: +800
• Edge: 2.9%
• Probability: 14%
• Matchup: Timberwolves vs. Trail Blazers (10:00PM ET)

Our model has identified the best NBA first basket bet for today's NBA slate in the game between the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers. The bet is on Shaedon Sharpe (POR) at odds of +800 with FanDuel Sportsbook, with an edge of 2.9% according to our analysis.

Our model not only highlights Sharpe for him 2.9% betting edge but also ranks him among the top 10 most likely first basket scorers for today, as seen in the earlier list.

For today's full list of NBA prop picks, join Dimers Pro. We give you the tools and information to succeed with hundreds of data-driven bets across thousands of games. Sign up now to join the community!

NBA schedule for today [10/22/2025]

• Cavaliers vs. Knicks (7:00PM ET, Wednesday)
• Raptors vs. Hawks (7:30PM ET, Wednesday)
• Pistons vs. Bulls (8:00PM ET, Wednesday)
• Clippers vs. Jazz (9:00PM ET, Wednesday)
• Timberwolves vs. Trail Blazers (10:00PM ET, Wednesday)
• Kings vs. Suns (10:00PM ET, Wednesday)

Today's NBA first basket picks: October 22, 2025

This NBA first basket article has been partially generated using automated processes and AI technology. Our goal is to provide timely and accurate updates on NBA first basket picks for October 22, 2025. Automation assists in data collection, analysis, and formatting, while human editing and quality control ensure the content meets our editorial standards.

All of Dimers' NBA first basket picks for Wednesday, October 22, are based on thousands of data-driven game simulations, providing reliable and accurate NBA predictions to help you make informed decisions.

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