Betting On Basketball Games

As one of the most popular sports to bet, sports bettors have been making
money on basketball for years and show no signs of letting up anytime soon.
While the sport itself is simple and the bets on the sports are also simple, the
strategy can sometimes be a bit confusing knowing where to start. Ultimately,
you will probably develop your own strategy to beat the books, but we can help
by giving you some tips to get you headed in the right direction to “making some
serious coin.” It’s our understanding that is how the cool kids say making
money.

The best way to utilize these strategy suggestions is to use them as a guide
for developing your complete betting strategy. While most of them are meant to
be taken literally, it’s important to remember that they are meant to be a piece
of your overall strategy, not the entire strategy. These tips should work
hand in hand with your own strategies and should help to direct the way your
mind works to develop your strategy. Basically, don’t let one tip below be the
only way you pick your bets. Use them as pieces of a more comprehensive betting
strategy based on your knowledge base.

Click here to get the BetLabs software and create your own NBA betting systems.In this video I test out som.

Points in the Paint vs. 3-Pointers

Paying attention to how a team makes most of their points can be important
when looking at consistency. A team that relies heavily on 3-point baskets is
great, but it’s a lot easier to go cold on shooting 3-pointers than it is on
posting up and driving to the basket.

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Keep this in mind when looking to pick game winners as well as if you are
making bracket bets for the tournament in college basketball. The winning team
in the NCAA tournament is almost never a team that makes most of their points
from beyond the arc. Those teams are great to look at for upsets, but not for
long-term consistency and deep runs.

Check the Team’s Schedule

Fatigue plays a huge role in the success of teams in basketball. Unlike
sports like football, teams play a lot of games and their schedules vary, often
with multiple games throughout the week. Take a look at how many games the team
has played recently and if they’re on a long road trip or something like that.
If a team is playing their fourth game in five days, you can bet that they’re
going to be tired which means they’ll be slower and less likely to perform well.

Looking at the location of these games is also important as away/road games
will definitely take a bigger toll on a team’s energy. Also, look at how far
they have to travel for their games. If they are going cross country back and
forth for every game, the travel is going to wear on them even more. You should
also take a look at what point it is in their season as the effects of this
don’t usually start coming in as heavily until after the first quarter of the
season. The later in the season it is, the more this is going to be an issue and
the more opportunities it will create for you.

Road Favorites After a Blowout Loss

A popular betting strategy is to take a look at teams that are favored in an
away game after getting blown out in their previous game. These teams are
clearly strong enough in talent to be still favored on the road after a big loss
which means they have a lot of actual talent and substance that the oddsmakers
still like.

These teams are also going to be fired up after getting embarrassed.
Teams that have been blown out by 15 or more points and are still road favorites
in their next game have covered the spread over 60% of the time in the last 10
years.

Big Home Underdogs

No one likes to lose at home in front of their own fans. This seems to be
true when it comes to basketball as well. Teams have a strong tendency to cover
the spread when they are big underdogs (10+ points) at home.

A lot of this has
to do with the emotional desire to impress at home, and a lot of it has to do
with the other team usually letting off when they’re up quite a few points.
They’ll put in second stringers and rest their big names because it only matters
to them if they win, not by how many points. Even though we care about the
spread, teams playing the game do not. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss to
them.

Watch for Moving Lines

One of the best ways to dominate sports betting of any kind is to recognize
that there are experts out there who are practical geniuses at sports betting.
If you’re one of them, this won’t affect you as much, although it always helps
to know what the other experts are doing. If you see a line moving one direction
after the public has bet heavily on the other side, you’re probably witnessing
the experts taking advantage of the uneducated public.

Historically, the general public has not been very smart when it comes to
sports betting. They bet with their heart instead of their head way too often
and are too eager to jump on trends that don’t mean anything. There’s a reason
sports books are so profitable. This creates a lot of opportunities for the
expert bettors. Here’s what we mean with an oversimplified example.

