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A Comprehensive Guide to NBA Betting

NBA Betting isn’t really a new phenomenon. It isn’t even something exclusively reserved for hardcore gambling enthusiasts. In fact, the chances are that most people have engaged in at least some form of casual betting in their lives.

This is because betting doesn’t need to be a technical activity. Indeed it usually is when we talk about actual sports betting or gambling, but in everyday life, where most people casually bet on things betting is rather simple.

Think of it this way, have you ever had a bet among your friends over the likelihood of a random thing happening? Now think deeply about the situation, was it really that random? We rarely bet on random things, and more often than not, betting involves things that are likely to happen, but no one knows the pattern by which they happen.

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So in the above example, you may have bet your friends that your mutual friend will be late. The basis for this bet is probably a historical precedent set by your friend. No one knows for sure whether this will happen or not; you’re just betting for fun.

This is betting, in a nutshell, predicting the likelihood of certain events. Of course, we haven’t introduced the technical aspects of betting into the situation yet. There are things called odds in betting. What are the odds of your friend arriving late? Two things determine these.

The first is shared information. Suppose everyone knows that their car broke down yesterday; this would mean that they are more likely to be late than usual, so most people would bet on the friend being late.

The second factor is exclusive information. Suppose that your mutual friend has a roommate who is currently with you. This individual would be more likely to know whether your friend will be late because they would be familiar with their daily routine.

All these factors do not influence the events’ odds, but a bookie uses them to determine the odds and allow you to bet on them. The final part of betting stakes. What do you get if you win? What do you have to forego if you lose? Stakes are the key differentiator between betting with friends for fun and betting on sites and apps for money.

Introduction to Sports Betting

Of course, that brings us to the main theme of this guide. Sports betting has been around as long as sports themselves. The activity is also almost as popular as well. That’s a big statement given the popularity of certain sports.

NBA betting is an example of such an activity. Every year millions of people bet on NBA games, practically matching the number of viewers. It wasn’t always like this; sports betting used to be something of a taboo up until a few decades ago. The internet changed everything, though.

The ease and speed with which you can find out NBA odds and bet on NBA games, among other sports, has caused the sports betting industry to enter a renaissance.

The rise in the number of willing gambling and sports betting enthusiasts has led to an increase in the number of sports betting sites, including NBA betting sites. This means that people are looking for reliable information on sports betting now more than ever before. This is where we come in. Today we’ll take you through our NBA betting guide.

In this guide, we will focus on NBA bets and odds types while also sharing the best NBA betting tips and NBA betting strategy. So, read on to learn more.

How to Bet on NBA Games

NBA is one of the most followed games in the United States. Thanks to the internet and smartphones, we’ve already spoken about how easy sports betting has become these days. This has led to an increase in the number of people who are interested in betting on NBA games.

If you’re such an individual, you may be wondering how to get started. Well, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll take you through everything you need to know to get started in an organized and step-by-step manner.

Sign-up for a Sportsbook

The very first step in the process will obviously be to sign up at a platform where you can actually bet on the games. There are a lot of online sports betting sites out there that you can choose from. Each sports betting platform has a sportsbook. A sportsbook is essentially a document where all the available bets and wagers for a particular day of games are available along with their odds.

Many people who are just starting their sports betting journey don’t want to get caught up in the specifics of choosing a sportsbook. Worry not! We have your back in this regard. Our team of experts regularly reviews the best sportsbooks in the business by ranking based on various aspects like customer service quality, sports variety, betting options, and payout and withdrawal options. This means that you have all the relevant information in one place.

Thanks to our guides, you don’t need to go through hundreds of sites to find out which sportsbook is the best. Go through the guides our team has assembled and pick the sportsbook you feel best suits your needs.

Once you’ve signed up for a sportsbook, you can go through the NBA bets section and see the NBA odds offered by the sportsbook of your choice. To place your bet, you will obviously need to deposit money into your account with the platform. Once the money is in your account, you can start betting on NBA games.

Types of NBA Bets and Wagers

At this point, you may be confused because of the variety of things in the NBA bets section. Once again, you don’t need to worry about a thing. First, we’ll walk you through the various types of wagers you can make when betting on NBA games. Then we’ll explain how you can read the odds for these wagers and bets.

Moneyline Bets

There is no bet simpler to understand than a money line bet. This is because most of us have participated in moneyline bets at some point in our lives. Remember the example we discussed at the start of this guide? That was also a moneyline bet.

