Welcome to the ultimate guide to understanding NBA betting! Whether you're new to wagering on basketball or looking to deepen your knowledge, this guide will walk you through the most common types of NBA bets, how odds work, and what you need to know to place informed wagers.
NBA betting offers a wide variety of options beyond simply picking a winner. Familiarizing yourself with different bet types will open up more opportunities and allow you to develop a more strategic approach to betting on the National Basketball Association.
Understanding NBA Odds
NBA odds represent the probability of an outcome occurring and determine your potential payout. They are most commonly displayed in American odds format (+ or -).
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Negative Odds (-): Indicate the favorite. The number shows how much you need to wager to win $100 profit. E.g., -200 means you bet $200 to win $100.
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Positive Odds (+): Indicate the underdog. The number shows how much profit you win if you wager $100. E.g., +150 means you bet $100 to win $150 profit.
Understanding odds is fundamental to calculating potential returns and identifying value in the betting market.
Common NBA Bet Types
Moneyline
A Moneyline bet is the simplest form of NBA wagering. You are simply betting on which team will win the game outright. The odds for the favorite will have a minus sign, and the odds for the underdog will have a plus sign.
Example:
Los Angeles Lakers -180
Boston Celtics +150
To win $100 on the Lakers, you would bet $180. To win $150 on the Celtics, you would bet $100.
Point Spread
Point Spread betting is the most popular way to bet on the NBA. It's a bet on the margin of victory. The sportsbook sets a point spread, and you bet on whether the favorite will win by more than the spread (cover the spread) or whether the underdog will lose by less than the spread (or win the game outright).
Example:
Golden State Warriors -7.5
Brooklyn Nets +7.5
If you bet on the Warriors, they must win by 8 or more points for your bet to win. If you bet on the Nets, they can lose by 7 or fewer points, or win the game, for your bet to win.
Totals (Over/Under)
NBA Totals bets, also known as Over/Under, are wagers on the combined final score of both teams in the game. The sportsbook sets a total number of points, and you bet whether the actual combined score will be over or under that number.
Example:
Total: 225.5
If the final score is 115-112 (total 227), the Over wins. If the final score is 110-114 (total 224), the Under wins.
Player Props
Player Proposition Bets (Props) are wagers on individual player statistics or events within a game. These are not dependent on the final game outcome. Common player props include betting on a player's total points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers made, or combined stats.
Example:
LeBron James Over/Under 25.5 Points
Stephen Curry Over/Under 4.5 Three-Pointers Made
Nikola Jokic Over/Under 9.5 Assists
Learn more about this popular betting market on our NBA Player Props page.
Team Props
Similar to player props, Team Proposition Bets focus on specific team statistics or events. This could include betting on a team's total points, total three-pointers, first team to score, or even more specific events within a quarter or half.
Example:
Miami Heat Total Points Over/Under 108.5
Milwaukee Bucks First Quarter Winner
Team with the Most Turnovers
Parlays
An NBA Parlay combines multiple individual bets (called "legs") into a single wager. For the parlay to win, every single leg of the parlay must win. If even one leg loses, the entire parlay loses. Parlays offer significantly higher payouts than placing each bet individually, reflecting the increased difficulty.
Example Parlay:
Leg 1: Lakers Moneyline (-180)
Leg 2: Warriors -7.5 Spread (-110)
Leg 3: Heat vs. Bulls Over 218.5 Total (-110)
All three must win for the parlay to payout.
Explore strategies and potential parlays on our NBA Parlays page.
Futures
NBA Futures bets are wagers on events that will happen later in the season, rather than on a single game. Common futures include betting on the NBA Champion, Conference winners, Division winners, or individual player awards like MVP.
Example:
Denver Nuggets to Win NBA Championship
Giannis Antetokounmpo to Win MVP
Western Conference Winner
Live Betting
Live betting (or in-play betting) allows you to place wagers on NBA games while they are in progress. Odds constantly update based on the score, time remaining, player performance, and other in-game events. This offers dynamic betting opportunities as the game unfolds.
Elevate Your NBA Betting Knowledge
Understanding the different NBA bet types is the first step to becoming a more informed and potentially successful bettor. By knowing how Moneyline, Spread, Totals, Props, and Parlays work, you can identify value and apply strategies that go beyond simply picking a team to win.
At Bet Better, we provide data-driven insights and expert NBA picks to help you make smarter decisions across all these bet types. Our AI models and experienced analysts break down matchups to find you the best opportunities daily.
Ready to put your knowledge into practice? Check out today's NBA Best Bets or dive deeper into specific areas like NBA Player Props. Remember to always bet responsibly.
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