How to bet on the NBA: Guide, strategies, how to bet and more

Between the types of wagers you can make and specific tips for betting on basketball, here is what you need to know for NBA betting

The NBA is dormant for just a few months each year, as the season normally begins in late October and concludes when a champion is crowned in mid-June. That gives those who enjoy NBA betting plenty of time and opportunities to make a profit.

Below, we'll take a look at the intricacies of NBA betting, including the types of wagers offered, and provide basketball betting tips and strategies. 

What are the NBA betting basics?

The three most basic ways to bet on the NBA are the money line, point spread and over/under for total points scored.

If you only are interested in picking the outright winner of a game, you would place a wager on the money line, which features odds assigned to each team that are based on their implied probability of winning. The favorite will have a "-" before its odds, while a "+" will precede the price for the underdog.

For example, the Boston Celtics may be -190 favorites in their matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, who might be +160 underdogs. This means a bettor who believes Boston will be victorious would have to wager $190 to win $100. If a bettor feels Milwaukee will pull off an upset, they would win $160 for every $100 wagered on the Bucks.

Other basketball bettors prefer to wager on the point spread because it evens out the playing field between the teams. Once again, the favorite will have a negative value in front of its point spread and must win by more than that designated amount for bettors to win. The underdog has a positive value before the spread and must either win outright or lose by less than the number for the bet to hit. There are also rare cases where a game is a pick'em or PK. That's when the spread is essentially 0 and all you have to do is pick the winner, just like for money line.

Using the previously mentioned hypothetical Boston-Milwaukee game, the Celtics may be 6-point favorites, meaning they would have to win by seven or more points for the bet on them to win. The bettor can take the underdog Bucks at +6 and the wager would cash if the team either wins the game outright or loses by five points or fewer. If the Celtics win the contest by exactly six points, that would be a push and bettors on either side of the spread would get their initial stake returned to them.

The over/under refers to the combined total points scored by both teams. Oddsmakers assign a number to the game and bettors can wager on whether the final score will go Over or Under it. If the total for the Boston-Milwaukee clash is set at 225.5, a bet on the Over will require the final combined score to be 226 points or more to win, while a wager on the Under needs 225 points or fewer to be recorded.

Point spreads and both sides of the total all have vigorish, or juice, attached. Most of the time, the vig for each side in both point spread and over/under wagering is set at -110, meaning a bettor needs to wager $110 to win $100. The vig can adjust and vary from sportsbook to sportsbook.

What is NBA prop betting?

One of the most popular forms of sports wagering these days is prop betting. NBA prop bets usually pertain to game events and performances by teams and individual players. Bettors can wager on the first team to reach a set amount of points, a team's total 3-pointers made or a player's individual statistics—either separate or combined.

Game props

Game props involve specific aspects of the contest, such as whether or not it will go to overtime, the final point total being an even or odd number, and the team scoring first being the outright winner. Team props are tied to a team's performance, with the most common being an over/under on its total points or which club reaches a determined number of points first.

There are types of team props other than the ones that focus on points, such as a team's rebounds, assists or turnovers. In addition, all of the above can be wagered on for individual quarters or halves.

Player props

Player props are abundant, and the most common is an over/under on how many points a player will score. For instance, oddsmakers could set Stephen Curry's point total for the Golden State Warriors' game against the Portland Trail Blazers at 28.5. If a bettor selected the Over, Curry would have to score at least 29 points for the wager to be successful.

Statistics can also be added together for player prop bets. A bettor can get creative with these types of over/under wagers, such as combined points and assists, points and rebounds or steals and made 3-pointers. Combined points, assists and rebounds is also a popular over/under player prop bet.

Game specials props

Also available at some sportsbooks are specials, which are longer shot props for a game. For example, in a contest between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, a bettor may be able to wager that Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both score 30 or more points.

How do NBA futures bets work?

A futures bet is a wager on an event whose outcome will be determined in the near or distant future. These types of bets can pertain to either a team or an individual player.

Some popular NBA team-based futures include which team will win a division, conference or the league championship. Another is a specific team's win total for the season, in which a bettor decides whether the club goes Over or Under the set number of victories provided by oddsmakers.

Individual NBA player futures that are common include winning awards, such as the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. Other popular player futures are season stat leaders and individual props.

