Betting on Basketball

Basketball is one of the most universally beloved sports. The game has millions of fans on almost every continent and worldwide popularity. The NBA is by far the top competition around the globe, but there are also other interesting league tournaments.

You can constantly find basketball betting opportunities from different parts of the world which makes the sport an excellent choice for people trying to win money. This guide to betting on basketball will help you do just that.

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Our experts are here to help you learn how to bet on basketball if you’re a complete beginner. If you’re more experienced, there’s still plenty here for you. We’ve got some advanced strategy advice, along with all the latest basketball odds and our predictions and betting picks.

We also keep you up to date with the best sites to bet on basketball online, and there’s a ton of other information and advice, too.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll find in our basketball betting guide. You can jump straight to any section that interests you, or read through this entire page for full details of what we offer.

The best way to make money from betting on basketball is to place your wagers online. The top basketball betting sites offer better value than the land-based bookies thanks to the higher odds, and the variety of juicy promotions.

Online sportsbooks also offer a wider variety of basketball betting markets, meaning more opportunities to find profitable wagers. If you add the convenience factor, it’s a no-brainer. If that sounds appealing, this section can help you get started.

The sportsbooks above are the best basketball betting sites online in 2024. They each have a gambling license issued by a trusted regulator, appropriate security measures, and a solid reputation.

They are also the best places to wager on basketball online because of the high basketball betting odds and the countless opportunities to earn more through promotions and bonuses. Add in fast payouts, mobile compatibility, and great customer service, and it’s crystal clear why we recommend them.

If you want to learn more about our selection and review process, visit our page dedicated to the top basketball betting sites.

One of the most exciting features of leading online basketball betting sites is that they are available on popular mobile devices like iPhone, Android, iPad, and Windows Phones. Some have a native app for the different platforms, but most simply offer a mobile-responsive site.

You can just open the page using your browser and all the basketball betting markets will be at your disposal. The same applies to the bonuses and promotions of the bookmakers. If you want to give them a try, check out the trusted basketball betting apps we recommend.

If you are ready to get started with basketball betting online or on mobile, but are new to it, you might want to look at our general guide on online betting. It can help you understand the basics and avoid the most common mistakes.

This section is designed to explain all the basics in simple terms, for those of you that are new to betting on basketball. Here’s what we cover.

Let’s start with the most common basketball bets you can place.

The popularity of the sport and the large number of people looking to bet on basketball online brings many advantages. The variety of betting markets is certainly among them. The most popular group is the traditional options that are available for individual basketball games.

Basketball moneylines

You bet on a team to win a game. Overtime is included, so the draw is not an option here.

Basketball point spreads

Sportsbooks provide called spreads or handicap markets in which the underdog effectively starts with an advantage of extra points. You can bet on the favorite to cover those points or back the underdog to win with their advantage.

Basketball totals, or over/unders

You wager on the total number of points scored by both teams combined. The sportsbooks set a line and you have to decide if it will go over or under that threshold.

There are plenty of other variations of those three, but they are the main basketball betting markets you will find for betting on basketball games.

Another group of widespread options is the basketball futures, also called outrights. The concept behind these is that you can place cash on long-term events, such as backing a team to win a certain competition or a selected player to collect an award.

Here are some examples of basketball futures.

There are similar options for most of the major basketball tournaments and leagues.

Some people are not interested in futures because you typically have to wait for months to collect your cash, but they should not be ignored.  A good bet is a good bet, so always look out for profitable opportunities even if they’re longer term.

That same logic applies to basketball prop bets, or proposition bets. There are plenty of them, and they can be related to almost anything.

Many traditional basketball props are related to the performance of a team or player during a single game. For example, you can bet on James Harden getting over or under 34.5 points in a selected fixture. Similar markets exist for most statistical categories.

There are also long-term basketball props that apply to full seasons, drafts, deals, and so much more. Some of them are really wild and down to pure luck, but others open the door to interesting angles where you can find an edge.

After learning more about the different markets, it’s time to take a look at how basketball betting odds work. Simply put, the odds determine how much money you win if a wager is successful.

There are three main formats of basketball odds, as follows.

The easiest to understand is decimal odds. You simply need to multiply your stake by the price and you get your total return. For example, if you place $100 on 2.00, you get $200 back if you win. That’s your initial wager of $100 and your profit of $100.

