The next best time to start NBA betting is now. Thanks to betting sites and different bets they provide, the
options for wagering on NBA are endless.
So, how do you go from being a novice on NBA betting to an expert?
This Beginners guide to NBA Betting will discuss the best betting strategies and tips on this league.
You’ll also master the basics of NBA betting like betting types, how odds work, and common mistakes
beginners make and how to avoid them.
The NBA is one of the most profitable and prominent American sports leagues you can bet on… Ready to
learn more?
Content
- What is the NBA?
- Types of NBA bets
- NBA betting tips and strategies
- Common NBA betting mistakes and how to avoid them
What is the NBA?
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the US’ major professional basketball league and one of
the major American sports too. It consists of 30 teams, with 2 conferences of 15 teams each further
divided into three.
Types of NBA Bets
There are different types of common NBA bets you’ll come across. We have explained them below.
Moneyline
Moneyline bet is the most straightforward type of bet. Here, all you need to do is pick the team you think
is going to win and bet against the moneyline odds.
In the moneyline, odds for the favorites are accompanied by a minus sign e.g Celtics is – 200. This
means you need to bet $200 to receive a $100 return.
Odds for the underdogs are accompanied by a plus sign, i.e +180 for the Warriors. The plus sign means
betting $100 on Warriors will give you $180.
Spread
Spread betting means you are wagering on a victory margin. You want a team to either win by a specific
number of points or more or you need another team to lose by a certain number of points.
E.g – Celtics -7.5 and Warriors +7.5.
Here, if you want to back Celtics, then you “lay” 7.5, which means you need them to win by 8 or more
points to get your payout. Additionally, to back the Warriors you “take” 7.5 points meaning they’ll have to
lose by less than 8 points for you to win.
In Spread bet, the standard moneyline odds is -110 which means betting $110 to win $100.
Totals
Total bet is a wager placed on the total points scored by two teams in a game.
When you bet on totals, you are 100% uncertain about who will win the game but you just want to predict
if it will be a high scoring game or a low scoring one, if the total points of the game will be over or under
that amount.
NBA Futures Betting
NBA Futures odds show up first in the off-season and are used for long-term bets. They cover the
outcomes of a season and events that will occur by then.
Things you can wager on in Futures bet include – final winners or MVP or rookie of the year award, etc.
Live Betting
NBA live betting is a fast growth market. It is a live in-game betting where you can wager on an ongoing
NBA game and predict its outcome.
Parlays
Parlay bet houses multiple bets. In it, you wager on a game, win, and use those winnings plus your
original stake to put into another bet, in hopes of getting a higher payout.
In Parlay, if all parts of your bets win then you’ll get a high payout, but if it loses then you lose the entire
bet.
Player Props
Player Props (proposition) is a type of bet placed on player or players performance. It’s based on statistics
relating to players.
In props, you wager on a player to score more than 23.5 points. If they score up to 24, you win your bet.
Other statistics you can wager on include – assists, rebounds, free throws or a combination of all these.
Game Props
Game Prop bet involves specific events that could happen during a game. Example – first team to score 15
points or if they’ll be more or less (Over/Under) a particular number of 3-point shots made between both
teams.
NBA Betting Tips and Strategies
We’ve shared some NBA betting tips and strategies that can be handy for your next bet, if followed.
Have Many ‘Outs’
The best way to improve your odds in the NBA is to increase your options, by having accounts with
multiple sportsbooks.
Doing this can help you shop for the lowest moneyline on a team you want to bet on based on price.
The higher your options the higher your chances of finding favorable odds.
Find The Best Available Odds
The best available odds determine the profit you’d make for placing a winning bet. One way you’d notice
these odds is by comparing the odds of various markets.
Home Vs Away
It is important to know which teams have a stronger home court advantage over others and which teams
don’t.
Also know the ones that play well on the road or inexperienced teams that struggle with road games.
Additionally, note if the home court advantage is woven into the line.
Matched and Arbitrage Betting Advantage
Matched and arbitrage betting are special betting systems, and can boost your winnings.
They are used by expert bettors, as they cover every possible outcome, making an unlikely bet hard.
In Matched betting you use Sportsbooks bonuses to place several wagers, completely canceling the risks.
While in arbitrage betting you wager on all the outcomes of an event on various sportsbooks, giving you a
win no matter the outcome.
Follow Expert Predictions
Good tipsters provide information on how to select a betting market. Also, their predictions help you
know which bets to place and make the best NBA betting decisions.
Bet Against Favorites
Betting on an underdog if you know how to, can be profitable. For instance, if you feel that a +8 home
underdog has a puncher’s chance of winning against their opponents then you should consider betting on
that game.
Before you bet on a big underdog, they would have a high potential to win a game and not just cover.
Track Your Betting Records
Tracking your betting records is an effective way to know what strategies work and what doesn’t.
In the records, note your losses, wins and record major games. This information helps future research.
Wager On Momentum Swings
In NBA live betting it is important to understand momentum swings. This is because a favorite might go
down early, causing their odds to drop several points in live betting.
Live betting progresses rapidly, if you accurately time your bets, you could get a wager on a favorite for a
much cheaper price than when the game started. Additionally, predict which outcomes are mere
momentum swings and which ones are mismatches that’ll be hard for favorites to catch up.
Accept All Wins And Profits
Most NBA punters often use small profits to place more bets, while others focus too much on big wins
and don’t appreciate the small wins.
This behavior makes punters anxious about winning big and then they start placing random bets with big
rewards. To avoid this mistake, always appreciate the small wins and profits.
Understand Outside Factors
An important outside factor in the NBA that is overlooked is a team’s form. If your team has been playing
5-6 consecutive games, they’ll be exhausted and you might have to avoid betting on them.
However, if both teams are playing a back-to-back in the second-half or in-between a tough schedule,
then consider – which team rested their starters in the fourth quarter of the previous game night and which
one played over-time.
Common NBA Betting Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Here are some NBA betting mistakes and how to avoid them.
No Knowledge About NBA
Waging on the NBA without enough knowledge on how it works is a wrong move.
This is because you don’t know things like what team to research or bet on, how to analyze game statistics
and place likely bets.
Betting Emotionally
An emotional bet because you love a team, clouds your judgment. Separate your passion from the right
betting moves to make.
Poor Bankroll Management
Avoid poor bankroll management by betting within your means, and not bet a huge amount on all the
available NBA games nightly. Bet wisely to succeed.
Fixing Losses With Bigger Bets
Chasing your NBA losses by doubling your bets the next game is a mistake to avoid.
Losing $70 to the Celtics doesn’t mean you should bet $100 on another game because you want to double
or nothing your losses.
Stick to sustainable strategies that you’re sure will yield results over a longer time frame. Don’t get
desperate.
Betting Without Research
To succeed over-time and win consistently, do your research before placing a bet.
Your gut feeling won’t always pay off. Instead use data to backup and confirm it.
