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NBA Betting – All You Need to Know
When it comes to sports betting it doesn’t get much more exciting than the sport of basketball and therefore the pinnacle of the market comes in the form of the ever-popular NBA. Betting on the NBA is truly as good as it gets when it comes to those who like to spice things up with a good wager. The fate of your bet can be settled in a split second. The team you backed beat the buzzer with a three-pointer, your heart is pounding and you are a winner.
The NBA season is a long hard division with almost infinite possibilities when it comes to a season’s sports bettor. The 82-game season is a real rollercoaster of emotions and whether you just love the game or love your team, there are endless NBA betting options to back and we are here to help you make the most of your sports betting experience, so pay close attention.
NBA Betting – The Top Five Sportsbooks
There are countless betting brands out there and locating the best one for your needs can be a real headache. Luckily we can provide you with genuine reviews of the most trustworthy sportsbooks around, below are five of the best when it comes to NBA Betting.
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What Makes a Good NBA Betting Site?
With so many sportsbook options it can be hard to define what makes a good NBA betting option. What you’ll want to look for is a site that offers a great range of betting options when it comes to the NBA, which means covering all games in as wide a manner as possible. The odds offered should be strong and competitive as otherwise you’d just as easily go to their competitors and find the same bet at better odds.
A strong sportsbook or any type should also provide strong incentives for signing up in the first place. That means offering strong sign-up bonuses, promotions, and ongoing deals that make your custom worthwhile for all concerned.
How to Sign Up with a Sportsbook
So you’ve picked a sportsbook and now you just need to sign-up, what’s next?
Most reputable sites make this process as simple as possible as it’s in their best interest to get you going. Usually, the sign-up is virtually painless and requires a minimum of information and interaction.
You’ll typically be asked to provide your name, date of birth, banking details (or whatever form of payment method you choose to use) and then they’ll put together a user profile for you after you’ve selected a username and password of course.
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Banking Details
- Address
Once you’ve completed the relevant form filling you’ll be sent a verification link and you can then move to the sportsbook itself. At this stage, you’ll have the opportunity to make the most of any bonus code or promotion offered by the sportsbook, and then you can use these (or your own funds) to place your first wager.
Making a deposit is usually fairly simple and the best sportsbooks will offer a wide range of methods. Clearly, VISA/Mastercard are usually a standard option that is accepted and others will allow the likes of PayPal or Payoneer. It’s worth taking note of the withdrawal options at this stage as some sportsbooks accept different methods for withdrawing money as they do depositing, our sportsbook brand reviews will give you all the relevant information in this regard.
NBA Betting – Brief History of the NBA
The NBA (National Basketball Association) is the second most popular sporting division/league in the US, behind the NFL, and attracts a global audience of hundreds of millions and the end of season play-offs and championship games are some of the most popular around when it comes to sports betting. Even those who have a very basic knowledge of the game tune in to the tail-end of the tournament and the level of betting grows year on year.
The league was founded in June 1946 and merged with the NBL three years later, to become the NBA we know and love today. A usual season runs from October to April (though has been altered during the COVID-19 pandemic) and is made up of an 82-game regular season followed by post-season play-offs.
The NBA is now the third wealthiest pro league in the world and its television audience is growing with each territory that secures a deal to air the games. The popularity of the league worldwide has led to games being played outside the US and this has further added exposure to the event.
In 2020 the Los Angeles Lakers triumphed to win their first NBA title since 2010.
NBA Champions
2010 – Los Angeles Lakers
2011 – Dallas Mavericks
2012 – Miami Heat
2013 – Miami Heat
2014 – San Antonio Spurs
2015 – Golden State Warriors
2016 – Cleveland Cavaliers
2017 – Golden State Warriors
2018 – Golden State Warriors
2019 – Toronto Raptors
2020 – Los Angeles Lakers
How to Bet on the NBA – Betting Types
If sports betting is a skill then successfully betting on the NBA is an art form. Due to the fast-paced nature of top-level basketball, and the length and nuances of the NBA season mean that you need to be on your toes if you want to make successful actions in the NBA betting market.
There are numerous types of bets you can place on the NBA, here are a few.
NBA Betting Types
Moneyline Betting
Here you’ll be placing a bet, traditionally, on the outcome of a win between two teams. A favorite will be represented by minus and an underdog by a plus, see below as an example.
- Phoenix Suns -150
- Toronto Raptors +200
In this instance in order to win $100 on the Suns, you’d have to wager $150. Now, if you fancy backing the underdog outsider then a $100 bet on the Raptors would net you an additional $200 for your troubles.