American odds are more complicated because there are two options here. The first one is to see a positive price, such as +200. If that’s the case, the number shows your profit for a bet of $100. In the case of +200, your winnings will be $200 for a $100 bet. Or a total return of $300, if you add your initial stake.

If you use US prices and you see a negative value, such as -200, that’s the amount you need to place for a profit of $100. In the example here, that means that a wager of $200 will return a total of $300 for a $100 profit.

Finally, there are fractional odds, mostly popular in the United Kingdom. This format includes two numbers separated by a slash, for example, 4/5. The number on the right represents your stake, while the number on the left represents your profit. So, in the 4/5 scenario, betting $5 will return a profit of $4 or a total of $9 if we add your initial stake.

We have a simple odds converter that can help you switch between the different formats, so feel free to use it. The tool can also turn any price into implied probability, which is essentially how you determine where the betting value lies.

If you are looking for the latest odds available for the most popular basketball competitions, check out the following pages.

Most people who bet on basketball lose money in the long run and that’s a fact. On top of that, the large majority of gamblers are in a bad position before even placing their wagers because they don’t have a clear strategy.

Our basketball betting tips can help you avoid the most common mistakes, so make sure to check them out. Following this advice won’t be enough by itself to win money consistently, but it’s a good place to start. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t learn the fundamentals.

Bet for value

You must understand that basketball odds represent probabilities and look for wagers with a higher probability than the price suggests. That’s called value betting and is the only way to make money. Most people try to guess what’s going to happen, disregarding the odds, and that’s a doomed approach in the long run.

Watch the leagues you are betting on

Some people bet on basketball teams and leagues they barely know. They use stats, read a preview somewhere, and decide to go for it. That’s a huge mistake and you should always place your wagers on competitions that you are familiar with.

Be selective with your basketball wagers

Another crucial mistake is to bet too often. The harsh reality is that most basketball betting markets don’t contain value, and profitable opportunities are reasonably rare. If you place too many wagers, you’re likely to lose the majority.

Follow strict bankroll management

You’ll lose wagers sometimes even with the most successful basketball betting strategies. If you don’t protect your bankroll by applying a reasonable staking plan, you could be out of funds after the first bad streak.

Keep a cool head

Chasing after a close loss or betting under the influence of alcohol are the most obvious examples of basketball gambling decisions that are almost guaranteed to lose in the long run. Only place a wager when you are in a clear state of mind.

If you want to learn more about the fundamentals of basketball betting, you should visit our main sports betting guide. It features useful information that applies to almost all forms of sports gambling.

Another useful resource that you could utilize is our blog. We often launch basketball predictions for popular competitions, as well as analysis and news. Here are the latest entries.

We all know that the NBA is the most popular basketball competition in the world, with millions of fans from all over the globe. Many of them like to bet on the league so believe it deserves some special attention.

That’s why we have a separate section dedicated to NBA betting. Here’s what you’ll find in it.

It’s no easy task to be a consistent winner at any form of sports gambling, but betting NBA basketball games certainly has potential.

Your preparation for betting on NBA games should start with deciding which betting sites to join. We recommend that you bet on NBA games online for various reasons, but it’s important that you choose the right sites.

You want to use online sportsbooks that offer high odds, plenty of betting options, and generous bonuses and promotions. All of these things directly affect your overall chances of making money from betting NBA games.

One major perk of betting NBA games online is the variety of wagers available. You should take full advantage of the wide selection, and make sure you fully explore your options before placing wagers.

With so many games available, you can easily stay patient and wait for the right opportunities. There’s nothing wrong with studying the betting markets for every game, but you don’t always have to put any money down.

If you feel confident that there’s good value available, that’s when you go ahead and bet. Don’t go forcing the action just for the sake of it, though.

If you are not familiar with the concept of value betting, visit the following page for a detailed explanation.

One of the simple pieces of advice for betting on NBA games successfully is that you should follow the latest team news.

There’s no excuse to skip the latest team news considering how easy it is to find information on the NBA on the web.

CBS provides an excellent resource for tracking the latest injuries, and that alone is a good help. There are many other websites and apps that provide useful updates, too.

One of the most important steps that can help you bet on NBA games and win money is to carefully evaluate each of the teams involved.

There are multiple aspects that you need to cover here.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these,

The starters on each NBA team are expected to carry most of the burden. They play lots of minutes, they often stay on the field in crunch time, and they contribute the most in every major statistical category, including points, assists, and rebounds.

