How to Bet on NBA Basketball

For every basketball die hard, watching NBA game is one of life’s greatest treasures. But if you’re searching for ways to reach a higher level of excitement when indulging in your favorite court sport, then you should try betting on your favorite team.

If you’re not that familiar with betting on the NBA, this article will teach you some betting basics to get you started.

The Top Bet Guide to Betting on Basketball

1. Moneyline

In moneyline betting, the bettor is asked to pick straight up which team is going to win the game. For example, if there is a scheduled game between the defending champions Miami Heat and the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers, the odds might look like this:

Favorite | | Underdog
Heat -800 | vs. | Sixers +600

If you have solid basketball knowledge, you’ll understand that the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are too much to handle for the tanking Sixers. Hence, betting on Miami is almost a guarantee. However, experienced bettors know very well that the term “guarantee” doesn’t hold too much water in the wagering world, simply because upsets happen – favorites win frequently but upsets pop up from time to time. [sc:NBA240banner ]

Of course, betting on the favorite requires you to risk more money than you might cash out with. In the above sample line, to win $100 on Miami, you need to shell out $800, which  you’ll get back IF the Heat win.

Betting on the underdog can payout when it comes to the NBA, that being said, it doesn’t happen often. This is because in basketball, skills do a better job at dictating the games outcome. Unlike the NBA, in the MLB and NHL luck plays a larger role in the outcome of the game.

Early this season, we witnessed a clear-cut example of the  underdog over favorite. The Sixers served the biggest upset thus far when they beat the Heat, this means that bettors who laid out money on Philadelphia stood to withdraw six times more than what they risked.

2. Spread

Betting on the point-spread is the most popular form of wagering in basketball.

This system makes bettors rethink putting money on the superior team. That’s because the presumed weaker team is given an advantage from a bettor’s standpoint. The basic premise of the point spread is to have the favorite team give up points to the underdogs. It’s an attempt to make the game as evenly matched as possible.

If the Thunder are to play at home against Orlando tonight and it’s expected that Oklahoma will win, then that team will be given a handicap of, let’s say for example, 14 points. It gives us the impression that the oddsmakers think that Oklahoma City will win by around 14 points. Therefore, if the Thunder ended up beating Orlando 100-87, they won on the moneyline (or straight up) but lost against the spread because the Magic got a 14 -point boost. The final score against the spread becomes 100-101, in favor of Orlando.

Underdog | | Favorite
Magic +14 | vs. | Thunder -14

The point spread is a make-up figure created by the oddsmakers in order to compensate for a seemingly one-sided contest. In games when the two teams appear to be evenly matched, the point spread adjusts, usually making the home team favored by only one to three points, depending on who is playing at home. The venue of the game is just one factor a bettor should consider when thinking of which team to bet on.

3. Totals

Sportsbooks set a Total line for each game. It’s the linesmaker’s prediction of what the combined total score of both teams will be. Based on that line, bettors simply choose whether the total score will be over or under.

Suppose the LA Lakers and LA Clippers’ total line is 198, choosing OVER means you have a hunch that both teams will explode offensively. Going with the UNDER would leave you appreciative of every defensive stop in the ball game.
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Are you ready to start betting on the NBA? The season offers a ton of games to bet on. See the latest odds and lines for all the games at Top Bet Sportsbook.

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