NBA Betting Strategy Guide
Building your NBA betting strategy can help boost your betting success and make watching the game more enjoyable. Basketball betting is all about understanding matchups, trends, and how players perform in different scenarios.
Our guide to basketball betting strategy covers the key basics and offers a look into more advanced ideas that can elevate the value of NBA bets. We’ll cover the various bet types, how to analyze advanced statistics, and our top recommended online sportsbooks. Whether you’re a new bettor or a seasoned pro, our expert insights can help you improve your chances of a successful betting experience.
Basic Betting Strategies for the NBA
You can get a quick rundown on how to bet on basketball by checking out the basics of placing a wager on NBA games. The fundamentals of basketball betting can be fairly easy to grasp for fans of the sport, and learning the basics of NBA wagering will lift your odds of winning without deciphering complex stats.
Sportsbooks have dozens of different NBA wagers to choose from, such as moneylines, point spreads, player props, and futures. Regardless of the type of bet selected, all basketball bettors benefit from strategies that go beyond the essentials.
Start With Simple Bets
We recommend that first-time bettors focus on simple basketball picks like moneylines or totals. Sticking to small portions of your bankroll is also wise until you get more comfortable. As you become more familiar with how simple bets work, go ahead and check out live bets, NBA futures, and parlays.
NBA moneyline bet at BetOnline
Research Line Movement
Tracking how NBA lines move can provide useful insight to help you get more value on your wagers. Let’s say the spread for an individual NBA game rises from 3.5 points to 4.5 points. That line movement could show bettors have spent most of their money on the favorite. Tracking NBA line movements can help you find solid value and unexpected opportunities.
Pay Attention to Trends
NBA teams and players can experience hot and cold streaks throughout the season. You can use these trends to improve your betting predictions. For example, some players who perform well at home tend to underperform on the road. Knowing this can be very useful when betting on player props and spreads.
Take Advantage of Player Props
Basketball teams have fewer rotation players than other team sports, which can simplify betting on player props. For example, if a starting point guard gets injured, the primary option for his backup is much more predictable than a backup wide receiver in the NFL. Tracking player injuries, trends, and matchups can create profitable player prop opportunities.
Look At Referee Logs
The NBA is a difficult league to officiate because it allows referees to interpret the rules. For example, some refs tend to call more fouls than others. Check out NBA referee logs to see how different refs affect the game’s outcome. Keep an eye out for the average number of fouls called per game or any potential biases the ref has toward specific players or teams.
Shop the Best Odds Across Different Sportsbooks
There are plenty of online NBA sportsbooks where you can shop around and find the best odds for the games you want to bet on. Shopping around for the right sportsbook can reveal better odds, increased payouts, or unique bonuses. You might find that certain sportsbooks offer better lines for the types of basketball wagers you’re interested in.
Top Online NBA Sportsbooks
Use Quarter and Half Betting Lines
Quarter and half betting lines focus on outcomes for those sections of the game rather than the entire game. These betting lines include points totals for the first quarter of a game, a spread over the first half, or a player prop for the final quarter of the match.
Betting on quarter or half lines reduces the number of variables that can affect the outcome of your bet. For example, some teams and players start the game strong but tire out in the second half.
Consider the Timing of NBA Futures Bets
NBA futures bets involve wagering on teams and individual players throughout an entire season. Examples include predicting the NBA MVP, the rookie of the year, or the winner of the NBA championship.
Depending on your futures wager, you may want to place your bet early to get the best odds before the value changes. Otherwise, you should wait for more information on how a team or player performs.
Our Favorite Site for NBA Betting Beginners
BetUS Best Site for Betting On the NBA
BetUS checks off all four key elements above and that’s why our NBA betting experts put at the top of our recommended NBA betting sites:
BetUS TV and The Locker Room deliver free NBA picks and predictions every weekday — you’ll always have valuable NBA betting insight at your fingertips. This sets BetUS apart from the competition. You’ll also find great value in their betting odds, along with a ton of sports to wager on. There is also a wide variety of banking options for bettors, including crypto.
In addition, BetUS starts you off with a 100% sports welcome bonus up to $2,500 on your first deposit. They also offer same game parlays and odds boosts to give you an edge over the competition.
Welcome Bonus 100% up to $2,625
Crypto Welcome Bonus 200% up to $2,750
NBA Betting Contests Up to $25,00 Prize Pot
BetUS TV and Locker Room for NBA analysis and picks
Same game parlays and odds boosts on NBA games
Large number of banking options including crypto
Kick-Start Your NBA Betting Strategy With AI Picks
See All NBA PicksThe Sports Geek has you covered with AI picks for the NBA. Find picks against the spread, moneylines, and over/unders for every game.
Advanced Betting Strategy for the NBA
Once you’ve gotten a handle on the basics of NBA betting, consider looking at some of the advanced betting strategies. Read on to learn the tips and tricks that experienced basketball bettors use when placing their futures, props, and spread bets.
1. Statistical Analysis (Players and Teams)
The NBA produces a wide range of in-depth, unbiased player and team stats beyond the eye test. Studying these advanced stats can give you valuable insights into basketball performance trends. For example, true shooting stats can reveal the efficiency of a player’s scoring average.
2. Hedging Your NBA Bets
Hedging your bets involves placing multiple bets to reduce the risk of losing your wagers. By spreading out your money across different outcomes, you can increase the likelihood of winning at least one of your wagers.
3. Leverage Live Betting
Live betting is an exciting way of shopping for better lines during an NBA match. These lines can change with each play, meaning you can wait for a better payout or easier chances of winning before placing your bet.
Key Facts To Remember for NBA Betting Strategy
The right NBA betting strategy is crucial to increasing the overall value of your bets and the accuracy of your predictions. Our basketball betting strategies can help bettors of all experience levels find success. Newcomers to sports betting should start with simple bet types like moneylines and point totals.
Once you get the hang of the basics, you can move on to advanced strategies like stats analysis and referee trends. You can also further optimize your wagers through line shopping and hedging your bets.
