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NBA Betting Guide: How to Bet on NBA Games

Ryan Murphy

by Ryan Murphy

Updated Nov 14, 2023 · 5:33 AM PST

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Navigating through scores of NBA betting lines can be confusing and challenging. This comprehensive NBA betting guide covers all the different types of bets you can make on NBA basketball games to help clear things up for new and experienced bettors alike.

From straightforward basketball betting lines, like betting against the spread, to the complex and multifaceted world of teasers and parlays, learning how to bet on NBA games is simple with the right info. Understanding the different lines, how they work, and how they may or may not suit your level of engagement and interest is integral to learning how to bet on NBA games.

Unlike Allen Iverson, we’re not talking about practice. When your chips are down, and your bets have been placed, you can’t take them back. The game is on!

NBA Betting Explained

The NBA is the crown jewel of the basketball world and there’s plenty of eyes on the league and its players when basketball season rolls around each fall. Because of that, there are a ton of different types of bets you can make on any game at any time.

From betting how many rebounds and assists a player on the Chicago Bulls will get down to who will win the NBA championship this season, there are numerous betting options at your disposal. That said, it can also be pretty tough to keep up all those options on a regular basis. This NBA betting guide will give you the tools to learn how to bet on NBA games the right way.

How to Pick The Right NBA Betting Site

Picking the right NBA betting site really comes down to promos and personal preference. There are plenty of great betting sites and each has its own set of individual NBA betting rules that go along with them.

There are some great options from renowned online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel down to newer entries like Barstool Sportsbook. The best place to start is by researching the different sportsbook options and seeing how you feel about each. In some cases, you might just like a certain brand more than others and the decision can really be that simple as a result.

To help, we have some in-depth NBA betting site reviews for you to consider:

Sportsbook Learn More
FanDuel Read Review
DraftKings Read Review
BetRivers Read Review
BetMGM Read Review

Types of NBA Promos to Watch out for

As mentioned, one crucial component of choosing the right NBA betting site is making sure you do your due diligence when it comes promos. Each sportsbook has its own unique promos that are designed to give bettors value for signing up with them.

A promo can take the form of a risk-free bet on many occasions, but there are also special league-specific promos that sportsbooks roll out generally when a new season is on the verge of starting.

Check out some of the promos from these trusted online sportsbooks below and see what promo best suits your wagering needs:

How to Bet on the NBA: Single Game Bets

When you sign up for an NBA betting site, the first lines you’ll see will be moneyline bets, spread bets, and totals bets. These fall into the category of single-game bets, as they involve outcomes of one particular matchup.

Single-game bets are the easiest wagers to understand. But before you pick which NBA games to bet on, you first need to know how to read NBA odds. The next sections will familiarize you with each of the main types of lines you’ll encounter when you head to your sportsbook, and explain how to interpret betting odds.

To start, here’s an example of how NBA lines including spreads, totals, and over/under are most likely to be displayed.

We’ll use this example to illustrate some key concepts below.

Betting the NBA Moneyline

The simplest NBA bet available is the moneyline, and it’s also the most common. When you bet the moneyline, you’re betting on who will win the game straight upThe margin of victory does not matter.

Reading moneyline odds is straightforward. Whichever team has a “+” number next to it is the underdog, while the team with a “-” next to it is the favorite. The associated numbers indicate the implied probability that the sports betting site has assigned to each team’s chances of winning the game. The odds can also be used to calculate your prospective winnings.

A positive moneyline (e.g. Boston Celtics +180) indicates how much you can win on a $100 bet. Conversely, a negative moneyline (e.g. Golden State Warriors -200) indicates how much you must wager in order to win $100.

In our example, if you were to bet $100 on the Celtics, you would stand to win $180. Your total payout would be $280: your $100 stake plus the $180 profit. To win $100 betting on Golden State at -200, you would have to wager $200. As you can see, betting on the favorite requires more risk for the same reward.

If you need additional help interpreting probabilities and what they mean for your payout, check out our guide to all things odds-related. Once you feel comfortable reading NBA odds and understand the basics of moneyline betting, our comprehensive guide to betting the NBA moneyline has more advanced strategic considerations.

NBA Betting: Intro to the Point Spread

There are many different names for betting against the spread: betting the spread, point-spread betting, and betting against the spread (ATS) – just to name a few. Rest assured, they all refer to the same thing. Betting against the spread is unique because you aren’t picking an outright winner or loser.

If you place a spread bet on the favorite, they have to win by a specified number of points. Conversely, if you bet on the underdog, they have to not lose by the specified number of points.

Betting the spread might sound a tad confusing, so let’s look at our sample line above to see it in action. The team with a negative number next to it, the Golden State Warriors, is the favorite to win. If you bet on the Warriors, they have to beat the home team, the Celtics, by at least 7 points to successfully “cover” the spread and make your bet a winner.

