NBA Betting at Bally Bet Sportsbook

Professional basketball doesn’t come any more prestigious than the National Basketball Association (NBA). The most storied franchises from the United States and Canada come together to do battle for the ultimate prize: The opportunity to be crowned as NBA champions.

With a huge range of NBA betting markets and lines available, wagering on basketball has been popular for a number of years. Betting on the sport will undoubtedly continue to increase exponentially as new U.S. states push to legalize gambling.

Here at Bally Bet, you can make your predictions on how the NBA season will pan out. You can browse our futures odds and place your bets on who you think will win each division or conference — or the NBA Championship, of course. What’s more, we have lines for individual awards like MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year among others.

We've got game-by-game betting lines, too. From moneyline and totals bets to spreads, props, and more, our sportsbook makes sure you can get some skin in the game before the off, or even once the action is underway.

If you’re completely new to NBA betting, read on for the basic rundown of popular wager options and how to place them, and things to keep in mind when it comes to placing your first bet.

Popular Types of NBA Bets

There are stacks of basketball betting lines to explore, but if you’re new and want to learn how to bet on NBA games, the following three markets are probably the best place to start:

Moneyline

• Boston Celtics -150, Denver Nuggets +125

With the moneyline betting market, you're predicting which of the teams will win the game – it really is as simple as that.

Learning how to read NBA betting lines is relatively straightforward once you've grasped this fundamental point: The favorite, i.e. the franchise most expected to win, is typically represented by the negative odds (look out for the minus sign (-)) and the greater the number, the greater their perceived advantage.

The underdog is represented by the positive odds (look out for the plus sign (+)). The greater the number, the less likely it’s thought to be that the franchise will win.

The odds are an indication of what's to come, but of course, shocking results happen in the NBA each and every week.

Over/Under

• Over 241.5 Points, Under 241.5 Points

The over/under line, or totals as it's sometimes known, asks you to predict how many of a certain statistic will be achieved in a game.

So, in the example above, if 250 points were scored during the game, any bets on the over would have won, as this greater than 241.5. But if the teams combined to score just 230 points, then wagers on the under would have come through.

The line is set by the sportsbook itself, although you may see alternative totals lines offered, as well as over/under odds for either team.

Point Spread

• Boston Celtics -4.5, Denver Nuggets +4.5

Point spread betting is like moneyline betting but with a hypothetical handicap - or head start - placed on the teams. So, in the game listed above, the Celtics are hit with a -4.5 point line while the Nuggets gain 4.5 points on theirs.

With NBA spread betting, you add or subtract the spreads from the final score. For example, if the Celtics win 114-106, wagers on their line would win — that's because 4.5 subtracted from 114 leaves 109.5. With this total, they would have still beaten Denver.

With a positive spread, however, the Nuggets can win the game, tie, or lose by any margin up to and including four points, and spread bets on them would still be paid out. So, if they lost 114-111 against the Boston Celtics, bettors backing their spread would win.

This is one of the most interesting NBA betting markets to explore if you have a strong feeling about how a game will play out.

Player Props

If it happens out on the court, you can be pretty much sure you can wager on it with us.

That's especially the case with our player props. With these bets, you can back a player to score over or under a specific points line. And then there are assists, rebounds, three-pointers, and anything else that takes your fancy.

Quarter/Half Betting

Do you remember the moneyline, spread, and totals lines we mentioned earlier? You can wager on those in the first quarter and the first half of the games. This bet is particularly useful if you think that one of the teams will get off to a fast or slow start.

Parlays & Teasers

An NBA parlay bet is where you add two or more selections to a single ticket, and the odds of each wager are combined. For example, you could back the Celtics with a +4.5 spread and a total points line of over 241.5 together, or just bet on the Celtics, Lakers, and Cavaliers in a straight moneyline parlay. However, if one of these lines loses, your entire parlay is over as well; you need all selections to land for your bet to win.

As for a teaser, this is a type of parlay bet. You get to choose your own point spread for two or more games, and you can parlay the odds together.

Futures

The betting lines we've discussed up until now have been for individual games, but you'll also come across a number of season-long NBA markets known as futures. Some examples of these include betting on who will win the Central Division, Eastern Conference, or the NBA Finals. That's just three of many futures options.

You can take a deep dive into the regular season and playoff player awards as well. We’ve already mentioned MVP, Rookie, and Coach betting lines, but there’s also Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved, too.

We support all stages of the NBA season at Bally Bet, from the preseason games right through to the unpredictable antics of the postseason.

Our odds receive regular updates, but there's still the chance to take advantage of surprising team news, especially if the lines move heavily in one direction or the other. Game night is often an excellent time to secure the best of the betting value.

Another option worth looking into is live betting with in-play odds. With this market, even though the action is underway, you can still wager on the big game. This type of wagering is reactive and allows you to respond to events as they go down in real time — for example, if a key player is having an off night with their shooting, you might want to bet against their team.

NBA Betting Tips

There's no silver bullet or secret sauce when it comes to wagering on basketball successfully. Sometimes the favorite obliges, and sometimes they don’t. Some games are high-scoring slobberknockers, and some are slow-burn sessions with little to no action.

That said, there are some general NBA betting tips that should be considered prior to placing any wagers. The best NBA bets will typically fall in line with these concepts:

Know your history

Some franchises have a stinking record against another, and often the head-to-head records of two teams can highlight what might happen in their next meeting. Similarly, some franchises struggle in particular road games, while others have a habit of making their home advantage count.

You can tote up strengths and weaknesses for each side. For instance, certain teams may have a tough time when they play in the vast Madison Square Garden. Other franchises may freeze when confronted by the raucous crowds in Boston or Philadelphia, or have star players that underperform in venues like the high-altitude Ball Arena in Denver.

The past doesn’t necessarily predict the future in sports betting, but it can still be a useful guide.

Bide your time

Some bettors wait until the team news has been revealed before placing their NBA wagers and, clearly, there’s some logic in doing so. If a team has recently battled through a heavy schedule of games or has played against a series of tough opponents, a star player may start the next contest watching on from the side. They may be nursing an injury too, which only comes to light after the team news has been published. With this additional insight, you're able to make well-informed decisions before you place a bet.

By the numbers

Some bettors love nothing more than firing up their spreadsheets before making a wager, but the truth is that the stats aren't gospel and should only be used as a rough guide.

Win percentage, offensive/defensive ratings, shooting percentages, and turnover rates are just some of the team-level stats that offer a clue as to how a game might unfold.

Slow and steady

There can be an urge on the part of new bettors to risk too much of their bankroll on a single wager, and that's often quite problematic in a sport as unpredictable as basketball.

An alternative could be to consider betting 2% of your overall bankroll per wager. That way, you can maximize your account balance and make it last for longer. You could also risk more or less depending on the bet type. For example, consider wagering less on parlays, where one loss will basically wipe out your entire wager.

Remember, there are literally hundreds of NBA games played each season. The slowly-slowly approach ensures you can bet smart when the best value lines are available.

NBA Betting vs. College Basketball Betting

With our extensive markets, you can bet on college basketball games as well as the NBA.

The main difference is that, with NBA betting, you have many more betting lines to choose from (including player props). There are also no restrictions on who you can bet on. Conversely, there may be certain rules about wagering on your local colleges.

This isn't all to say that you won’t enjoy college basketball betting, it’s just that the options with NBA betting are much more plentiful.