Why Bet on NBA Games?
NBA games abound in end-to-end action and are played at a pace much faster than other basketball competitions or sports, for that matter. Sports bettors love that. The speed of NBA game allows you to see the result of your bet much faster than in other sports.
Another great thing about NBA games is the fantastic range of betting markets they produce. You can place both regular and in-play NBA bets and choose from hundreds of different betting markets and propositions. You can predict which NBA team will win the match, place point spread bets, wager on the number of points scored, create NBA parlays, go for player prop bets, etc.
Sports wagering bonuses are another reason why betting on the NBA makes sense. Unlike other sports, such as horse racing, you can use almost any bookmaker promo when betting on the NBA and basketball in general. Bonuses like free bets and enhanced betting odds are on the menu for NBA bettors at almost all top betting sites. So, you should have no problems using your free bet on NBA games or placing a wager at higher NBA odds.
What to Look for When Picking an NBA Betting Site
When picking an NBA betting site, you need to know what you are looking for. If you don't, you might end up with an inferior bookie, or worse, a fraudulent betting provider. Fortunately, you got us to help you. Read on to learn more about the critical factors to cover before choosing an NBA betting site.
Alternatively, if you want to start betting on the NBA straight away, go with the basketball betting sites list we have provided. Our trusted bookmakers are expert-vetted and tick all of the boxes we will talk about below. That way, you focus on your NBA bets and let us take care of the rest.
The NBA betting site you pick must have a license from a reputable regulator. If it does, the online sportsbook has met all its legal requirements, and you are dealing with a legitimate bookmaker.
Always make sure that the NBA betting site you go with has all the necessary security certificates and utilizes data encryption. Betting on NBA games involves depositing and withdrawing a lot of money and providing bookmakers with your personal information. So, it is crucial these are secure at all times.
The best NBA sportsbooks have a myriad of basketball betting markets. These must include both regular and live betting options. You should be able to choose from a wide range of betting lines, such as point spreads, NBA totals, player props, etc.
Your goal should be to find a bookmaker that gives you enticing NBA odds. To do that, you must locate an NBA sportsbook that works with a minimal house edge and has reasonable odds margins. If that sportsbook also gives you enhanced odds specials, that's even better.
The NBA is a globally recognized brand, so you would think that all betting sites would give you a comprehensive NBA betting offer. Unfortunately, that's not the case. That's why it is paramount that you find a bookie that lets you bet on each game of the NBA season. That would allow you to bet on all regular season games, as well as on the NBA playoffs.
Basketball Betting Offers
NBA bonuses and promos make betting on the NBA twice as fun. Nothing beats winning big from a free bet or pouncing on a lucrative first deposit bonus. However, to get that dopamine boost, you first need to find a bookmaker that has these promos. Unfortunately, not all of them do.
Reliable 24/7 customer support is a must for the top bookies these days, but you will be surprised how many bookmakers still lack in this department. Sure, things rarely go wrong. However, you want to be able to reach the sportsbook's help desk instantly when they do.
The best NBA betting sites will allow you to deposit and withdraw using as many banking options as possible. They will also have reasonable deposit and withdrawal limits that will work for bettors on a tight budget and high-stakes punters too.
Types of NBA Odds and Betting Lines
If you have ever visited an NBA betting site, you have probably noticed that there are different types of NBA odds. You might be familiar with some of them, but not quite sure about others. Let's fix that. Let's explain how NBA odds and betting lines work with easy examples everyone can understand.
NBA Betting Odds
In essence, there are three types of odds you will see when betting on the NBA championship - decimal, fractional, and American. For instance, if you were betting on the last game of the 2022 NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors, these would have been the odds bookies would have given you (including Over Time):
Celtics (1.57) vs Warriors (2.55)
Celtics (57/100) vs Warriors (31/20)
Celtics (-175) vs Warriors (+154)
Let's explain how these odds formats work. With decimal odds, you multiply the decimal number next to the NBA team by your bet stake. For instance, if you stake $10 on the Warriors, your potential winnings will be $25.5. That's your $10 stake plus a profit of $15.5.
Fractional odds, on the other hand, tell you that for every Y amount invested you get an X in profits. For example, if you stake $100 (Y) on the Celtics, you would get a profit of $57 (X).
Lastly, American odds come in two formats - positive and negative. Favorites usually get negative odds, while underdogs get positive odds. Positive American odds tell you how much you would get on a winning $100 bet. For example, if you place $100 on the Warriors and they win, you will get a profit of $154.
In contrast, negative American odds tell you how much need to stake to get a profit of $100. In other words, you need to back the Warriors with a $175 stake to get $100.
NBA Betting Lines
Another thing that might confuse a beginner NBA bettor is betting lines. Let's look at the two most common betting lines - point spread and moneyline, and help you figure out how they work.
Point spread betting lines are arguably the more popular of the two, especially with US bettors. Let's say the Los Angeles Lakers play against the Los Angeles Clippers. This is the NBA spread you might see:
Lakers +4 (-110) vs Clippers -4 (-110)
As you can see, there is handicapping invovled in this betting line. It means that the Lakers can lose by 3 points and still be the winning bet in this line. The Clippers, on the other hand, have to win by at least five points to cover the point spread. If they win by four (the Lakers lose by four), the bet is a push, and your stake is returned.
