How to Bet Basketball

The following post explores the basic fundamentals of how to bet basketball.

Whether you’re wagering on NBA, WNBA, or NCAAB, understanding how to interpret odds, spreads, and different bet types is essential for making basketball wagers.

Read: Flat Betting For Wagering Success

Related: How to Use Parlay Cards at the Sportsbook

This post provides a high-level overview of basketball betting, covering key concepts such as point spreads, money lines, totals, and additional wager types to help you get started.

Here’s what you need to know.

Example

Here is an example of a basketball wager, let’s break it down.

• Away team is always listed on top. In this example, Chicago is the road team.

• Minus (-) next to the number in the money line indicates the favorite; the plus (+) indicates the underdog.

• Bet # is most commonly referred to when verbally placing your wager at the sportsbook.

Wager Types

• Spread – When betting the point spread (aka line), the favorite must win by a stipulated number of points. This means either laying points on the favorite or getting points on the underdog. In this example, Milwaukee (-6 -110) is the favorite and must win the game by more than 6 points to cover the spread.

• Total – This refers to the total number of combined points scored (i.e. over/under). If the game lands exactly on the set number, the wager is considered a push and those bets are refunded.

• Money Line – This is a bet on which team will win a game (regardless of score). Chicago is a +220 money line underdog. This means a $100 wager on Chicago money line wins $220 (collect $320 total). Conversely, a $180 wager on the Bucks money line wins $100 (collect $280 total).

Additional Wagers

Screenshot: Basketball Wager Options on a Mobile App

• 1st Half – A first half line refers to the score of a game at halftime. This is a wager on the outcome of the first two quarters. In this example, the likely first half line is set to Milwaukee -3 (point spread) and -140 (money line).

• Half Time – A half time line refers to the second half outcome of a game. For instance, if Milwaukee leads by four at halftime, oddsmakers are likely to set a 2nd half line of Milwaukee -2. This means Milwaukee must outscore Chicago by more than two points in the 2nd half to cover the half time spread.

• Futures – Futures wagers in soccer are for predicting division winners, conference winners, and NBA title winners. Total games won (O/U wins) is another popular futures wager offered at the beginning of the season.

• Live – Live wagering is a popular option for making in-game bets using your sportsbook’s mobile application (check availability). Live wagers offer adjusted point spreads, over/under, point totals, and more based on the live score.

• Parlay – A parlay combines several teams into one bet. In a parlay, all wagers must win, or else the bet is a loser. As many as 10 teams (or more) may be used in a parlay. Totals (O/U points) may be included in parlays.

• Props – A “proposition bet” is like a side-bet. Common prop bets in basketball include points, assists, rebounds, and blocks. Prop bets offered vary greatly from sportsbook to sportsbook.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hopefully this post is helpful for understanding the basic fundamentals of basketball odds and potential wager types.