Another way to look at it is to subtract 6.5 points from Golden State’s total at the end of the game. If, after deducting 6.5 points, Golden State is still the winner, they’ve successfully covered the spread.

Betting on Boston? They need to win the game outright or lose by 6 points (or fewer) for your bet to succeed. A “+” sign in the spread denotes an underdog status. This is a simple and reliable way to discern which team oddsmakers think is least likely to win.

Why Does Betting Against the Spread Use Half-Points?

One of the most confusing aspects of betting against the spread is the inclusion of half-points (In our example, the spread is 6.5 instead of being 6 or 7). Experienced sports bettors refer to these half points as “the hook,” a mechanism that eliminates any possibility of a tie, or “push.” Obviously, there are no half points in basketball, so you will either win or lose your bet when a half point is added to the spread.

If there is no “hook,” the game could end in a “push”. Generally speaking, a push will result in the return of your wager. Be aware, however, that some sportsbooks treat a push as a loss.

Why Are Spreads Preferred by Sportsbooks?

Spread betting is incredibly popular, particularly when betting on the NFL or NBA.

Sports betting sites use spreads to encourage equitable betting on both teams, which is their safest way for operators to secure a profit. If there is equal money bet on both teams, the sportsbook can pay out the winners from the pool of money collected from the losers, and simultaneously pocket the five or ten percent “vig” (bookmaker’s fee) they collect from everyone.

It is important to note that the spread is fluid. It can (and will) change in the lead-up to the game. If bettors place significantly more money on one team, say Golden State (-6.5), the sportsbook may adjust the spread to encourage more betting on the other team.

Sportsbooks do this to mitigate their own financial risk. However, don’t worry if the lines change after you’ve placed your bet. No matter what, your bet is locked in at the odds you initially wagered on.

Totals Betting

Totals betting (also known as over/under betting) is also relatively straightforward. Simply put, you are placing a bet on the total points scored in a game. Calculate the total score by adding the points each team scored together.

In our example, the total is set at 210.5. If you bet on the over, you’re betting that Golden State and Boston’s combined final scores will be more than 210.5 points. Just like placing a bet against the spread, half-points are used to avoid the possibility of a push, or tie.

You may have noticed that both the over and under have a -110 next to them. Just like the moneyline, that number indicates the payout. In our example, you must wager $110 to win $100, whether you bet on the over or the under.

While you’ll most often see the over/under odds set at -110 or -105, the payout for the over and under is not always the same. The sportsbook will sometimes offer more enticing odds to attract more action on the less popular side of a given wager.

Multiple Game NBA Bets

As soon as multiple games are involved, betting on the NBA becomes a lot more complicated. With a greater number of games, there is an increased number of variables to consider. But there’s a good reason to get yourself acquainted with multi-game bets: added complexity comes with the chance of much larger payouts.

The betting lines associated with betting on parlays, teasers, and props are a favorite of seasoned bettors. Let’s take a detailed look at each.

Parlays

A parlay is any bet that involves wagering on the outcome of more than one event or proposition. These outcomes could be in the same game or spread over multiple games.

Let’s say that you wanted to bet on the Celtics winning, as well as the total score of the game being under 210.5. A parlay allows you to do so, effectively betting on both outcomes with a single stake. It’s also possible to add another event to this stake, (say, the Lakers beating the Clippers). If you win all parts of your parlay, the payout will be much bigger than if you bet on just one event.

It’s important to note that there is no prize for getting two out of three events correct. Each bet within the parlay must be correct for it to be graded a winner. As a result, parlays can provide mammoth payouts on a small wager, but that’s only because the probability of predicting multiple events correctly is generally very low.

Let’s assume you construct the following three-bet parlay:

  1. Boston Celtics at +6.5
  2. BOS vs GS Over 210.5
  3. Los Angeles Lakers at +3.5

Now let’s assume that all three parts have a 50/50 chance of succeeding. The rough payout on a three-bet parlay like this would be about +550 or +600 (meaning you would win $550 or $600 on a $100 wager. Sounds great! But not so fast: Your chances of winning all three are just 12.5%.

This doesn’t mean you should always avoid parlays. It only means that you should recognize the degree of difficulty before putting your money down.

Parlays can include various combinations of moneyline, point spread, or totals bets from either one game or multiple games. However, few sportsbooks will allow you to make a parlay bet on both the moneyline and the spread of the same game. These outcomes are closely related, so sportsbooks do this to mitigate their risk.

Some sportsbooks allow a limitless number of events for parlays, while others place a cap at a predetermined ceiling.