Gambling and sports betting have evolved a lot over the past few decades. The internet has made possible new and unique betting types, and yet moneyline bets have remained largely unchanged throughout this period.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? Moneyline bets are the most popular bets out there and most casual bettors exclusively partake in this type of NBA bets. Chance are these will be the first type of bet you see when you are browsing through the NBA betting section on your sportsbook.

What does a moneyline bet mean, though? Well, a moneyline bet simply means predicting the eventual outcome of a situation. It is almost always binary in nature, such as yes or no. In the context of sports betting, this means that you are betting on the winner of an NBA game or series.  It really is that simple. 

There are no technicalities to consider or additional rules you need to follow. Simply think about who you believe will win the game, tournament or series and bet on that team.

Spread Betting

We’ve discussed simple moneyline bets; now it’s time to add a layer of complication to the mix. Spread betting is rather simple to understand once you know why these types of bets exist. It is not uncommon in many sports that teams are head and shoulders above the rest. 

Think about the 96′ Bulls team. There weren’t going to be many teams that can go head to head with that team. It doesn’t even have to be a league-dominating team. Sometimes the other team is simply better than yours, and it’s very obvious for everyone to see.

This can not only make the sport boring but also make sports betting predictable and dull. While you can’t really fix inequality in sport, sports betting platforms try to make adjustments to keep things interesting.

This is why spreads exist. Spread betting simply means that you don’t only bet on the team that’s going to win, but you also have to correctly guess the margin within which their victory will be. This carries many advantages. Betting companies add some complications to the bet that means fewer people will win.

Opposition fans are appeased as they now have something to bet on even though their team is likely to lose. You are still likely to win if your team wins by the margin or the spread that the sportsbook is offering.

Spread betting on NBA games is more complex than moneyline betting, so you should make sure you do your due diligence before you bet on a team.

Quarter Betting Lines

Some NBA bets are built around the game’s structure and require some knowledge of the game from the bettor. Quarter lines, along with 1st half-lines bets, are an example of such wagers. A typical game of Basketball will have four 12-minute quarters. As a result, the lines can shift between the start of the game and the first quarter.

This is because the events that occurred during the 1st quarter have a bearing on the remainder of the game. These types of NBA bets add a new level of excitement to the game of basketball. These types of bets are also a lot more complicated than the previous two we’ve already discussed. It’s not really surprising either.

You need to have a deep understanding of the game to be able to win quarter-line spreads because teams will have different playing styles. What we mean by this is that not all teams play in the same way. Just because a team is in the lead doesn’t mean they will be the eventual winners. Some teams play better with their backs against the wall, while others dominate early and taper off as the game goes on.

Knowing this kind of information is rudimentary to your 1st half or quarter lines betting strategy. These spreads are fan favorites when it comes to NBA betting. This is because it tests their knowledge of team strategies and individual players and increases the excitement of the sport itself.

Halftime Spread Betting

Halftime spreads are available at halftime only and are based on what occurred during the first half. These spreads offer you the option to win big if you can correctly predict whether the opposition can cover the spread or the winning team would maintain their advantage.

Halftime spreads are not as popular as the previous type we’ve discussed but operate on the same ideology so there’s not much left to explain here.

Prop Betting

Also known as proposition betting, these NBA bets are some of the most exciting and thrilling ones around. Prop bets don’t necessarily need to be complicated, though they can be but they are almost always a lot of fun.

The concept behind prop bets is simple. The game of basketball will have several events that occur during the course of the match. These can be a number of fouls, travels, or 3-pointers. NBA betting prop bets involve the bookie proposing the likelihood of a situation during a particular match.

For instance, a bookie may offer odds on if a certain player will be able to make a 3-pointer. This is unlikely from the bookie’s point of view because the player isn’t in charge of that duty, but it might just happen, in which case you’ll walk home well compensated for the risk you took.

As you can see, there’s nothing really complicated about prop bets. Of course, there are two types of prop bets when it comes to NBA betting. The first is for fun. These bets are as close to gambling as it comes. For instance, betting on the coin toss is a fun prop bet that isn’t linked to your skill. This is because no one can guess the outcome based on anything other than luck.

The second type requires skills, such as the number of steals or fouls committed by a certain player. This would require knowledge of the player and opposition. Prop bets that require no skill are fun because everyone can get involved. Prop bets that require some skill can be a great gateway into the world of NBA betting.

Parlay Betting

As discussed previously, NBA betting can sometimes become dull and uninteresting because the outcomes are so predictable. A team that is favorite to win is probably going to win that match. Everyone knows this, too, so everyone will bet on that team. This means that the winnings from such a bet will be greatly reduced.

