How to Bet on Basketball

With tons of stats to track, high-scoring games with constant action, and thousands of betting opportunities each year across the college and professional space, basketball is undoubtedly one of the best sports for betting. The NBA and college basketball both offer nonstop entertainment and potential profit-making opportunities around practically every corner.

This page will teach you all about how to bet on basketball. From key terms and concepts to fleshed-out examples, all the way to important tips and tricks, we give you all the knowledge you need to come off the bench and be a successful basketball bettor from day one.

How to Read Basketball Odds

If you want to know how to bet on the NBA, you’ll need to be able to read betting odds. These odds are usually displayed in the American format, a common method for presenting betting lines across major sports like the NBA and college basketball. In American odds, you’ll encounter plus and minus signs alongside numerical values.

The plus sign designates the underdog, indicating the potential profit you could make on a $100 wager. On the flip side, the minus sign represents the favorite, revealing the amount you’d need to bet to secure $100 in profit.

For example, if you bet $50 on the Sixers to win at +200 odds, you’d win $100. Conversely, if you bet $110 on the Knicks to win at -110 odds, you’ll win $100.

How Do Sportsbooks Set Basketball Betting Lines?

Sportsbooks employ a meticulous process when establishing betting lines for NBA and college basketball. This method involves a comprehensive analysis of various factors including:

• scrutinizing past matchups
• assessing the depth of team rosters
• plunging into statistical data
• closely monitoring the performances of key players
• considering team dynamics.

All these factors are weighed carefully to determine the most accurate odds possible.

By putting in this level of detail and analysis, sportsbooks aim to provide fair and competitive betting lines, ultimately enhancing the overall betting experience for basketball enthusiasts. The goal is to ensure that bettors have access to accurate odds that reflect the current dynamics of the teams and the game.

Is it Easier to Bet on College Basketball or the NBA?

When it comes to wagering on basketball, whether it’s the college game or the NBA, it’s all about understanding the sport and sports betting in general. There’s no definitive answer as to whether one is easier to bet on than the other because it largely depends on your preferences and what you’re looking for in a betting experience.

College basketball offers a broader range of teams, which can translate to more opportunities for intriguing bets. However, it also comes with its challenges. The quality of play can be less consistent due to the sheer number of teams, and you might find fewer betting options like player props compared to the NBA.

On the other hand, the NBA provides more diverse betting options, making it enticing for those who like to explore different types of wagers. The downside, if you’re seeking quantity, is that the NBA features fewer games compared to the college basketball schedule. This limits the number of opportunities for bets, which can be a drawback for some bettors.

In the end, your choice between college basketball and the NBA should reflect your interests and betting style. Regardless of your preference, remember that there are no guaranteed outcomes in any basketball game. It’s crucial to bet responsibly, never beyond your means, and thoroughly understand the sport and league you’re betting on.

NBA and College Basketball Sports Betting Examples

When it comes to betting on basketball, it’s easier to just show you how it works rather than explain everything. Below we’ve put together examples of some bet types you’ll run into when betting on basketball.

Think about what types of bets you’re likely to make, and take a look at the examples that seem interesting to you. These will give you a good idea not only of how these bets work but also the reasoning behind them. Please note that you do not have to bet the amounts listed. What you wager is up to you as long as you don’t bet beyond your means.

Moneyline

In basketball, moneyline betting offers a direct and uncomplicated way to wager on the game’s outcome. Unlike other forms of betting, such as point spreads or totals, which involve predicting the margin of victory or the total points scored, moneyline betting centers solely on picking the winning team or individual.

Imagine a thrilling college basketball clash between the arch-rivals, the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Duke. Sportsbooks slightly favor Duke to win. However, you believe that UNC, with its dominating big man Armando Bacot, has what it takes to secure the victory. You decide to wager $50 on UNC. At odds of +150, you’ll win $75 if UNC is victorious.

Point Spread

Point spreads serve as the great equalizer in basketball betting. Think of it as a handicap, much like in golf, that levels the playing field when two teams possess significantly different skill levels.

Let’s consider an NBA example where the Phoenix Suns face the Dallas Mavericks on an ordinary weeknight. The Suns are favored by 3.5 points, but you believe they will win by a wider margin. This prediction is based on the incredible form of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker finally regaining his pre-injury prowess after an extended absence. Because of this, you decide to place a $100 bet on the Suns to beat the spread.

Over/Under

Over/under (O/U) betting is a straightforward and widely practiced type of wager in basketball betting. It entails predicting the total number of points, goals, or runs scored in a game rather than the game’s outcome. You may see this bet type referred to as “totals” at some sportsbooks.

Take, for instance, Damian Lillard’s debut game with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Knowing Dame’s penchant for high-scoring performances, you anticipate a remarkable scoring night and predict that he will easily surpass the set over/under of 31.5 points, even when playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. At -110 odds, a bet on Dame to hit the over would net you $136.36 in profit.

Parlays

This approach allows you to combine multiple individual bets into a single, multi-leg wager, increasing both the odds and potential winnings compared to placing each bet separately. However, there’s a significant catch with parlay wagers: every individual bet within the parlay must be successful for you to win. If even one bet in the parlay fails, the entire wager is lost.

Let’s consider a four-leg parlay example that combines college basketball and the NBA. You place bets on UCLA defeating USC, Villanova covering the spread against Providence, Nikola Jokic recording a triple-double, and Joel Embiid grabbing 15+ rebounds. With odds of +1750, you’d win a whopping $1,750 if all four of these legs hit.

