NBA Betting – how to bet on NBA odds
Online sportsbook betting - your quick guide to NBA betting
- Explaining basketball point spreads
- Moneylines are simpler to predict, but more costly to bet
- Teasers can be effective in NBA betting odds
NBA betting may not have the same cache as betting on the NFL, but basketball betting is a close second. There’s plenty of ways to get in the game but before you start laying down your hard earned cash on basketball spreads or basketball odds, here’s a how-to of how the NBA betting odds work:
Spreads. The point spread in the NBA is simply the margin of victory the online sportsbook odds list one team to be favored by. For example, if the Los Angeles Lakers are a 3.5-point favorite over the Boston Celtics, that means if you bet the Lakers they must win by more than 3.5 points for you to win your bet (win by four). If they win by 3.5 points or less, then the bettors who put money on the Boston Celtics would win.
In a situation where NBA betting odds post a point spread that is whole, such as if the Lakers were favored by exactly seven points, and the final outcome of the game lands on exactly on the spread, the game results in a “push”. A push is considered a tie and the bettor is refunded his stake.
Over/Under. Over/under betting works very much like it works in every other sport: the total listed is the combined points scored by both teams. You can bet at a sportsbook whether you think the combined score will be over or under the set total.
One thing to keep in mind for over/under NBA odds is that the overtime is a bigger factor in the total than in other sports. For starters, in the NBA, as long as the game is tied, they will continue playing overtime. Secondly, an overtime period will add about 15-20 more total points and generally push games over the total, whereas in hockey or football, the first score wins and the total is mostly unfazed.
Teasers. Once you get a better grasp of NBA betting, you might be inclined to do some NBA teaser betting. Basketball teaser betting is pretty simple: you get to shift the point spread in as few as two games but you have to parlay them.
For example: if you played a five-point teaser in the NBA, you can shift two betting lines in whichever favor you like.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers -6
Charlotte Bobcats at Boston Celtics -3
So if you want to play a two-game, five-point teaser and shift these NBA lines, you could by as many as five points. You could bet the Lakers -1 or the Trail Blazers +11 and parlay it with the Bobcats +7 or the Celtics +1. You can also tease the totals on a game.
If you love betting sports and are looking for more in-depth insight and analysis into NBA odds and other daily betting information, visit BetOnline.com’s Betting Edge.
Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing? Sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
