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Without any doubt, basketball is one of the most popular sports among bettors. It is a game in which two teams, each consisting of 5 players, are trying to throw as many balls into the basket as possible. Often, coaches tend to change players to build a new strategy and surprise the opponent.
Such changes are of great importance as these might affect the outcome of the game. Experienced basketball bettors know that to make a better prognosis for the final result of the game, they have to keep track of the players who might be injured or suspended. Of course, basketball enthusiasts have to consider many aspects before placing a bet to improve their chances of winning a profit.
Every basketball fan knows about the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is a professional basketball league based in North America. It consists of 30 teams that compete against each other during the NBA’s regular season. It usually kicks off in October and wraps up in April. In 2020, NBA players were announced to be the world’s best-paid athletes for the year.
Reading NBA odds
Recreational basketball bettors might be confused when they see the NBA odds and lines for the first time. Odds show you what profit you can pocket if your bet wins. Since the NBA is an American league, you can expect that the odds are presented in an American format.
Positive odds mean that the team is likely to lose (the underdog), while negative odds refer to the favorite team. The numbers show the profit you can make. To calculate how much money you can win when the odds are negative, you can use the following formula: the odds/100 = your stake/x.
For example, if you bet $40 on Chicago Bulls and the odds are -130, this means that your payout will be 130/100 = 40/x. Then cross-multiply to solve the equation, which will result in 130x = 130×40. Therefore, x = 30,77, which will be your payout.
The formula for calculating positive odds is 100/the odds = the stake/x. Let us take the same example but with positive odds. So, if you bet $40 on Chicago Bulls at odds of +130, then your payout will be 100/130 = 40/x. Again you have to cross-multiply to solve the equation: 100x = 130×40. This results in a profit of 5,200/100 = 52.
Popular NBA bets
In the beginning, basketball enthusiasts did not have many betting options. As time passed by, new betting options appeared. In the lines below, you can learn about the different types of NBA bets explained by SuperBettingSites.
- Point Spread Bet – by rule, one of the teams is always better than the other one. This type of bet creates value on each side. It gives points to the underdog or takes points away from the better team.
- Moneyline – this is the most straightforward bet as you have to accurately predict which team will win the game.
- Totals – a bet on whether the final result of the team will be over/under a given total result determined by the bookmaker.
- Parlay – it is a bet that combines at least two other bets. It wins only if all individual bets in the parlay win.
- Teasers – similar to parlay bets, teasers allow punters to combine several bets into one. Bettors who place a teaser bet can adjust the totals line or the points spread according to their projections.
- Prop Bets – in a nutshell, prop bets are made on a player or the occurrence of a given event during the game.
- In-Play Betting – it allows punters to place bets while the game is underway. Thanks to this feature, basketball fans can watch the game and place their bets according to the situation. The only downside of live bets is that they pay less compared to pre-match bets.
Online NBA betting
Online sportsbooks are extremely popular among punters as they offer not only convenience but also some rewarding promotions. In addition, these are mobile-friendly, meaning that NBA fans can use their touchscreen devices to place a bet. The nicest thing is that most of them boast in-browser apps, meaning that you do not have to download a sports betting app if you do not want to. Reputable online betting sites are licensed and regulated by gambling authorities.
Another reason to use an NBA betting site is that the majority of them feature a plethora of betting options and wide coverage of betting markets. We would like to advise our readers to look for betting sites that offer statistics. In addition, a growing number of online sportsbooks provide sports betting tips from experts. What is more, a good-enough number of NBA betting sites come with a live streaming feature, allowing punters to watch the event in real time.
Keen to bet on the NBA? Find our picks here.