Teasers

Teaser betting is a captivating strategy in basketball gambling. It provides the flexibility to modify point spreads or over/under lines for two different games within a single bet. This approach enhances your odds of winning each bet but introduces the complexity of creating a parlay.

Imagine you want to bet on two NBA games: the Philadelphia 76ers (-2.5) and the Portland Trail Blazers (+3.5) to cover the spread. With a teaser bet, you can move the line by four points, adjusting the lines to Sixers +1.5 and Blazers +7.5. However, as it’s a teaser bet, the odds are combined into one parlay. Therefore, you need both to hit to see any profits.

Futures

Futures betting in basketball is an exciting departure from wagering on single games. It involves betting on the outcome of a future competition or award race, such as the prestigious Naismith Player of the Year in college basketball. Let’s consider a scenario involving three prominent contenders: Armando Bacot, Zach Edey, and Kyle Filipowski, with odds of +500, +650, and +725 respectively.

This type of betting offers a unique advantage, allowing you to invest in your prediction for the entire season. Unlike traditional game-by-game analysis, futures betting lets you enjoy the action without daily research, making it an attractive option for basketball enthusiasts who don’t have time to analyze every game.

Props

Prop bets, short for proposition bets, bring an extra layer of excitement to basketball betting. Rather than fixating on the game’s ultimate outcome, prop bets focus on specific player or team performances within the event. These can encompass a wide range of options, including individual player statistics like assists or three-pointers made and broader team-related stats like total rebounds.

Imagine an enticing NBA prop parlay featuring the Los Angeles Lakers. In this example, you’re betting on Austin Reaves to score more than 15.5 points, LeBron James to surpass 7.5 assists, and Anthony Davis to grab less than 12.5 rebounds. Prop bets allow you to delve into the intricacies of the game, making them particularly appealing to those with in-depth knowledge of players and teams.

Live Betting

Live betting, also known as in-play betting, provides an exhilarating way to engage with basketball action as it unfolds. Unlike traditional betting, where wagers are placed before the game commences, live betting empowers you to make bets during the course of the game.

Picture this: you’re watching an NBA game featuring the Boston Celtics when you notice star player Jayson Tatum heading to the locker room with a sprained ankle. This prompts a swift decision to place a bet on Kristaps Porzingis, as he’s likely to carry the offensive load and potentially score 25+ points in Tatum’s absence. Live betting allows you to react in real-time to dynamic in-game developments like this.

Basketball Betting Tips

Before you hit the court and start launching away from deep, let’s go over a few helpful tips that will help keep your field goal percentage high. These tips aren’t automatic money-makers, but they are some helpful pieces of advice that will make you a more thoughtful and analytically-driven bettor.

Consider Past Matchups

Understanding past matchups is a critical aspect of successful NBA prop betting. When delving into the NBA Finals or any game, taking a closer look at historical interactions between teams and players can offer valuable insights into how they may perform against each other in the current contest.

Whether it’s an underdog team with favorable underlying statistics or a lesser-known player with a unique skill set that could challenge a star opponent, examining past matchups provides essential context for your prop betting opportunities. Just remember to not go too far back, roster turnover in the NBA and college basketball is extensive, and data more than two or three seasons back probably isn’t all that relevant.

Use More Than Counting Stats

While points, rebounds, and assists per game are foundational basketball statistics, they often lack the depth needed for successful sports betting. Rather than fixating on sheer volume stats, consider analyzing rate stats based on metrics such as per 36 minutes or per 100 possessions.

This approach provides a clearer picture of how a player may perform with extended playing time. Additionally, metrics like offensive rebound rate and free throw rate can offer insights into a team’s likelihood of gaining extra possessions through offensive boards and trips to the free-throw line, which is a main driver of success in basketball.

Think About the Implications of Injuries

Injuries are never a positive aspect of sports, yet they can present advantageous opportunities for sports bettors. If a star player is sidelined for an extended period, predicting how the team will perform without their key contributor becomes challenging even for sportsbooks. This scenario creates an opening for astute betting.

If a team loses one of the league’s best rebounders for a few weeks, it’s a strategic move to consider placing bets on opposing big men to exceed their rebound totals in upcoming games. By contemplating the ramifications of injuries and their effects on players from both teams, you can unlock intriguing betting possibilities that you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed.

It’s Not Always a Stars Game

While it’s tempting to focus on star players like Nikola Jokic and LeBron James, betting on them consistently doesn’t always translate into profitable opportunities. Betting on stars can be volatile because sportsbooks set high bars for player props involving such well-known players. One strategy for enhancing your profitability is to explore games where stars are less likely to have an outsized impact.

For instance, when the best team in the league faces a squad well below .500, the game may turn into a blowout, resulting in stars playing limited minutes. Recognizing this in advance allows you to wager on the under for key stats or bet on bench players to have a larger impact.

Don’t Forget About Load Management

Player load management isn’t an exact science, but it generally follows a consistent pattern, albeit with variations among teams. When dealing with players like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, pay special attention to back-to-back games. Injury-prone or older stars are likely to rest during one of these games. Being aware of this tendency in advance enables you to secure favorable odds before the official announcements.

In load management games, assess how players on both teams can benefit from the star’s absence. Perhaps one of the star’s teammates is poised to step up, or a scorer on the opposing team can thrive without facing the resting player’s defense.