The important thing here, however, is that whichever of these two NBA teams you pick, you will get the same odds (-110). That's not the case when you bet on the next betting line and place moneyline bets.
In moneyline bets, there's no point spread. Whichever team wins the match is also the winning betting option:
New Orleans Pelicans (+185) vs Brooklyn Nets (-227)
It is evident that, unlike the point spread line, here, the two NBA teams get different odds that reflect their chances of winning. The Pelicans are the underdog, so they get higher odds. The Nets are the favorites and come with lower odds but higher chances of winning. It goes without saying that there's no handicapping involved to level the playing field in moneyline bets.
NBA Betting Markets
The NBA offers endless betting avenues. You can place both single and parlay bets, bet pregame and live, and can even go for some exotic betting options. Let's look at the most popular NBA betting markets.
Point Spreads
As we already mentioned, when you are betting on the point spread market you predict that one team (the favorite) will cover the handicap and the other team (the underdog) won't lose by a margin bigger than that same handicap.
For instance, when the Golden State Warriors (-9) play the Phoenix Suns (+9) the bookmaker levels the playing field with the nine-point spread. As a result, both teams get the same NBA odds to win in this market.
Moneyline
In a moneyline or straight bet, there's no spread. Therefore, the NBA team that wins the NBA game is the option you want to pick in this market too.
For example, if the Milwaukee Bucks play against the Miami Heat and win, that is your winning bet. However, have in mind that because there's no NBA spread, favorites will automatically get lower moneyline odds in this market.
Point Totals
Point totals markets areal for bettors who want to bet on points and not which team will win the NBA game. In these markets, you can bet Over or Under a predetermined points threshold the bookie has set. For example, if the threshold is 215.5 points, you can place a bet predicting that there will be more or fewer points scored.
Prop Bets
The great thing about NBA betting is that you can also bet on the performances of individual players and predict the number of points, assists, rebounds, and steals. In fact, this way, you can create quite large accumulators in your bet slip all from the same game.
For instance, you can place a bet saying that LeBron James will score Over 28.5 points, Anthony Davis will collect Over 9.5 rebounds, Russel Westbrook will have Under 11.5 assists, and so on.
NBA Futures
NBA futures or outright bets allow you to bet on long-term betting options, such as which team will win the NBA Finals, and stay engaged all season long. For example, you can place an NBA bet saying that LeBron James will be chosen as MVP at the end of the regular season or pick your rookie of the year for the 2023 NBA season.
NBA Live Betting
Live betting is available on most sports, and basketball is no exception. And because the NBA is the most popular basketball championship out there, the live betting odds and options are top-notch too.
The great thing about NBA live betting is that it makes watching NBA matches much more interesting. It also allows you to have more educated and profitable bets. Seasoned bettors can sense a point swing coming by watching NBA games as they happen. That way, they can profit from enticing live odds and smart NBA picks. So can you.
Strategies & Tips for NBA Betting
When betting on the NBA, you have to decide whether you want to get large returns with small to moderate stakes or go big with each NBA bet. If you want to get decent profits without risking too much money, NBA parlays are the way to go. With parlay bets, you include several NBA picks in your bet slip and each increases your potential winnings.
In contrast, if you have zeroed in on one team and one game and think it will give you the windfall you are looking for, single bets will be right up your alley. However, bear in mind that you might have to stake more money with these types of bets.
Another sound tip is to listen to NBA experts who have proven to be successful with their picks. These people follow the NBA action day in day out, and have much more info about games and players than people doing 9 to 5 jobs.
NBA Betting Tools to Help Your Betting Decisions
If you want to increase your chances of winning your NBA bets, you need to do your betting homework first. And we wouldn't be your trusty Betpack if we didn't pack all the tools you need for making the most of your NBA wagers.
First, make sure you stay on top of injury reports and visit sites like Rotowire, as an injury to a key player can be the difference between a winning and a losing bet. For instance, in the 2022 NBA playoffs in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Miami Heat without the injured Joel Embiid in the first two games of the series.
The 76ers star was producing MVP-worthy performances before his injury, so once he was out, the 76ers were a different team. They lost those first two games which later turned out to be decisive, as the series ended 4-2 in Miami's favor.
Another thing to do is to check the fixture list. If you notice that a team is playing against its arch-rival in the next round, maybe it's not the smartest move to back them in this one. They might be conserving some of their energy and their focus might be on a completely different game. It is very easy to check the NBA schedule and you can do thatctly on the official NBA site.
Other Things to Know About NBA Betting
But let's not stop there. Let's look at a couple of other factors that might influence the success of your wagers. One thing that's always a smart move is to check the form of the teams. NBA teams on long winning runs tend to continue winning, whereas teams stuck in losing streaks are down on confidence and find it much harder to get out of that losing rut.
Also, don't forget to compare the head-to-head record. Almost all NBA franchises have a so-called bogey team they find impossible to play against. So, if this is your first bet and you want to get it right, check the previous history between the teams. You and your bet don't want to be collateral damage to a team failing to break down a mental barrier and losing yet again to the same opponent.
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