Let’s say the Orlando Magic are -6 points to win a game and they’re playing
the Knicks. All the sports outlets and the media start talking about how great
and underrated the Knicks are, and the public starts betting heavily on them.
The line moves quickly to the Magic -3 reflecting all of the public betting on
the Knicks. If you start to see the line moving back the other direction, like
back to Magic -4, you are probably witnessing the smart money taking advantage
of the public’s over-eagerness to get on trends. When you see this, you should
bet with the experts.

If you see a line moving one way and you think it’s way off because the
public is betting based on their hearts and popularity, definitely bet the other
direction. You may still want to wait a little bit to see if it moves any
further in what you think is the wrong direction. For example, in the above
example, after the public starts betting what you think is incorrect, the line
will move from Magic -6 to Magic -5. You could bet it right then if you think
it’s now a great bet or you could wait and see what happens. If the public keeps
betting it, the line will move further and further in your favor making your bet
much more attractive. The worst thing that can happen is the line corrects back
to its original point, and then you just don’t bet on that game. You can also
bet the game at -5 and then bet it again if it moves further if you think
they’re both good bets.

Finding the perfect timing to jump on moving lines is an art form and one you
will have to perfect as you go along. We also want to make sure to point out
that just because a line moves does not mean you have to bet on the game. You
should really only bet on the game if it fits with your strategy and you think
it is a good pick. You also want to be careful to make sure that the line
movement is from the experts correcting bad betting by the public, not the other
way around. The sportsbooks are great about putting out good lines, but they do
make mistakes. If they put out a bad line, the experts will start betting it
immediately, and it will correct quickly. Don’t confuse this with the public
incorrectly moving the line.

To make this all easier, here are some quick tips to go along with this
strategy.

• Know WHY the line is moving. Don’t just bet because it moved.
• Only bet if you think the new line is a good bet. Don’t just bet because it
  moved.
• You don’t have to wait to jump on a bad line, but timing and waiting can be
  beneficial as well.
• Sportsbooks are wise, but they still make mistakes too.
• Sometimes the public will be right.

Watch Out for Your Favorites

We mentioned a few times above that we can find opportunities to take
advantage of the betting public’s willingness to bet with their heart instead of
their head. The obvious caveat to that is that we don’t want ever to be the ones
that other people are taking advantage of. The best way to do this is to be
careful when we
look to bet our favorite teams and be careful who we get news
and advice from and how we choose to interpret it. Let’s look at each of these
briefly.

We all always want our favorite team to win. Because of this, our brains work
to find the ways that it is possible, even if it is not probable. This is great
when you are being a fan because it gives you hope and can make the game
watching experience much more enjoyable. As a sports bettor, though, it can
spell impending doom. This improbable hope can cut into your profits if you let
it bleed into your picks and strategy. The best advice is probably to avoid
betting your favorite teams unless you are sure of something with your strategy.
It’s tough to be unbiased, and there are usually a ton of other games to choose
from.

The second thing we mentioned is being careful who you get advice and news
from and how you choose to interpret it. The public loves to glamorize stories
and underdogs, and they are professionals when it comes to hyping up games that
might not actually be as close as they say it might be. It’s important for
you not to get caught up in these stories and let it affect your betting
strategy. The best way to protect yourself against this is to be careful of
where you get your news and information from and make your picks as independent
of other people’s opinions first. After you have made your pick, you can reach
out to others and read other opinions and see if it changes the way you have
chosen to bet. Just don’t let it control you and don’t become a member of the
dreaded “general betting public.”

Cherry Pick Your Games for Value

It is no secret that the odds makers are good at what they do. Most of the
lines they put out are going to be spot on and will make finding value a
challenge. That doesn’t mean that value does not exist. When there are lots of
games going on, it’s much more likely that you might be able to find some lines
with mistakes in them. Smaller games in popularity are also going to have less
time spent on setting their lines. There really is no secret to when to try and
find bad lines. The key is to have a strategy in place that helps you spot these
lines and take advantage of them.

One of the best ways to do this is to set up a system to where you determine
what you think the line on the game will be BEFORE you actually look at the
lines. Then you can bet on the games that look to have value to you. For
example, let’s say you are going to be betting NBA games and you want to bet
three games. You pick the following games

• UNLV vs. Gonzaga
• Florida vs. South Carolina
• Miami vs. Duke

Now, BEFORE you look at the lines and point spreads on these games you work
your strategy and try and figure out what you think the spreads should be. You
determine the following:

Betting On Basketball Games Online

• You think UNLV will lose by 6 points.
• You think Florida will win by 4 points.
• You think Miami will lose by 2 points.