Points Spread
In NBA betting the points spread is very relevant and a hugely popular form of sports betting. Here you are wagering on the gap of victory or loss, see below an example.
- LA Lakers – 5.5pts
- San Antonio Spurs +5.5pts
Once again here the minus indicates the favorite and if you backed the Lakers with a $100 bet then they would have to conquer the Spurs by at least six points. Now, if you wanted to back the outsides, in this case, the Spurs, then they’d have to either win or only lose by a maximum of 5pts, in order for your $100 wager to be fruitful.
Over/Under
Here you are given a total points score, made up of combining the two sides in action, by a sportsbook and you’ll have to decide if the total will be over or under the total they set. Sometimes the over/under could be on the fortunes of a single player. The options in any given game are numerous and the fast-paced nature of the game means that even when you think you are losing your bet, it could turn around in a super quick fashion.
NBA Futures
Maybe you like your bets to run for a while. You want to make a wager that will take a while to settle and then you can revel in your winnings over a period of time. In which case NBA futures are for you. In this type of betting option, you are placing a bet that could take months to deliver. Typically you might be backing your team for a Championship or the NBA as a whole, it could also be that you backed your favorite player for MVP. These bets are very handy for keeping your interest in a situation for a long period of time.
NBA Props
Prop betting is becoming more and more popular, especially in the NBA. Prop bets aren’t your traditional form of betting and can, on occasion, have nothing to do with what happens directly on the court. Let us explain. A prop bet could be on a coin toss or could be you predicting just how one particular player will do. These require a great deal of thought and are very popular with experts of the game. They can also be explosive. Imagine betting on which team will score the first point, then back it!
NBA Parlays
Parlay betting is for those who like to take a bit of a risk. Here you are backing a number of bets coming up trumps and then you could find yourself walking away with a nice sum for your troubles. Here you might pick five or six sides to win their respective fixtures and if they all come off, then you are laughing all the way to the bank. Clearly, there are many factors in play here and the vast majority of complex parlays fall by the wayside. However, these can be a good way of ramping up the excitement. Some top sportsbooks offer parlay insurance which means that you might lose one, or even two, of your list of bets and still end up with a portion of your winnings.
NBA Odds
For a sportsbook to stand out from the crowd they are going to have to outdo the competition when it comes to the odds they offer on a given outcome. Always check out the market and see which provider is giving the longest odds on a bet that you wish to place. This is, in many ways, the true way of judging strong sports betting options. Yes, a good sportsbook will entice you with bonuses and promotions. However, a sure-fire way of judging the level of value of a sportsbook, in the long run, is if their odds are competitive when compared to another site or sportsbook.
NBA Live ‘In Play’ Betting
In play, live betting is a hugely popular form of betting worldwide and it brings an extra level of excitement to all sports. Now, in basketball and the NBA particularly, this form of betting is as popular as it gets. In ‘live betting’ you are betting as the game is progressing and the best sportsbooks offer great app interfaces that update by the second and this level of real-time betting works perfectly with a sport as fast and ever-changing as the NBA.
NBA Betting Strategy
To make the most of your NBA betting experience you’ll need to be in the know. We provide regular blog and news updates on the NBA market that will help you stay one step ahead of the pack, this will aid you when you make your selections. Our updates will include info on injuries, winning streaks, betting patterns, and overall form, all of which will help you make informed decisions that should aid the success of your betting as a whole.
Which States Allow NBA Betting
Sports betting is now available in a growing list of states, a list that is expanding almost by the month. Below is a list of states that you can bet on the NBA online.
- Oregon
- Nevada
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Illinois
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- New Jersey
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
There are a number of states that additionally offer NBA betting offline and others that haven’t legalized sports betting in any form whatsoever.
These states offer offline sports betting
- Montana
- New Mexico
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Michigan
- New York
NBA Betting – FAQ
Is NBA Betting Legit?
Sports betting is now legal in a growing number of states and as such NBA betting online is legal in these states. It’s also worth noting that the number of states to offer legalized sports betting is growing rapidly.
Do I have to be a resident of a qualifying state in order to bet on the NBA?
Most states allow you to bet on sports online if you are physically situated in a state and as such you don’t necessarily have to be a resident of the state itself, though you will have to double-check this with the relevant sportsbook provider.
What is the best type of NBA bet to make?
This is a good, and difficult, question to answer. If you feel your knowledge of the game is strong then you can look to use this to your advantage with a complex parlay. You could even try a prop bet. However, if you are something of a beginner then you might want to start with a simple one-off moneyline wager on a favorite. This will help get your feet wet before you dive in further.