With many different options for basketball bettors out there, you are going to find that there are quite a few different leagues and options for bettors to be able to bet on, and also quite a few ways to be able to bet as well. The NBA is probably the most popular betting option on the board though, as they feature some of the biggest and best names in basketball, and also some of the most followed betting lines also. The options that you’ll have to research your basketball bets throughout the NBA and many other leagues are great as well, which means that you are going to be able to gather quite a bit of information before placing any bets. Let’s take a more in-depth look at basketball betting as a whole, including the different betting options that you have on the board. Before you start learing about lines, markets and bet types you should first understand that a propper sportsbook will offer a very wide selection of all these. Please take a look at our recommended list.
Point Spread
The point spread is the obvious and most popular betting option out there for basketball bettors. This is followed carefully for some of the biggest games and even gets attention from big time TV networks as well to describe who the favorites to win the big games like the NBA Finals are. Point spreads are going to vary by how the betting is going, and the idea of the point spread is that you are simply betting on a team to win by a certain number of points or more, or lose by a certain number of points or fewer. It may sound easy, but it can definitely be a tough thing to hit unless you take the time to do your research and to look into the game more in-depth.
Total Bet
Just like in the other popular sports like football, baseball, hockey, and soccer, you are going to find that there is a total betting option as well on the board for basketball bettors. The total is exactly what you’d imagine, as your job is to bet on whether you think that the two teams in the game are going to be able to score more or less than the number of projected points. You’ll notice that the number for the total bet is going to vary up and down as the bets come in, and that it can actually move quite a bit from the time that the number is released to the time that the game goes off of the board.
Straight Bets
Straight bets in basketball are going to have odds that vary a whole lot. The odds for a straight bet are going to depend on how heavy of a favorite or how heavy of an underdog that the team is. A straight bet is simply choosing the team to win the game outright, and you are quickly going to find that betting teams on the money line or straight up often won’t pay out enough for it to be worth the action if you are betting on a favorite.
Quarter Bets
Quarter bets in the NBA or other basketball leagues can be solid betting options if you take the time to find the best angles. Instead of betting on a full games point spread, in this spot you are instead going to be betting on specific quarters or on a half of a basketball game. So for example if a team is -8 for an entire basketball game, then for the halftime line they may be -4 and for a quarter they may be -2. This is just broken down simply though, as the lines could vary a whole lot more than that.
Prop Bets
I definitely am a big fan of prop betting on basketball, and you are going to see that there are many different betting options offered in terms of props for a basketball game. Props are going to typically relate to specific players, but can also relate to things throughout the game as well. The most popular and common types of bets for props are going to have to do with the number of points, rebounds, and/or assists that players have. Often times it can put two players against each other also for one, or multiple of those stats as well. These bets have odds that vary a little, but mainly will feature a total that moves around depending on the betting.
Futures Bets
The most common types of futures bets will have to do with a team winning their division, conference, or the league championship. For example, in the NBA you can typically bet on teams to win the Eastern or Western Conference Finals, and also to win the NBA Finals as well. On top of that though you may have the option to bet on a player to win the MVP or Rookie of the Year as well. The odds will vary on these bets throughout the season as well, so you may be able to get better odds at one point over another time throughout the season.