So if you were the odds maker, you would set the lines at:

• UNLV +6
• Florida -4
• Miami +2

When you check the actual lines at the sportsbook, you see the following:

• UNLV + 8
• Florida -4
• Miami +1

In this situation, you would do the following:

1. Bet on UNLV because they can lose by eight points according to the
   book instead of the six you think they’re going to lose by. You think that
   UNLV will do better than what the oddsmakers think.
2. Don’t bet on the second game because you think the line is correct.
3. Bet on Duke because they only need to win by one point instead of the
   two that you think they are going to. You think that Duke will do better
   than what the oddsmakers think.

The point here is to determine how you think the teams will do and what you
think the spread should be before you look at what the book has posted. This
will protect you from being influenced by what they predict and will also make
it much easier to spot value bets.

Check the Lineups

This is a fairly basic tip that unfortunately is ignored way too often. When
you’re betting on games, make sure to check injury reports and rosters before
you make your wager.

Let’s say you see the Golden State Warriors
are playing a game and are only -2 to win against the Knicks. You think this is
an incredible value and can’t believe the book would post such an awful line.
What you forgot to look up, though, is that Steph Curry, their star player, is
out along with two other starters. This happens a lot especially with long
seasons and a lot of games to be played.

Make sure that the players you are
banking on to help you win your bet are actually slated to play in the game. It
only takes a few minutes and can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Sports betting is one of the most exciting ways to experience sporting events. Basketball is one of the most dynamic and thrilling sports to wager on. However, wagers can get complicated, and many people don’t know how to bet on basketball.

In this in-depth primer, we’ll go over the fundamentals of how to bet on basketball. We’ll get into basketball betting lines, NBA and NCAAB betting, implied probabilities, types of bets, and more.

Betting Explained: Understanding Basketball Betting Lines

The first step towards learning how to bet on basketball is understanding the betting lines. Betting lines, also called moneylines, inform you of two crucial things: what the odds are, and who’s the favorite.

In American odds formats, a match will feature a moneyline for each outcome. In a 2-way moneyline (games where teams can’t tie), only two outcomes are possible. Each team’s moneyline reflects the payout of a $100 bet on the team to win.

Negative (-) moneylines indicate a favorite. A negative moneyline indicates how much you need to bet to win $100. Positive (+) moneylines indicate underdogs. Positive moneylines show potential net winnings on a $100 stake.

NBA Betting

When you bet on NBA games, you’ll find a few standard betting lines available. The most common include moneyline, point spread, and total. Let’s look at an example. Say the Boston Celtics are playing the Los Angeles Lakers at Boston. Boston is the favorite, with moneyline at -140, spread at -2.5, and totals at 200. LA stands at +120 moneyline, +2.5 spread, and 200 totals.

Let’s then say you bet $100 bet on the Celtics to win, and $100 on the Lakers to beat the spread. The game finishes 97-95, with Boston on top. Your $100 moneyline bet at -140 would pay about $171, or net winnings of $71.

Spread bets pay if your team plus or minus the spread beats the other team’s score. In this case, the Lakers lost, but beat the spread, since 95+2.5 is 97.5, which is higher than the Celtics’ 97. Spread bets are a somewhat more advanced way of how to bet on basketball.

Betting on NCAA Basketball

A bet on college basketball isn’t much different from a bet on NBA games. When you bet on college basketball, you get much the same options as with the NBA. Moneylines, spread bets and totals are the most common betting lines.

Let’s try a practical example. Say it’s the height of March Madness, and the Duke Blue Devils are playing the Michigan State Spartans. Duke is the slight favorite, with -110 odds, -1.5 spread. Michigan is the slight underdog, at +105 odds and +1.5 spread.

Let’s also say you are feeling Michigan will have a great game. You bet $100 on Michigan to win, and $100 on Michigan to beat the spread. The game ends 73-72, with Duke ahead. You bet on Michigan to win loses, but spread bets on Michigan still payout, since 72+1.5 is over 73.

