How Do You Bet on Basketball?

Football is easily the most popular sport to bet on in the United States, but basketball has been closing the gap in recent years. Basketball is popular at the college level, as well as being popular at the NBA level. There are some great betting options when it comes to basketball, and a lot of them are similar to what you would find when betting on football. Knowing how to bet on basketball is the first step to winning some money on this sport, and each betting option is going to be a bit different.  Once you know how to bet on basketball, then you won’t have any trouble finding options to choose from. 

Top 5 Rated Sportsbooks For Basketball Betting

Betting the Spread

When it comes to betting on basketball, the bet that usually draws the most betting action is betting against the spread. When NBA lines and odds are posted, the spread is typically what bettors are referring to when discussing a game.  The spread is the margin of victory when the final game ends, and you can actually bet on either team to win this one. A losing team can still cover the spread just as quickly as the winning team can.  You might see spread betting odds that look like this: Chicago Bulls -6.5 Los Angeles Lakers +6.5 In the situation above, the Bulls not only have to win the game but also by seven points to cover the spread. The Lakers just have to keep the final score within six points, or they could also go on to win the game. 

Moneyline

The easiest bet to make on a basketball game is betting the moneyline because all you have to do is pick the winning team. The disadvantage of betting the moneyline is that you aren’t going to get a huge payout unless you are willing to bet on the underdog. Moneyline odds are going to be different for each team in the matchup, and there could be a huge difference depending on the game. Moneyline odds are going to tell you how much money you can win by betting on each side. There are no tricks when it comes to moneyline betting; all you have to do is bet on the team winning the game. 

Over/Under

Besides betting the moneyline or spread, there is one other great betting option to make pregame. Betting the total is another common and popular basketball bet to make, and this one is much different than the first two that were discussed.  This type of bet deals with the total number of points scored in a basketball game, and it will be offered at both college and professional levels. There are just two options to choose from, which is why this bet is sometimes called the over/under.  You can usually make an over/under bet on the first half as well, and the combined number of points at halftime would determine the outcome. 

Futures 

You don’t have to bet on individual games when betting on basketball, as you can also make a futures bet. This type of wager looks at the events of a complete season as opposed to just one individual game.  One nice thing about futures betting is that you are typically going to see some great value in the odds. Even betting on the favorite will usually come with a nice payout.  Here are some of the most common futures bet that you can make on basketball:

• NBA Champion
• NBA MVP
• NBA Draft 
• NBA Most Improved Player
• NCAA Tournament Champion
• Conference champions/NCAA

Parlays

A parlay is another great way to bet on basketball, and it’s one that can lead to a pretty big payout if your wager is successful. This type of wager doesn’t focus on just one single bet. But instead, you are combining individual wagers into one large bet.  The bettor is in complete control when putting together a parlay, and it can be as big as you want to get it. Your potential payout will increase every time you add a new leg to the parlay, but you are also increasing the chances of it failing.  You can also combine the same game parlay by selecting different betting options from the same contest. 

Top 5 Rated Sportsbooks For Basketball Betting

Props 

Prop betting is no longer only reserved for the Super Bowl as there will be prop betting options for all NBA games during the regular season. When it comes to prop betting, you are usually going to be looking at individual or team statistics to make these bets.  Every sportsbook is able to come up with its own prop betting options, and they will be very different across the board. Odds for prop bets will be unique as well, but you will typically be able to find some great value in the odds that are posted.

NBA Playoffs

Even though betting on basketball is popular throughout the year, things start to ramp up during the NBA Playoffs. Sixteen teams from across the league compete in the NBA Playoffs and are looking for a chance to win the title.  Not only can you bet on every game during the NBA Playoffs, but you can also bet on each individual series. Picking the winner of each series is one option, but you can also make a bet on how many games each round is going to last.  Prop betting becomes an even bigger option when it comes to the NBA Playoffs as well. 

NCAA Tournament

Just like with the NBA Playoffs, the postseason tournament for college basketball is one of the biggest betting attractions when it comes to this sport. The NCAA Tournament, or March Madness, is a three-week long tournament that creates plenty of drama and excitement.  Betting on each game of the NCAA Tournament is one option, but you can also try to predict what will take place further down the road. Prop betting is also extremely popular when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, and a great future bet is trying to pick the teams that will end up in the Final Four.