For instance, a bettor can wager on who will lead the NBA in specific categories, like points, assists, rebounds and blocked shots. There are also bets available on things such as how many points a player will average per game for the entire season.

What are some advanced NBA betting options?

Parlays have become one of the most popular bets across all sports. A parlay involves multiple legs or picks tied into one wager, and all the picks must win for the parlay to be considered a winner. This style of betting finds appeal across nearly all team sports because bettors are drawn to the concept of placing a modest wager that will return a potentially attractive reward.

Parlays can have any number of legs and include many combinations of wagers for multiple games, such as a two-leg parlay that features a money line bet for one contest and an over/under bet for another. But be aware that the more legs you include, the tougher it is to win the bet.

Same-game parlays are popular as well. A same-game parlay is exactly as it sounds: a parlay in which all of the legs are bets from a single game. Not every prop can be included in a same-game parlay, but spreads, totals, player props and game props are usually available.

For example, a three-leg parlay for a game pitting the New York Knicks against the Miami Heat could include a money line bet on Miami, the Over on the 26.5-point total for New York's Jalen Brunson and Under 3.5 3-pointers made by Tyler Herro of the Heat. If two of these legs hit and the third loses, then the entire parlay loses. The only way the parlay cashes is if all three legs are successful.

Teasers, pleasers and round robins are different types of parlays that are available at most betting apps. A teaser is a parlay where the point spread is adjusted in the bettor's favor on two or more teams. For example, a 6-point, 2-team teaser would entail that each team's spread is moved by six points that is more advantageous to the bettor. So if a bettor wanted to use Lions -8.5 and Bears +4.5 on a 6-point teaser, those lines would become Lions -2.5 and Bears +10.5. However, such wagers pay much lower odds than a standard parlay.

While a teaser adds points in the bettor's favor, a pleaser adds points in the sportsbook's favor but you get better odds because of it. For example, if the Cleveland Cavaliers are 6-point favorites, their teaser number might be -12, forcing them to cover the larger number for the leg to win. Pleaser bets tend to pay lucrative odds, but these bets are low percentage for the player, and pleaser bets still are not widely available.  

A round-robin parlay is a bet in which all legs do not have to hit in order for the ticket to win, but it pays significantly lower than standard parlays. For instance, a three-leg parlay by two essentially turns the bet into a parlay of every possible two-team combination on the ticket. Teo of the three legs must hit for the bettor to receive a payout. Check your preferred sportsbook for round-robin parlay odds and options.

For example, let's say you want to include Cavaliers -6 against the Bulls, Heat -3 against the Knicks, and Lakers -9.5 against the Trail Blazers for your round robin. A two-pick round-robin parlay would give you the following combinations:

Cavaliers -6 + Heat -3
Heat -3 + Lakers -9.5
Cavaliers -6 + Lakers -9.5

It's important to note that parlays are considered unfavorable because people who bet parlays of three or more legs are compounding the house edge against them, sometimes to ridiculous levels.

Can you live bet on the NBA?

Yes, you can. Live bets are made after the game has begun and while it's still in progress. The main NBA wagers, such as the money line, point spread and total, are available and the odds fluctuate based on the ebb and flow of the game.

Live betting is a perfect form of basketball betting. Because the score changes constantly, the odds can be drastically different in a matter of minutes as they update in real time, reacting to every shot made or missed.

If the Memphis Grizzlies have a lead after the opening quarter and you feel confident that they will go on to win the game, you can place a live bet on it. The Houston Rockets may have been heavy favorites against the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to their matchup, but the Timberwolves could have a huge lead at halftime, prompting the odds to take a massive turn and bettors to take advantage of them.

Betting on the NBA playoffs

When wagering on the NBA playoffs, it's important to do your research. Analyzing the matchups is a must before postseason series begin, as is paying close attention to how they progress. The same types of bets that are available during the regular season can also be accessed in the playoffs, and wagers such as predicting series winners and the length of a series are popular.

There are certain factors that play a large role in the postseason, and one of those is home-court advantage. Home teams tend to win more often in the playoffs than during the regular season, and oddsmakers are likely to make them heavy favorites in the first two games of a series.

