Which NBA Quarter Scores the Most? Quarter and Half Totals
Seven seasons of line scores show the first three quarters scoring almost identically, then a clear drop in the fourth. The second half also trails the first more often than not.
Quarter and half totals look like simple maths: take the full-game line, divide by four or by two, and bet the gap. I tested that habit against official line scores from 8,919 games, covering the regular season, play-in and playoffs from 2019-20 to 2025-26. This is the same evidence-first process that sits behind my tonight's NBA picks page, applied to a market most people price by instinct.
The headline answer is that the game is not split evenly. The first quarter averaged 56.9 combined points and the fourth only 54.4, with the second and third close to the first. The second half outscored the first in just 45.3% of regular-season games, even with overtime included. A straight split of the game line overrates the back end.
1The fourth quarter is clearly the slowest scoring period
The first three bars are almost the same height: 56.9 in the first quarter, 56.6 in the second and 56.7 in the third. Then the fourth drops to 54.4, about 2.5 points below the opener. That is the only real step in the chart, and it is where any pricing edge would sit.
My explanation is pace and game state. Late possessions get longer, timeouts multiply, and blowouts hand minutes to benches that run cautious sets. Close games add free throws, but not enough to make up for the drop in tempo.
View the data: average combined points by quarter
| 8,919 games, 2019-20 to 2025-26 | |
|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 56.9 pts |
| Quarter 2 | 56.6 pts |
| Quarter 3 | 56.7 pts |
| Quarter 4 | 54.4 pts |
The shares of outright highs and lows back this up. The fourth was the lowest quarter in 32.2% of games and the outright highest in only 17.7%, while the first led at 26.2%, the second at 25.1% and the third at 24.9%. These are averages from seven seasons, though, and a single quarter landing ยฑ10 points from them is common, so I treat the shape as a starting price rather than a prediction.
2First halves outscore second halves in most games
Most half bets settle with overtime counted in the second half, so that is the main view here. Even with that bonus, the first half was higher in 52.6% of regular-season games against 45.3% for the second. Strip overtime out and the gap widens: 54.5% for the first half against 43.4% for the second.
The playoffs are closer, with the second half higher in 48.0% of games and the first in 50.2%. Playoff scoring is lower all round, though the fourth-quarter dip still shows, with 52.3 points against 54.0 in playoff first quarters.
View the data: which half produces more points?
| Second half higher | First half higher | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | 45.3% | 52.6% | 2.1% |
| Playoffs | 48.0% | 50.2% | 1.9% |
| Regulation only (no OT) | 43.4% | 54.5% | 2.2% |
Level halves are rare, so a pushed half bet seldom comes into it. If you take a second-half over because teams supposedly open up late, remember that overtime is doing some of the work for you.
3The half gap held up even as scoring rose
Scoring has climbed across the sample. First halves went from 112.2 in 2019-20 to 115.8 in 2025-26, and regulation second halves rose from 109.5 to 113.3. Every season the first-half line sits above the second-half line.
The gap has not stayed fixed, though. In the early seasons the lines were further apart; from 2023-24 onwards the second half has pulled closer, with 112.4 against 113.8 and then 112.6 against 113.2. I treat this as a pattern that persists but is narrowing, not as a fixed constant.
View the data: first half vs second half (regulation) by season
| First half | Second half, regulation | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 112.2 pts | 109.5 pts |
| 2020-21 | 113 pts | 109.7 pts |
| 2021-22 | 111.2 pts | 108.4 pts |
| 2022-23 | 115.2 pts | 111.9 pts |
| 2023-24 | 113.8 pts | 112.4 pts |
| 2024-25 | 113.2 pts | 112.6 pts |
| 2025-26 | 115.8 pts | 113.3 pts |
Across games without overtime, the first half carried 50.5% of combined points. That sounds tiny, but quarter and half lines are cut finely, and a small consistent tilt matters more there than in full-game totals.
4High and low totals both fade in the fourth
Grouping games by closing total shows whether the late fade is just a feature of slow games. It is not. Under 215, from 1,142 games, quarters ran 52.7, 53, 52.6 and then 51.5. At 235 or more, from 1,451 games, they ran 60.6, 59.9, 60.5 and then 57.7.
The two middle bands follow the same pattern. The 215-224.5 group drops to 53.2 in the fourth after 55.5 in the first, and the 225-234.5 group drops to 55.1 after 58.
View the data: points per quarter by closing total
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 215 (1,142) | 52.7 pts | 53 pts | 52.6 pts | 51.5 pts |
| 215-224.5 (3,078) | 55.5 pts | 55.2 pts | 55.3 pts | 53.2 pts |
| 225-234.5 (3,244) | 58 pts | 57.8 pts | 57.9 pts | 55.1 pts |
| 235 or more (1,451) | 60.6 pts | 59.9 pts | 60.5 pts | 57.7 pts |
The fade looks sharper in the higher-total games than in the lowest band. My reading is that high-total fixtures go into blowout territory more often, and garbage time slows the clock. Low-total games are already grinding, so there is less pace left to lose.
Betting notes
- Never quarter the full line. The first three quarters average between 56.6 and 56.9 points while the fourth averages 54.4, so a straight division of the game total overprices the fourth. Compare any fourth-quarter line with that shape before you bet.
- Respect overtime in halves. The second half was higher in 45.3% of regular-season games with overtime counted, but only 43.4% without it. If a second-half over needs extra time to land, price that in honestly.
- Scale with the closing total. In games closing at 235 or more the fourth averaged 57.7 against 60.6 in the first, so the drop holds in high-scoring matchups. Don't assume a shootout will keep its pace to the end.
Quick answers
Which NBA quarter has the most points?
The first quarter, narrowly, at 56.9 combined points on average across 8,919 games. The second and third are close behind at 56.6 and 56.7, and the first quarter was the outright highest in 26.2% of games.
Is the fourth quarter the lowest-scoring quarter in the NBA?
On average, yes. The fourth quarter averaged 54.4 combined points and was the outright lowest quarter in 32.2% of games.
Does the second half score more than the first half in the NBA?
Usually not. Including overtime, the second half was higher in 45.3% of regular-season games and the first half in 52.6%. The playoffs are closer, with the second half higher in 48.0%.
I'm Eleanor Whitfield, based in London, and I run the NBA picks and parlays at bettips.vip โ leaning on pace, efficiency and matchups over gut and reputation.
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