How to Bet on the NBA: the Ultimate Guide
The NBA, a lucrative hub for bettors, offers abundant opportunities to profit from the second most popular sport in the world. With several betting options, new teams adding and trading players, and massive money flows, the NBA market presents a promising avenue for waging gains.
Check out in this definitive guide the main types of bets, as well as the best strategies to obtain good results in this market.
What Is the NBA League?
The NBA (National Basketball Association) is one of the largest and most relevant sport league in the United States. It consists of 30 teams from two Conferences (East and West) that compete in a round-robin system, qualifying only 16 for the playoffs, to then have 2 finalists.
As the stage of the most competitive basketball games on the planet, the NBA attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators within and outside its country. Among NBA fans from all over the world, there are a lot of bettors who enjoy wagering on their favourites teams and players, through different types of bets and strategies.
NBA Betting Tips
NBA bets are facilitated by bookmakers, which are online platforms that provide different types of bets such as which team will win the game, the point spread of the game, the total number of points that will be scored, and other metrics.
Trust Dice casino offers NBA betting lines with specific odds, reflecting the likelihood of different outcomes.
What Are the Most Common Types of NBA Bets?
Bettors with little experience in NBA betting start wagering on the most common and popular bet lines like money line, spread, and totals. We’ll take a look at each one of them below.
Money Line Bet
Money Line bets are considerably less complex than other betting options as they only require you to pick a winner.
The home team is often listed as the favourite, reflecting their perceived advantage due to the familiarity of their environment and the potential boost of their fans. This is particularly relevant early in the early season, when top-ranked teams get to play at home.
Spread Betting
In spread betting, also known as “sides”, you wager on the margin of victory of the game, not just the winner.
Here, a minus sign next to a team indicates the favourite, while a plus sign means the team is the underdog.
For example, if you bet on a spread of -10.5 for the Miami Heat, you are wagering that the Heats will win the match by 11 points or more.
On the contrary, if your decision is +10.5 to Philadelphia, the result for you to win must be that the Sixers do not lose more than 10 points.
NBA Totals
This betting option refers to the final score, encompassing not just one team, but both, in any regular-season or playoff.
Total odds frequently range from 200 to 240, and you can find them listed as Over-Under. You can wager on whether the combined points scored will surpass or fall short of the specified amount.
For instance, consider a matchup between the Miami Heat and The Spurs. The odds might be presented in the following way:
- Over 218 (-110)
- Under 218 (-110)
Let’s say the Miami Heat averages 114 points per game and The Spurs 110. If both teams achieve this amount of points, the total would be 224 and those who bet on Over would win the prize.
Conversely, the same principle applies to Under. If the Heats score less than 114 points that game, while The Spurs take the lead, for example, a final score of 212, you’ll lose your bet. Naturally, push situations also apply in NBA betting, when a match ends up in a tie.
NBA Props and Features
Also called Proposition markets, this type of bet requires in-depth knowledge of a team, its players, and the game in general.
Prop bets allow you to wager on a variety of outcomes, including predicting which player will be the MPV, who will become rookie of the year, how many points a specific player will score in a game, and which player will score first.
Due to the various factors that can affect your guess, such as player performance, team strategies, and injuries, making an accurate prediction can lead to a significant profit margin for the bettor.
NBA Futures
With this type of bet, the bettor can decide the outcome of a given game shortly. It could range from weeks to months, and the odds will change as the season progresses. Popular futures are odds to win the Title and Eastern and Western Conference Championships.
Parlays
Parlays combine more than one event into a single bet. For example, it is possible to bet on no winner of a certain game, in conjunction with a bet on the total points of the match.
If the player gets both bets right, the odds value is multiplied, resulting in a prize considerably larger than a single bet.
In this sense, parlay betting represents a greater risk as it incurs a greater potential return.
Live Betting
Live betting on NBA consists of placing bets while the match is taking place. It is possible to profit from a bet even before the match is completed, through the cash-out feature, which prices the value of the bet in real-time.
This bet type adds an extra layer of excitement to the game and requires the bettor to be very attentive to withdraw the wager at the right time.
Player Markets
Player markets bets for NBA are focused on the individual performance of each player.
Through this betting category, the bettor challenge is to guess how many points, assists, steals, blocks, and other metrics a given player will perform.
NBA Betting Tips and Strategies
There are several strategies and tips you can try by yourself to make the maximum profit out of the game. Take note and improve your performance in NBA betting.
Season Start
Analysing the team's and player's performance at the beginning of the season is essential to anticipate which one is going to be the contest protagonist.
Early in the season, odds are usually less efficient compared to the final quarter of the year, which explains why larger line movements are more frequent during this period.
Bookmakers tend to have less activity as well because lines are not as clear in the first two months of the year, compared to later stages. You should keep this in mind when considering betting early in the season.
Possession
Once you analyse the team lineup and each player's profile, you can bet on the team's possession of the ball. The possession per game relies on the tempo and pace that both teams play.
Usually, you’ll find defensive-focused, slow-pace teams on the lower end of possessions. Offensive teams that play the typical run-and-gun style will be higher up due to their fast pace.
Using Third Games to Your Advantage
For many bettors that take on the NBA Playoffs, the third game holds particular significance as an opportune moment to wager on teams trailing by two games. Bettors consider players to have heightened morale because they play their first series game at home.
However, these factors may already be priced into the odds. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a complete analysis of the game before placing a bet.
Understand Outside Factors
A series of external factors can influence the outcome of a match, including player injuries, weather conditions, emotional factors, changes in strategy, and others.
Well-informed bettors can benefit from information asymmetry and place more winning bets.
Keep Tabs on the NBA Schedule
Knowing the NBA schedule inside and out, or consulting it frequently, allows you to anticipate upcoming games. For instance, you can determine if a team is facing a gruelling stretch of games, which may affect their performance on the court.
This knowledge will certainly help the player to make the best-informed betting decisions.
At Trust Dice casino, we have complete updated information next to the betting line, like:
- Win probability between the 2 teams
- The outcome of the last 5 games between both teams
- Season standings
- Points per game scored and allowed by each team
Keep Track of Injury Reports
Injuries to athletes can have a significant impact on the outcome of games and the outcome of Player Markets, which directly depend on the performance of specific players.
Getting information in advance or keeping an eye out for players with a history of injuries can be a great way to place high-performing bets.
How to Make an NBA Bet on Trust Dice?
Trust Dice casino offers extensive access to NBA betting in a user-friendly manner. If you're eager to bet on the NBA this season, simply create an account, deposit your credits, and select your preferred bet to begin playing.
And if you're a newcomer to basketball betting, you can begin your NBA wagering adventure with our risk-free first bet!
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