How to bet on basketball and win?

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• Spread

Due to these high scores, bookmakers use a spread, or line, to equalize the chances of either team winning a wager. It is not uncommon to see 15+ point spreads, something that is state in the NFL. 

Team

Heat
Bucks

Opening Line

-2 -110
+2 +110

Final Score

96
86

The example above demonstrates the opening line for a regular season match-up between the Heat and Bucks. The -2 indicates that the Heat are the favorite, despite the Bucks playing at home. The ‘-110’ next to the line which is simply a fee the sportsbooks charge to use their service. A bet of $110 on Miami would improve your bankroll $100 as the team covered easily by 8 points. A ‘+’ symbol always indicates an underdog, whereas a ‘-‘ always indicates a favorite.

• Moneyline

The Moneyline odds can be serious when the powerhouses of the NBA face-off over the lower level teams who are struggling to stay above .500

Team

Celtics
Knicks

Moneyline Odds

+600
-850

The Celtics are the big favorites in this match. ne would have to lay $850 on the Knicks to collect a $100 in profit. On the other hand, a wager of $100 on the Celtics would earn the bettor $600 in winnings. The Moneyline and point spread are not necessarily released at the same time.

• Totals

It is one placed on the COMBINED score of each team. This number is determined by the bookmakers and the bettor places a wager on the over or under (O/U).

Team

Warriors
Spurs

O/U

197.5o -105
197.5u -115

Final Score

100
94

The final total for this contest was 194 points, falling just 3.5 points short of the bookmakers’ predicted total. Due to the increased juice, a wager of $115 on the under would earn $100 profit.

Quarter/1st Half Lines

A 48-minute NBA game is broken down into four 12-minute quarters, and bettors are able to place bets on the 1st quarter and 1st half lines before these contests begin. These bets can be best thought of as the game within the game. First half betting is identical to first quarter betting, only it typically is about half the spread/total as opposed to a quarter of that line.

Halftime Lines

Whenever a game goes into halftime, oddsmakers will quickly post lines for the second half of the game. This solely reflects the outcome of the second half; not the final score. These lines are only available for 15-20 minutes and this short time frame creates a unique opening for bettors.

Team

Heat
Pistons

Halftime Score

58
53

Halftime Line

-4 -110
+4 +110

Final Score

102
90

If you were to think of the start of the 3rd quarter as 0 to 0, the final score would be 44 to 37, meaning the Bulls would have covered the halftime spread by 3 points. Halftime wagers are not nearly as popular as bets placed before the game, but a winning wager still creates the same profit.

Parlay/Teaser

A teaser involves an exchange of points for volume. The bettor buys some number of points, and in return, must parlay two or more selections.

Usually, the standard teaser calls for the bettor to get six points per football game and four points per basketball game. In return, they must pick at least two teams, increasing the chances of the bet failing by at least one leg. Like a parlay bet, all of the legs in a teaser must win for the bet to grade as a winner for the listed amount.

Futures

Futures bets are proposition bets placed on which team will win what conference or the NBA championship. Futures are not only limited to teams. Many bettors like to wager on a dark horse team due to the better odds these teams receive despite the fact that only 8 different teams have won the NBA championship in the last 30 years.

A bettor may choose to place wagers on several teams to win the big game in order to increase the chance of a decent payout.