The NFL is still America’s favorite. However, the NBA is quickly narrowing that gap. Many betting lovers have placed bets on NBA games. The number will keep improving as the league becomes more accessible and popular
Most sportsbooks now have attractive odds and props for basketball. There has never been a better time for punters to join in the NBA betting fun. Here are a few helpful tips for analyzing NBA odds efficiently to improve your profits.
1. Learn NBA History
While you don’t need to take an entire history, it would be smart to invest some of your time into understanding NBA history. Want to risk your precious cash before knowing exactly what you’re getting into.
Look at the teams and how they have fared in different situations in the past. Examine their head-to-head records and consider creating a chart for a better view.
This is especially important when examining the odds of veteran teams that have remained solid through the seasons. There are plenty of sites where you can view comparisons for different teams. As George Santayana stated, you are doomed to lose a whole lot of cash if you cannot learn from history.
When studying history, however, you should be careful not to look too far. The performance of a team in 2012, for example, has very little bearing over how it’ll perform in 2021. Things change fast and even the smallest changes can cause major differences in performance. Catching up on NBA latest news may give you an idea of what to expect.
2. Beware of Blind Loyalty
Most sports teams have a few die-hard fans that support them no matter what. They attend all matches, keep hope alive, and place odds in their favor no matter how low the odds may be. They keep hope alive but unfortunately, they lose a lot of their money.
There are two kinds of bets where you may support your team: Asian Handicap and Head-to-Head. In the ideal situation, Asian handicap bets represent a 50-50-coin flip.
In head-to-head bets, the team with home court advantage has better odds. When analyzing odds, don’t let your loyalty to a specific team blind you. Be realistic and place bets that will help you win even if your team loses.
3. Consider Geography
Think of how far an NBA team will be traveling to play. This may influence their performance. Are they traveling through multiple time zones or simply racking up a few air miles? Portland Trail Blazers, The Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves consistently have the highest miles traveled in the NBA. Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers have the fewest air miles.
If players don’t travel much, they have a lot of time to relax and practice. They will be more energetic and they are likely to win the game. That extra freshness is important and you need to keep it in mind while analyzing odds.
4. Look Out for Misleading Statistics
The internet is filled with all kinds of statistics that claim to help you analyze odds. There are many tipsters and you never know which ones are legitimate. Such sites analyze historical odds and help you come up with the most profitable strategies for placing bets.
While the sites may be right most of the time, they sometimes have misleading statistics. Rely on your own research and do not rely on trends completely. After all, teams don’t always follow trends. Sometimes they lose when all factors point to a win.
5. Always Go with the Best Odds
All bookmakers have different odds for different NBA markets. When conducting your analysis, ensure that you settle for the best odds in the market. If, for example, you are interested in NBA point spreads, you’d be wise to choose a bookmaker with odds of no less than 1.92.
When betting on NBA point spreads on a random day during NBA season, your strike rate should be about 50 percent. If you manage to hit a higher strike rate, you are likely to make huge winnings. While it may not seem like much, it can be hard to achieve.
6. Don’t Bet Where There Is No Value
This piece of advice may seem obvious but it’s worth noting. One of the best ways to win on NBA games is by identifying value. If you find yourself betting without regarding the concept of value, you may lose a lot of your time and money.
It takes a lot of experience and time to identify value in NBA games. When you make it a habit, however, you may be able to identify value prospects by simply looking at a list of NBA games.
To simplify it a value bet is one where you think that the outcome is more probable than implied in the odds. Let’s use the example of a coin toss. If you have 2.20 odds of a coin toss landing on tails, this may be considered a value bet. After all, the chances of landing on tails are 50 percent.
7. Money Management
When all is said and done, the secret to successful NBA betting is managing your money. Have a clear strategy for staking and consistent money management. This means that you must keep a close eye on your bankroll. Be sure of the amount you are willing to stake with every bet. It should be enough to earn you a good profit but not higher than you can afford to risk.
Having a money management strategy isn’t enough if you don’t implement it consistently. If you wager with no regard to betting value, constant losses shouldn’t surprise you. Your betting bankroll should only be as much as you can afford to lose. If you bet more than that, you may be going down a dangerous path. While you want to make money from your favorite NBA games, you need to prepare for the worst. Identifying value is great but it is only part of the task. The real challenge is in ensuring that you have your betting habits under control.