Momentum can shift several times over the course of a playoff series, so just because a team lost the previous game does not mean it can't bounce back quickly. 

What are some NBA betting tips and strategies?

Here are three betting tips and strategies to consider before placing NBA bets: 

Be aware of a team's current form: While all streaks eventually come to an end, if one team has won five straight games and its next opponent has lost three in a row, that will play a big role in how you would wager on that matchup. It's important to recognize these types of patterns. They may not be foolproof, but they are better indicators than where a team is in the standings.

Examine the matchups: There are a few ways to research a matchup. One is the head-to-head history between two teams. However, you shouldn't go too far back into a matchup history, as what happened 15 years ago hardly is relevant today. Another way to delve into a matchup is by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the teams. For example, if one is not a good rebounding club and the other dominates the boards, this could wind up being a deciding factor for the outcome of the game.

Always peruse the injury reports: Checking to see if any key players are sidelined is a must. While the status of the stars carries the most weight on NBA odds, injuries to certain role players and backups could significantly impact a team's performance. Knowing who is missing from the lineup could give you a valuable edge when wagering.

Key NBA betting terms to know

Vig/juice: The vig, or juice, is a fee sports bettors pay on every wager and serves as the primary source of the house edge in NBA betting. For instance, betting $110 to win $100 on a point spread wager involves $10 of juice. This guarantees the sportsbook turns a profit regardless of the outcome of the game.

Bad beat: This term is used when something unexpected happens to negatively change the outcome of a bet when it appeared as if it was a winner. One example of this is a last-second basket that resulted in the team you wagered on in a point spread bet not covering.

Cover: This describes when a team or entity covers the point spread. For instance, the Oklahoma City Thunder covered the 6-point spread in their 118-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets. 

Backdoor cover: The term used to describe when an underdog scores enough points late in the game to cover an otherwise unlikely spread.

Line: A commonly used synonym for the point spread in a given contest. 

Buying points: A term used for when a sportsbook customer alters the point spread of a game by paying a higher vig. For example, Oklahoma City was favored by six points against Denver, but the bettor bought the Nuggets to +6.5. In this instance, the bettor likely would pay -125 instead of the standard -110 in order to "buy" the half-point on Denver. 

Action: A bet of any denomination on any sporting contest is considering having action on said contest.

Handle: The total amount wagered on a specific event or sport at a sportsbook. For example, the state of Nevada's legal sportsbooks reported a handle of $151.6 million on the Super Bowl last season.

Chalk: A common term used to describe betting on the favorite in a game or another sporting event. For example, Oklahoma City was 6-point chalk against Denver. 

Underdog: The team that is assigned odds by sportsbooks to indicate that it has less than a 50% implied probability to win the game.

Favorite: The team that is assigned odds by sportsbooks to indicate that it is mathematically expected to win the game.

Even money: A bet that requires no vig is considered even money. For example, a bettor wagered $200 to win $200 on the Memphis Grizzlies at even-money odds against the Utah Jazz. 

Push: A term used to describe when a sports wager is declared a tie due to the outcome of the game, resulting in a refund for bettors. For instance, Memphis defeated Utah 105-99 as a 6-point favorite, so all point spread wagers on the game were graded a push and refunded.

Sharp: A term used to describe the real or imagined advantage that a serious sports bettor has over both casual bettors and the sportsbook. It also can be used as a noun. Proper usage includes examples such as, "the bettor found a sharp angle in the Memphis vs. Utah game and wagered accordingly" or "the customer believes he is a sharp bettor, but the sportsbook supervisor where he plays does not agree." 

FAQ

How can you bet on NBA games?

There is an abundance of options for NBA betting, from money line, point spread and over/under bets to props and futures bets. You even can combine some of these bets into parlays.

Where can I bet on the NBA?

If you are in a state that has legalized sports betting, any of the licensed sportsbooks available to you will offer a wide array of NBA betting options. 

Can you bet on NBA preseason games?

Absolutely. Sportsbooks will have all their regular NBA betting markets available for the preseason. Wagering on preseason games is a good way to get your feet wet in preparation for the regular season.

Can you live bet on NBA games?

Yes. Most reputed sportsbooks offer some live-betting options. Live betting is most commonly done on mobile betting applications but is also available at land-based sportsbooks.

Scott Erskine

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