NBA Betting

NBA point spread betting is the most common type of basketball betting. NBA spread betting is very similar to football spread betting. When betting on basketball, the bettor will bet against or on the spread. Generally oddsmakers and bookies will set a number that the favored NBA team is favored to win by. In order for the bettor to win, the team must win be more than the amounts of points set by the oddsmakers. If this does not happen, then the underdog team is the spread winner. In order to bet that the underdog team will win, the underdog team must lose by fewer points than the spread (or win the game straight up). So if you bet the Knicks -3 when they play the 76ers, the Knicks have to win by over 3 points for you to win your bet. If the final score is 99-98 Knicks, you still lose. In spread betting, each side pays about the same.

NBA Money Lines are probably easier for novices to understand. Money line is the term used when the bettor places a wager on a team to win the game. Underdog money line bets pay out more than spread bets, while favored teams pay out less. In money line betting, the point spread is irrelevant. The favorite team only needs to win the game, and it does not matter how many points they won by. So if the Knicks are favored to beat the 76ers, the money line might be -150 - which means that a bet of $10 would pay out just $6.66 if the Knicks win. Conversely, if the underdog moneyline is +130, a $10 bet would pay out $13.

NBA over/under betting is betting on the total amount of points scored by both teams during a game. An oddsmaker will set a total number of points and bettors can bet on the total number of points over or under the number set by the odds maker. For example, an oddsmaker may set the total number of points at 200. Bettors must then choose whether the two NBA teams will score more or fewer points than 200 during the game. As a general rule, if the total number of points scored is the same number set by the odds maker or sportsbook, the bets will be "pushed," which means that they will be refunded. You can also bet point totals by halves or even quarters of play.

NBA Prop Bets and futures are the final types of bets covered here. As a prop bet example, a bettor may place a wager on the number of points an individual player will score, or the number of turnovers they commit. A popular futures bet is betting on what team will win the NBA championship during any given year. There are several types of prop bets available to bettors. Prop bets are usually not dependent on a total or side.

Prop bets can be made on just about any aspect of the game, and can be a lot of fun - for big events, you can even bet on announcer behavior and halftime show nonsense. NBA fans look forward to the basketball season each year. Punters can make their own bets or consult several experts before making their picks. There are several excellent sports websites that can offer expert advice and a quick Google search will reveal several sites with free information. Basketball is a fast-paced and exciting game, and basketball betting makes the games even more exciting.