How To Bet On The NBA

Moneyline

Moneyline bets are the easiest type of bet to start with. You simply pick the team you think will win any NBA game. The NBA betting odds for the Moneyline will tell you which team is the favorite and who is the underdog. For example, imagine a game where the LA Lakers are +120 to win. The plus number signifies that they are the underdog in this game. You will receive $120 for every $100 you bet if they win. However, imagine a scenario where they are shown as -120 to win. In this game, the negative number signifies that they are the favorites. Now you will only receive $100 for every $120 you bet.

Spread Betting

Spread bets or point spread betting is a popular choice among successful NBA bettors. Here, you are betting on the margin of victory by any team. A minus number indicates that your team needs to win by at least that number of points. A plus number means they can lose, but not by more than that number of points. Let us assume the Boston Celtics are playing a game. The odds show them as -4.5. That means they are the favorites and will need to win by 5 or more points for your bet to be a winner. Similarly, if they are shown as +4.5 in the spread, they are now the underdogs. If they win the game or lose by less than 5 points, your bet will be a winner.

Parlays

In the world of sports betting, parlays offer high risk and high rewards. You create a multi-bet where the odds multiply each time you win. Let us assume you make a bet on the Miami Heat to win a particular game. If the bet comes in, you will let the money ride, and it will be placed onto a new bet. Maybe this bet is on the 76ers to win their game. If this bet comes in, you could let the new total ride onto a third game, and so on. The more bets you have in your parlay, the more money you stand to win, and it could be a huge amount. But you need every one of your chosen teams to win or you will lose your bet.

Future Bets

Future bets need you to predict an event that will occur later in the NBA season. It could be within a day, a week, or over the entire season. For example, predicting whether the Golden State Warriors will make the NBA playoffs. Or whether you think they will win the NBA finals. Good knowledge of a team's NBA stats will help you find good future bets. Similarly, you can make futures bets on an individual player. Analyzing individual player stats can lead to great bets. Here, you predict the performance of a player over the NBA season. Maybe you think a player will be the MVP. Or you might bet on who will be the NBA Rookie of the Year.

Prop Bets

NBA prop bets involve predicting specific events or aspects of a game. They can be player prop bets or team prop bets. An example of common player prop bets would be whether a player will score more than 25 points in the game. Or it might be whether that player will score more than three 3-pointers. Player prop bets are a good option if you have faith in an individual player, but not in the entire team. Prop bets on NBA teams are similar except they involve the performance of the entire team. It could be something such as who will score the first point, or who will call the first timeout. There are limitless numbers of prop bets you can consider for any game.

Look Out For The Best Available Betting Lines

The most important rule in sports betting is to remove any bias you might have. Just because you have a favorite team, you should bet using numbers, not emotions. That means you should consider every bet, regardless of whether you like that team or not.

And you should always be on the lookout for the best available odds for any market. Follow the NBA Live scores and use Oddspedia's comparison tools to compare all the odds that are on offer. Picking the site that offers the highest odds will help you make more profit when you win.

Take Advantage Of Sure Bets

As with any sport, it is impossible to predict an outcome 100%. You can make the best assumptions, but luck will always be a factor. But sometimes you will stumble across what can be described as sure bets. Matched betting allows you to place multiple bets on a market using a sportsbook bonus. This can cancel out the risk of losing the bet. Arbitrage betting is when you can bet on all the outcomes for an event with different sportsbooks. You will win no matter what the outcome.

Follow NBA Tipsters And Their Expert Predictions

Regardless of the markets, you decide to bet on, the more information you have, the better armed you will be. The internet makes finding information on NBA teams easily accessible. You should always try to get as much information as possible before placing a bet. And many tipsters register with Oddspedia and give their opinions. They can provide crucial information on betting markets and point you in the right direction. While they cannot be right all the time, you should use their vast experience to your advantage.

Take The Small Wins And Profits

While we would all love to win a huge parlay bet, realistically this is unlikely to happen. Seasoned bettors know that you should take advantage of any margins you get, no matter how small they are. That means you might only get a small profit from a particular bet, but a win is a win. And you should celebrate every win. Sometimes many small wins will greatly outweigh a single big reward. You should keep track of your wins and losses to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Do not fall into the trap of losing a single big bet as you may end up chasing your losses.

Not Familiar With The NBA or Sports Betting

You would not ski down a mountain without getting the proper training. And the same should apply to your NBA betting. If you do not understand the sport and the odds, you should not place a bet. You need to understand the markets and what the various odds mean. And you should also have some understanding of how to analyze statistics so you can make an informed decision. The most common mistake new bettors make is to place a bet when they are unfamiliar with the sport.

Ignoring Team Form And Injuries

Team form is one of the most important dynamics in the NBA. Just because a team is famous, they may be going through a bad patch. A common mistake is to assume they must turn it around in this game. Teams can have injuries or off-the-field problems that are causing their downturn in form. It is best to avoid teams that are going through a bad run and wait for their luck to change. This is especially true when the team would normally be the favorite, but their current form suggests otherwise.

Mismanaging your bankroll

The next most common mistake new bettors make is failure to manage their bankroll. It is easy to get blinded by what you think is a good bet and to place too much money on a single event. While the potential payout may be enticing, remember that you stand to lose more as well. Big losses can cause you to bet even more to try and recoup your losses, and a vicious circle ensues. Bankroll management is key. You should place more bets for smaller amounts and learn from your betting history. And make sure to make betting limits and stick to them.

Avoid betting on your favourite team

Another common mistake is to allow emotion to sway your decisions. If you only ever bet on one team you are missing out on finding the best bets. While it is hugely satisfying to win a bet with your favorite team, it should not be the reason you place the bet. Always bet by the numbers and not by your heart. The only team you should bet on is the team that has the highest chance of fulfilling that bet. Sometimes that may involve betting against the NBA team you support.