Interested in NBA odds or NBA lines? Maybe you want to bet on NBA spreads? Below you’ll see all the current odds for betting on the NBA. All NBA odds, lines and spreads are current and feature multiple sport books.
NBA Odds | Spreads
NBA Lines | Moneylines
NBA Totals | Overs and Unders
What Are NBA Odds and How Do They Work?
It’s improbable that you are going to be diving into any betting without first reviewing the NBA odds. After all, betting is a matter of probability, and people want to know the kind of chance that they stand, as well as what team they are betting for and against.
Oddsmakers give you this kind of information in the form of odds, where they indicate the type of wager options that you have, based on the likelihood of a team to get a win. In the NBA, games are played over four quarters between two teams. So, the odds that you are given typically reflect the chances of either side winning.
Obviously, betting on a team that is more likely to win is a safer bet. Therefore, the odds tend to be shorter to make things balanced. With shorter odds, the appeal is less, but you are more likely to win. This is the reason that people try to catch the longer odds when they can do so.
This is nothing more than a gamble of risk versus reward. Are you willing to take a chance, or would you take the safe route?
What Are NBA Lines and How Do NBA Betting Lines Work?
This is where things can get a bit confusing, and hopefully, it’s where you could use some clarity. Depending on the sportsbook that you opt for, you may feel as if the term “lines” is being used in the same way that the word “odds” is. While there is a subtle difference, the two are more similar than you could imagine.
The easiest way to look at this is that one has a broader view, while the other is very specific. If you were to review NBA odds, it would be a general reflection based on the current state of the industry.
The betting lines are a different case, as they are more concerned with single events. Therefore, there can be changes to this, best on various occurrences that take place during the said events. For example, LeBron James is one of the top players on the Los Angeles Lakers. By virtue of his getting injured, you could end up with a scenario where all the betting lines surrounding the Lakers get flipped on their heads, as the team’s chances of winning take a hit if he suddenly becomes unable to play.
What Are and How to Pick NBA Moneyline Odds?
Choosing moneyline odds in the NBA is the same as selecting these odds in almost any other sport where two teams compete. Instead of placing a focus on the number of points that the teams accumulate, winning a moneyline bet is based on your ability to successfully determine who wins a game.
This is a simple case of winning if the team that you chose wins and losing if the team that you chose loses. Oddsmakers benefit the most when there are even numbers of bets on both sides of the fence. Every NBA game has our favorite and an underdog, even if the margin between the two isn’t much.
The amount of money that you stand to win from successfully betting on a winner is much less if you were to choose the favorite. If you were to successfully bet on an underdog, the payout would be much more significant. Typically, your potential winnings equate to a fraction of your wager, if you bet on the team that is the odds-on favorite.
However, your wager becomes a fraction of your potential winnings, if you choose the bet on the underdog. Basketball is a very analytical game. So, the best strategy that you can employ is to use factors, such as the home-field advantage, historical data, and head to head matchups to make your guess.
What Are and How to Pick NBA Point Spread Bets?
With spread betting, you place a bet based on a victory point margin, as opposed to simply which team you think should win a game. Note that this margin is set by the oddsmaker. For example, two sides may be going head to head, and the point spread may be set to six.
As stated before, there is always a favorite going into a game. With the point spread set at six, you could bet on the favorite to win. If you do, the bet is only won if that team wins the match by at least six points. Even if the team wins, you lose your bet if the margin is less than six.
The opposite is true if you bet on the team that is expected to lose. With a similar point spread of six, that team must lose by less than six points for you to win. To make successful calls on point spread bets, you must view the statistics.
Familiarize yourself with average victory margins, as well as the matchups between two teams. Traditionally, if the disparity between the two sides is significant, then the margin of victory is likely to be just as substantial.
What Are and How to Pick NBA Total or Over/Under Bets?
An over/under or total bet is one of the simplest to understand. However, predicting such an outcome requires intimate knowledge of the matchup. With this bet type, there is a figure, which is indicative of the total point line. In the NBA, for example, this figure could be set to 198.
If so, your bet is placed on whether you think that the total points scored by both teams are likely to total above or below that figure. If you are to bet over, then once the total is 199 or more, you win your bet. If you are to bet under, then your bet is successful if the total points between the two teams are 197 or less.
Again, the strategy here requires you to have some intimate knowledge of historical data, team matchups, player conditions, etc. This is because there can be games where the total points are over 200, while there are others where the total may be less than 180.
You need to be very keen as you make your decision here, as oddsmakers don’t tend to make this very easy. Some matchups traditionally yield more points than others, and the point line that is set tends to reflect this. Your knowledge of the various aspects of the game is what helps you to guess correctly.
What Are and How to Pick NBA Futures Bets?
The last bet type to be discussed is that of a propositional bet. Such bets are more commonly known as futures bets. These are a bit more unorthodox than the other bet types, as you bet on an occurrence that is outside the confines of victory or defeat.
For example, you may bet that an individual player is expected to score 30 points. There are even simpler things that you can bet on if you opt for futures. For example, you could bet on which team is expected to score first.
There is typically a level of unpredictability and intense levels of guesswork involved in futures betting. The most important piece of advice is to avoid this betting type unless you have a level of insight that allows you to bet confidently. Intense research, intimate knowledge of the game, and a ton of expertise all come into play with these bets.
If you are simply guessing based on a hunch that is not backed by any information, the chances are that you’re throwing your money away.
