The NBA is not just the most popular basketball league in the world, it is one of the biggest across all sports. They average around 1.3 million viewers per game during the regular season. Last season’s playoffs also garnered a record of 5.47 million viewers on average, the most-watched postseason since 2019. With so many viewers, this is of course reflected in the number of people who wager on games with sportsbooks. With 1230 regular season games, there are so many opportunities to bet on the NBA and 58% of bettors do so.
If you are new to betting on the sport, you may be looking for tips on how to wager sensibly. Look no further for here is a guide to doing just that.
To begin with, lets familiarise ourselves with the odds. Every market is priced with either a positive (+) or negative (-) number. A positive odds bet tells you how much you would win from a $100 wager whilst a negative price informs you how much you would need to wager to win $100. For example, a $100 bet on a +200 market would win you $200 plus your stake back. Wagering on a -200-market bet however would win you $50 from the same wager.
Risk and reward
When it comes to making sensible bets on the NBA, it is all about calculating the risk and reward. Of course, 10-team parlays can be fun. However, while the reward may be high so is the risk, especially when wagering high sums of money. This is why you are much better off betting smarter and looking for a middle ground between the two. No bet, no matter the odds, is ever going to be a sure thing but with some tips you can maximize your chances of winning.
Bet with your head, not your heart!
Betting when you have a horse in the race can be tough for fans of the sport. You rarely want to bet against your own team and may even be compelled to back them regardless of whether they are underdogs or not. For this reason, it may be more helpful to stay away from these games. Instead, focus on statistics and do your research before wagering. Cover every base, for example: road records, spread history, overall form, and previous matchups.
Research, research, research
Coming off our previous point, the importance of research in your bets is vital. There are plenty of things to consider aside from those already mentioned. Things like the geography of the game itself can affect players. For example, if a team is passing through time zones for fixtures, especially to a strong home-team, this could inform your betting. You could also consider the schedule itself and the effects of fatigue as well as injuries and roster depth.
Familiarize yourself with the jargon.
Making informed decisions when betting of course means you must know exactly what you are betting on. There are a lot of different markets with some similarities between them, so it is important to be able to differentiate and understand the nuances. Let’s take a look at some terms you could come across.
Markets
- Moneyline – the final result of the game including overtime.
- Spread – A virtual points handicap or advantage. E.g. a team with a -9.5 spread would need to win by at least 10 clear points while the underdogs (+9.5) must lose by no more than 10 or win the game.
- Total – The overall number of points scored by both teams.
- NBA Player Props– These are bets on specific events for players in the game. You can bet on the number of points, rebounds, assists and more for most all players on a gameday roster.
- Parlay – A bet with several markets/legs combined. E.g. five different moneyline results. The more the legs the higher the odds. All legs must win for the bet to be settled as a winner.
- Same Game Parlay – These are just like regular parlays in that all legs must win, however they are all within the same game e.g. LeBron James over 28.5 points, Lakers moneyline, Anthony Davis over 4.5 assists
Other terms
- Push – A push occurs when the market you back finishes on the line. E.g. A +4 spread ends on an exact four-point difference. In these cases, most sportsbook settle the market as void and you receive your stake back.
- In-play Bet – A bet that is placed while the game is being played.
- Even Money – A market priced at evens where you receive back whatever you wager. E.g. $100 from a 100 odds bet.
- Favorite – The team favoured to win the game according to the odds.
- Underdog/dog – The team expected to lose the game according to the odds.
- Pick’em – A game with no discernible favorite.
- Lock – An extremely heavy favorite.