Many people love to bet on college basketball. March Madness, in particular, is a great time to bet on college basketball. The best bets, promotions, and offers come around this time of the year.

Learn How to Calculate Implied Probability

There are many strategies and tips out there to bet on the NBA. The best bets follow smart strategies that work overtime. However, to learn how to bet on basketball with even the simplest of strategies, players must understand implied probability.

Bookies set the odds based on the likelihood of an event happening. That means you can examine the odds to figure out how probable the bookies think an outcome is. That’s what implied probability means. Implied probability is crucial for serious online sports betting. When you bet on NBA games, your odds determine the implied probability. Finding discrepancies between implied probability and real probability is the goal of the NBA’s best bets.

If that sounds complicated, don’t worry. It’s quite simple. Let’s go over a few examples of how to bet on basketball and calculate implied probability.

Decimal Odds

For decimal odds, the process is extremely easy. Say you bet on the Lakers at decimal odds of 1.5. The inverse would be 1 divided by the decimal odds, in this case, 1/1.5 = 0.66 = 66%. That means the sportsbook is implying that the probability of the Lakers winning is 66%.

Fractional Odds

Using fractional odds, things aren’t much more complicated. Let’s say you’re betting on Gonzaga at fractional odds of 6/4. To get the implied probability, divide the denominator by the sum of both numerator and denominator. Like so: 4/(6+4) = 4/10 = 0.4 = 40% implied probability.

American Odds

With American odds, the process is a little more complex. Let’s say you’re betting on the Celtics at -200. Divide the odds by the sum of the odds and 100. Like so: 200/(200+100) = 200/300 = 0.66 = 66% implied probability.

For positive odds, the process is slightly different. Let’s say the Chicago Bulls are underdogs at +300. Divide 100 by the sum of the odds and 100. Like so: 100/(300+100) = 100/400 = 0.25 = 25% implied probability.

Using implied probabilities, you can figure out how to bet on basketball in a much more effective way. It’s all about finding events where the bookies’ implied probabilities are lower than the real-world probabilities.

Types of Basketball Bets

Point-Spread

Point-Spread bets are available for the NBA, NCAA, and WNBA when the leagues are in season. The point-spread was developed to provide a balance for both teams involved in a contest to entice bettors to potentially back the weaker team and receive points.

The two squads in a game are listed with a title, either a favorite or an underdog. The favorite is usually the perceived better team in the game, as backing them means giving up several points. For example, if Los Angeles is listed as a seven-point favorite (-7) over Orlando, backing Los Angeles would mean they need to win by at least eight points to win the bet. Any victory by six points or less by Los Angeles would result in a loss, even though they won the game straight-up.

The underdog is the team not expected to win, but betting the ‘dog has its advantages. In the above example, betting Orlando with the seven points (+7) is actually beneficial in two ways. If Orlando loses the game by six points or less, Orlando wins the bet. Also, if Orlando wins the game straight-up regardless of the amount, they cash winning tickets. Assuming the game falls on seven, in this case, a ‘push’ occurs, which is a tie, meaning all tickets are refunded.

Moneyline

In basketball, the standard betting practice is to lay (bet) $110 to win $100. When we learn about betting baseball and hockey, the money-line is the main form of wagering, meaning no point spread. There is money-line betting in basketball in case you don’t want to worry about the points. However, the odds are adjusted accordingly for both the favorite and underdog. If you wanted to back Los Angeles (a five-point favorite) but only needed to them to win straight-up, you would need to wager $250 to win $100. On the flip side, if you have enough faith in Orlando to beat Los Angeles outright as a five-point ‘dog, you can place $100 to win $180.

There is a sliding scale on the money-line/point-spread correlation, with the favorite numbers rising relative to how many points they lay. A three-point favorite to win outright is just -160 (Lay $160 to win $100), while a seven-point favorite is a chalkier bet at -320 (Lay $320 to win $100).

Totals (Over/Under)

Another option to bet on basketball instead of taking a side is to bet on the total. Basically, this is a cooperative effort between the two teams to either go ‘Over’ or ‘Under’ the posted total. In basketball, if Los Angeles and Orlando have a game total of 205 ½, a winning ‘Over’ bet would mean the two clubs would combine for 206 points or more. On the flip side, a winning ‘Under’ ticket is 205 points or fewer between the two teams.