We all know that the NBA is a league of superstars. Every franchise has one or two star players that are the cornerstone of the team. They are the best on the roster and the team’s strategy is usually built around them. The team that can get the best out of its star player(s) is going to win more often than not.

Another big factor that needs to be addressed is the depth of each team’s rosters. You can’t leave a player on the court for more than 36 to 38 minutes on average during a regular season that lasts 82 games. Not if you then expect him to perform during the playoffs as well.

An NBA team with a good coach could easily perform better than the individual talent of the players and vice versa. That’s why you need to analyze the impact of the coach. You also need to consider if the players like him or not.

If you’re betting money on NBA games then you need to apply at least some level of statistical analysis. There is plenty of data available online and the numbers are one of the most reliable ways to evaluate teams and players.

There are several key considerations here, so let’s take a look at each of them.

It’s good to start by building the bigger picture first, so you should begin with long-term stats. Ideally, you want to check the performance of the teams and players for several months back. That will give you an excellent idea of how good they really are at the different statistical categories.

Every single NBA team has fluctuations in its performance, so you should always look at the short-term trends, too. Check the last few games and weeks to see if something is different from the longer-term levels of performance.

At this point, you should have an excellent idea of what to expect from each NBA team. It’s time to add another detail that could be crucial, and that’s the head-to-head results. They can show if the teams perform as anticipated or if there are other factors in play.

There are certain general NBA trends that affect the games, even if not all of them are not easy to spot. You should always stay alert and learn more about them. The most obvious example is the homecourt advantage that has been around forever.

Betting on the NBA Regular Season MVP is fairly easy, and most sportsbooks offer this market. All you have to do is pick the player you think will win and place your wager. It’s that simple.

If you are going to invest real money betting on an MVP winner, you must prepare well and follow all the important basics of sports gambling.

Our first piece of advice here is that you shouldn’t just back a player because you like them, even if they do have a chance of winning

Top Tip

If you join more than one online betting site, you will have the chance to shop for the best odds and that’s another way to maximize your returns.

When you’re betting on the NBA MVP, remember that the prize applies to the regular season games only.

If you want to view all MVP winners throughout the years and a breakdown of the voting process, feel free to visit NBA’s official page on the topic.

There are plenty of individual awards in the NBA, but the most prestigious one is arguably the Regular Season MVP. The prize is given to the player who performed the best over the course of a gruesome regular season that includes 82 games.

It’s one of the highest individual honors in professional basketball and also has a direct impact on each player’s earning potential.

To bet on the potential winner of the NBA MVP of the Year award, it’s important to understand that it covers performance in the regular season only, and is decided by a panel of 100 NBA journalists who are selected by the league based on their lack of affiliations with any teams. Each member casts a vote for the top five players in the league, and the athlete with the most points becomes the NBA Regular Season MVP.

We also cover college basketball extensively. The future NBA stars play a ton of games throughout the regular season and then come the Conference tournaments and March Madness. We know that many of our readers are interested in college basketball which is why we have prepared a special guide.

It includes a lot of tips on college basketball and useful information about the way the NCAA works. We also have a constant flow of picks and updates, especially around March Madness. If that sounds interesting, be sure to check it out!

There are plenty of exciting basketball competitions outside of the US and international tournaments that our team likes to follow.

Let’s look at some of the most popular among them.

The Summer Olympics Championship is the most prestigious international trophy in basketball. The top teams on the planet face each other every four years to find out which country is the best. The USA has been dominant in most editions, but there are exceptions.

Some countries like Greece, Serbia, Russia, Argentina, and Spain often have competitive rosters with plenty of strong players. It’s a feast for the fans of the sport and there are plenty of betting opportunities.

Another international basketball competition that takes place every four years is the FIBA World Cup. Once again, the top countries from all over the globe meet to determine the best of the best and there are some excellent games along the way.

Plenty of different teams have won over the years and the level of basketball on display usually is excellent. Naturally, most basketball betting sites offer odds on the FIBA World Cup and our team also covers every edition of the tournament.

The top-tier competition in European basketball is called EuroLeague. It features the champions of the strongest leagues on the continent and other prominent teams from the top basketball countries. They play in a league format throughout the season.

The champion is decided in the EuroLeague Final Four. Unlike the NBA, the knockouts are in the best-of-one format which increases the intensity dramatically. The show is guaranteed every year and there is definitely some money to be made from betting on the EuroLeague.

Here are some of the other basketball leagues that deserve your attention. They provide high-quality games and are available at many trusted online betting sites.