Constructing parlays is a more advanced betting strategy. Handicapping multiple games at once can be difficult, so proceed with caution.

Teasers

A teaser is a type of parlay and therefore requires you to wager on more than one event outcome. With a teaser, all bets are placed on the total or against the spread, and you have the ability to adjust the spread or total in your favor. Of course, your payout will be reduced according to the amount you shift the numbers to your advantage. Let’s take a look at an example to see how teasers work in practice.

Say you look at the line for the first game and are drawn to the New York Knicks laying 5.5 points with their home-court advantage, but want to add some extra cushion to the spread. Looking at the second game, you might not trust Utah to dust off the Pistons by a whole 7 points but are still confident the Jazz will come out of the game with a modest lead.

This is where the work of a teaser comes in. You can manipulate the line in your favor at the cost of a reduced payout compared to that you’d see with a standard parlay bet.

Most online sports betting sites offer basketball teasers that allow you to adjust the spread by 4, 4.5, or 5 points. Depending on the number of selections you choose to include in your bet, some sportsbooks offer something called “sweetheart” teasers. These give you the option of manipulating the betting line by 8 to 10 points.

No matter how enticing teasers may seem, remember that you still need to predict all events correctly to win the bet. Scrutinize the fine print of your sports betting site’s terms and conditions. Some sportsbooks will remove an event from the teaser if the result is a push, while others will count it as a loss.

Other NBA Betting Options

The National Basketball Association has soared in popularity over the past few decades, and NBA betting has grown along with it. As a result, a number of creative and fun bets are now available at online sportsbooks during the regular season and NBA Finals alike.

These days, NBA betting options are nearly limitless. You can bet on player performance, major awards such as the NBA MVP, championship futures, and more. Some propositions allow you to bet on the outcome of a single play!

Prop Bets in NBA Games

With proposition betting, or “prop” betting, you can bet on things other than the results of games. This includes wagering on specific players or events within games.

The options available in prop betting can range from how many points a particular player will score in the second half to who will have the most blocks throughout the regular season.

Many prop bets are structured as over/unders. For example, a sportsbook could set LeBron James’ point total for the Lakers’ next game at 24.5, with odds on both the over and the under at -110.

No matter the prop, the sportsbook will delineate your options clearly and include the requisite payout on either outcome.

Futures

Shortly after the NBA season ends, most sports betting sites will provide the option to bet on the winner of the following year’s championship. This is referred to as a futures bet. Long before playoff seeding is determined (and often before rosters are even finalized), NBA bettors have the option of selecting their pick for next year’s champion. Some lucrative futures bets have paid handsomely in recent years. Online sports betting Canada wasn’t legalized at the time, but when the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title, they were as long as +5500 in the preseason (meaning a $100 wager won bettors a whopping $5,500).

Other popular NBA futures bets include individual awards like Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Star players expected to be in the running will be listed. Most sportsbooks also offer a “FIELD” option, which allows you to bet on every player not listed as an option.

Potential winnings for these wagers will typically be higher the earlier you place the bet. Of course, it’s also harder to predict award winners with less information to go off, but in gambling, the higher the risk, the higher the reward.

Another popular futures bet is team win totals. Prior to the start of the NBA season, oddsmakers will set each team’s projected win total, based on their predicted season-long performance. As with other totals bets, bettors can take the over or the under. Referred to as season props, they’re typically available for all 30 NBA teams. Be careful before putting a large portion of your bankroll down on a season prop, as that money will be tied up until the season is over!

It’s important to recognize that many sportsbooks close these bets shortly before the season tip-off. Further, the majority of sports betting sites won’t allow you to include futures within any parlay bet.

If you want to track the odds for the most popular NBA futures bets, be sure to check out the SBD Odds Trackers at the links below:

Track NBA Championship Odds

Track NBA Win Totals Odds

Track NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Track NBA MVP Odds

NBA In-Game Live Betting

Many sports betting sites offer live NBA betting markets, allowing you to place bets on games that are already underway.

Just like a regular pre-game bet, you’re able to bet on the moneyline, spread, total, and several interesting props. That said, the spread and odds will be adjusted in real-time, based on the progression of the game and the number of incoming bets.

Live betting is very exciting – just remember you’ll need to act quickly when you see a line you like.

Find More Basketball Betting Success

Betting on the NBA can be incredibly simple or very complex. It all depends on your comfort level. To get started, we recommend finding the best sportsbook that suits your needs. Carefully examine the terms and conditions of not only your sportsbook, but the bets you make.

Do your research, learn what kind of bettor you want to become, and most of all, have fun! Equip yourself with all the knowledge you can about how to bet on sports. After all, the house doesn’t beat you: It just gives you an opportunity to beat yourself.

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