Basketball Rules

All betting shops and bookmakers follow their own house guidelines, but the rules listed below are widely considered industry standards

Basketball games are official when 43 minutes have been played (35 minutes in college basketball).

Crafting Your Basketball Betting Strategy

If you are serious about learning how to bet on basketball, you’ll need the best tips and strategies. There’s a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from more experienced players. Proven strategies are the backbone of the NBA best bets.

The following are some of the most important tips to place NBA and college basketball best bets. If you want to learn how to bet on basketball, keep the following tips in mind.

NCAA & NBA Best Bets Tips

• Manage your bankroll effectively. The specifics are up to you, but keep in mind how vast the NBA schedule is. There’s always a lot of action to take, so don’t commit your whole bankroll to a single game.
• Keep track of schedules. That applies to both game and practice schedules. A team that reads great on paper can quickly fold if they’re fatigued or overworked.
• Stay up to date on injuries. Player injuries can be the bane of both NBA and college basketball best bets. Keep an eye on player rest updates as well. A team on a slump with a star coming back from rest is often underestimated by oddsmakers.

Next up, we’ll take a brief look at some of the most successful strategies. They’re some of the smartest rules of thumb for how to bet on basketball.

Bet On Basketball Games Online

Best Strategies For Betting On Basketball

Tunnel Betting

Tunnel betting means capitalizing on differences in betting lines offered at the same odds by different bookies. For example, let’s say Bookie #1 has the total for a game at 200, and Bookie #2 has it at 205.

If you take the over 200 and the under 205, if the game ends at anywhere between the two, you’ll win both bets. Best of all, if you miss that range, you’re guaranteed to win one of your bets. It’s a relatively low-risk way of how to bet on basketball.

Middling

Middling is a more advanced approach to how to bet on basketball. It’s based on the fact that sportsbooks will adjust betting lines during a game in reaction to player action.

Let’s say you bet on Miami Heat as favorites against the Chicago Bulls, with a spread of -2.5. At halftime, following intense betting on the Bulls, bookies shift the line so the Bulls are the favorites, at -4.5. This creates a happy middle.

If you take both sides of the action, you could stand to make a substantial profit with the right result. If the Heat win by a 3 point lead, both teams will beat the spread. In most other possible outcomes, at least one of your bets will pay off, too. It’s a rather low-risk strategy. Middling is not just a popular way of how to bet on basketball. Many people use it to figure out how to bet on football as well.

Get Expert Picks for Basketball Betting

If you want to learn how to bet on basketball, it’s reasonable to learn from the best. From March Madness picks to top NBA predictions, bettors seek out shortlists and advice constantly. The following are some of the NBA and college football best bets you can make today.

College Basketball Picks

How To Bet On Basketball Games And Win

Here at VegasInsider.com, our handicappers work hard to gather the most up-to-date information on NCAA basketball. Handicappers are ranked by their recent performance. There is a prominent list of leading handicappers and hot streaks. They’ll be your best friends every March Madness. The list is constantly being updated.

As of this writing, the top 3 VegasInsider.com college basketball handicappers are Matt Fargo, Greg Smith, and Stephen Nover. Players can access documented lines, as well as time-stamped expert, picks for 1 day of college basketball action.

NBA Picks

VegasInsider.com NBA handicappers are some of the best-informed professional bettors in the industry. With proven track records and impressive hot streaks, our top handicappers have a unique talent for picking winners.

The top 3 handicappers feature the most dominating runs among our expert bettors each season. The top 3 are constantly changing. However, as of this writing, it’s made up of Joe Nelson (18-5), Chip Chirimbes (4-0) and Paul Bowl (5-0).

Live Betting, In-Play Betting & Basketball Betting Futures

So far, we’ve discussed pre-match betting markets, the most popular way of how to bet on basketball. However, there are many other forms of basketball wagering. They include basketball betting futures and live, in-play betting.