Enter parlay bets. You can combine several bets to maximize the payout you receive from your betting endeavors. There is a catch, though, obviously. All your bets have to win for you to have a successful wager. This is why we talked about teams that are likely to win. There will be certain weeks where several minnows will be against several favorites. This is the perfect time to make a parlay bet and increase the winnings that would otherwise have been minuscule.

You can make parlay bets in other situations as well. The key here is that you should be confident in the outcomes, and the winnings should be worth the risk you’re taking. Parlay betting is extremely popular among experienced sports bettors.

Futures Betting

Futures betting is common In all sports. The concept for almost all the bets mentioned previously has been betting on events that will happen in the near future. Futures bets payout over the longer term. This is because you’re betting on long-term targets being met.

This can include the eventual championship winner, the top scorer, the MVP, and other such categories that are not determined until the last game of the season. Futures bets offer good odds, and the best part is that they are available throughout the season.

This means that you can wait a few weeks to see if there are any standout performers and then bet on them to win the championship or a certain player who seems to be performing really well and bet on them to win MVP.

There is a catch here too. You won’t receive your payout until after the season ends. Furthermore, there are plenty of risks involved since no one can comfortably predict what will happen over an NBA season.

Reading NBA Odds and Lines

Now let’s see how you can decipher the numbers next to the wagers that we’ve discussed. In any sportsbook you may be browsing, you’ll see some numbers next to the wager you are interested in. These are known as odds or lines.

The lines are set by the bookie or sportsbook and show you the likelihood of something happening according to the sportsbook. For instance, in moneyline betting, you may see a game between the Chicago Bulls and The Detroit Pistons with the numbers +130 and -130. 

Chicago Bulls -130 means that this team is the favorite to win this game while Detroit Pistons +130 means they are considered the underdog. If you bet $100 on the Chicago Bulls to win, and they do, you walk home with $76 plus the original $100.

However, if you bet on the Detroit Pistons at +130, you walk home with $130 if they win. The difference in winnings is representative of the risk you’re taking by supporting the underdog.

In spread betting, you will find that the teams are accompanied by the normal odds that we’ve already discussed, along with a smaller figure like -2. This number represents the spread. Let’s break it down further using the same example as above.

The Chicago Bulls are still favorites at -130, and the Detroit Pistons are underdogs at +130. Spread bets will be written as Chicago Bulls (-3, -130) vs. Detroit Pistons (+3, +130). We’ve already discussed what the larger number means, but the smaller number represents the spread.

This means that the Chicago Bulls, according to the bookie, will win by at least 3 points over the Detroit Pistons. To be successful with Spread NBA bets, you need to predict whether the Chicago Bulls will win by at least 4 points over Detroit or not. Conversely, you can also bet on Detroit Pistons to not lose by more than the spread provided by the sportsbook.

This is how you read NBA odds.

Final Word

This has been our comprehensive guide to NBA betting. The world of gambling and sports betting can be very confusing, especially for newcomers. If you feel lost at any point, don’t worry. We provide excellent guides on almost everything related to sports betting, so you don’t have to look around the internet frantically.For details on the best sportsbooks, consider going through our sportsbook guides drafted by a team of experts with years of experience in the online betting world.

Check out the best betting sites to wager online at Online Betting Sports. Stay with us to keep up with the best offshore sportsbooks reviews and sports betting bonusesFollow us on Twitter.

NBA Betting FAQs

NBA betting involves placing wagers on various aspects of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, such as the outcome of a game, player performance, or specific events within a game. Betting typically requires understanding odds and choosing the right sportsbook.

To start NBA betting, you need to sign up with a sportsbook or online betting platform, deposit funds into your account, and then browse the available NBA bets and odds. Make your selections and place your bets accordingly.

NBA betting offers a variety of bet types, including moneyline bets (betting on the game’s winner), spread bets (betting on the margin of victory), prop bets (betting on specific game events), parlay bets (combining multiple bets for higher payouts), and futures bets (betting on season-long outcomes).

NBA odds are displayed as positive or negative numbers next to each bet. Positive odds indicate potential profit if you bet a certain amount, while negative odds indicate the amount you need to bet to win a specific profit. Lines may also include spreads (the margin of victory) and totals (the combined points scored in a game).

Successful NBA betting often involves research, understanding team dynamics, player performance, and using strategies like bankroll management, researching trends, and being selective with your bets. It’s essential to stay informed about NBA news and developments that can impact games.

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