The difference between pre-match betting, live betting, and futures, is how far from the action the betting happens. With typical pre-match betting, you place wagers before a game that is starting soon.

Live betting, on the other hand, is about markets constantly adapting to the score of an ongoing game. They include many of the same markets you’d find pre-match, but with betting lines and odds always on the move.

Every sports betting operator offers pre-match betting. Most of them offer live betting markets as well, though many have a more limited selection compared to pre-match markets. Several operators also offer a third form of wagering: basketball betting futures. Basketball betting futures are a different take on how to bet on basketball. Instead of focusing on specific matches going on now, futures focus on big tournament titles. You can bet on the outright winner of the NBA finals or the March Madness champion for the year.

There are dozens of outright betting markets in many operators. They tend to have very favorable odds compared to pre-match and live markets. At the same time, they’re much harder to win. Unless you know something about next year’s season that no one else knows, that is.

Best Online Sportsbooks for Basketball Betting

Learning how to bet on basketball online also means knowing where the action is. In the US, there are many online sportsbooks and betting apps available.

Different sports betting apps have different things to offer, depending on your betting style. While several states now offer legal sports betting apps, NJ sports betting apps remain the most diverse and abundant.

BetRivers Sportsbook

The Rivers Casino opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2009, five years after the state legalized casino gambling. A decade later, the Rivers Casino launched the BetRivers Sportsbook, first as a trial, then permanently.

Also, BetRivers Sportsbook offers many pre-match and live betting markets on major American leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. They have pretty competitive odds for basketball betting lines.

BetRivers Sportsbook is ideal if you're located in Pennsylvania or Indiana. The operator also offers a sleek mobile app for Android devices. Regular betting boosts and having PayPal as a payment method make it an attractive option.

PointsBet Sportsbook

PointsBet is an innovative online sportsbook, founded in Australia and now expanding across the globe. In the US, PointsBet is currently available for New Jersey and Iowa players.

It’s an excellent operator for NBA sports betting, particularly if you want to shake things up a bit. PointsBet is actually in an official partnership with the NBA, and the league considers it an authorized sports betting operator.

Furthermore, PointsBet has a unique way of how to bet on basketball that brings tremendous amounts of adrenaline to sports betting.

The PointsBet system lets you cash in on every point that a team beats the score by. If the team misses the spread, though, you’re on the hook for every point they miss it by.

FanDuel Sportsbook

Founded in 2009 in New York, FanDuel began as a daily fantasy sports provider, one of the first in America. In the following decade, FanDuel expanded to almost every state. When the US legalized sports betting, FanDuel began its move towards sportsbook operations.

Today, FanDuel Sportsbook is available in four states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Indiana. The operator offers great odds and constant promotions for several major American sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and UFC.

FanDuel also has one of the best betting apps in the market, with excellent functionality and live betting capabilities.

DraftKings Sportsbook

Naturally, DraftKings Sportsbook is the sports betting arm of DraftKings, the largest daily fantasy sports provider in the US. DraftKings has had a presence in virtually every state almost since its inception, back in 2012. Following the 2018 PASPA repeal, DraftKings opened its Sportsbook.

DraftKings Sportsbook offers pre-match and live betting markets to players in New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Indiana. It’s also available at retail locations in half a dozen other states. DraftKings offers odds on major American and international sports and leagues.

The operator offers many betting boosts, interesting betting pools, multiple futures markets, and other special offers.

BetMGM Sportsbook

MGM Resorts International is one of the most renowned names in gambling in America. BetMGM Sportsbook is their second online sportsbook project after their initial playMGM brand failed to pick up steam.

BetMGM, on the other hand, started its life with much more momentum behind it, thanks to the 2018 PASPA repeal. BetMGM quickly entered into official betting partnerships with every major American sports league, including the NBA.

The BetMGM Sportsbook is available in New Jersey, Indiana and West Virginia, with plans to expand to many other states. BetMGM offers a great selection of betting lines at pretty competitive odds.

Bet on Basketball Today

Armed with everything you need to know to bet on basketball effectively, you’re ready for the action. It’s time for you to choose a sportsbook, make your player account, and get to betting.

There are many different bonuses and promotions available. Compare and contrast your options, and choose what’s right for you.