Football is the ultimate king of sports betting in North America, but the NBA isn’t left far behind. Basketball is genuinely popular with professional and casual bettors. So, if you want to bet on the NBA, there’s plenty of information to help you get started.
Similar to the NFL and soccer, basketball betting provides a series of wagering opportunities. You can predict which team wins; total points scored in a game or which player tallies the most points. But before you place your first wager on the NBA, here are ten points to keep in mind.
#1: It’s all about Winning
NBA coaches and players get paid to win games no matter what it takes. It’s all the front office, and team owners want in a team as it sells tickets and jerseys. It sounds obvious, but it’s an important fact to understand as a bettor.
Your betting goals and those of NBA teams differ sharply. While you may want to place a handicap bet of +5 points, a team could care less of whether they win by two or ten points. That means you must evaluate each NBA side to learn about its point-scoring capabilities and its records on blocks, steals and rebounds.
Most bettors don’t always consider steals, rebounds and blocks when betting. But when wagering on specific players, these are exceedingly crucial stats. The records also come vital when comparing two or more teams in important games.
#2: Underdogs win
No team has ever won all 82 regular NBA games in the league’s history. That means betting on favorite teams won’t always give you the win. Instead, you need to approach each game based on facts and stats and not its winning form alone. That’s something that applies to all kinds of sports betting.
In European football, there have been a few teams that won all league games in a season. England’s Arsenal, for example, won the 2004/05 season without losing a game. Scotland’s Celtic FC has also won the league title unbeaten.
So, before you bet on a team everyone thinks will win; have your facts right. Analyze stats and make a prediction. After that, compare your forecast to that of a respected tipster. Most tipsters analyze their games better than the average player, meaning they could be better than you.
Consider visiting the picks section on Wincomparator to find betting tips from professional tipsters. The website provides daily tips on major European football competitions like the premier league and the champions’ league. It also provides tips for the NBA, the MLS and a few other top leagues. Most importantly, however, tipsters on the website have an impressive win rate.
#3: Teams are built around Stars
People who grew up watching the NBA in the 80s and 90s know the league has changed drastically. In the past, centre players ruled the game. Teams relied so much on center players that having an excellent power forward didn’t matter.
These days, however, the best teams to bet on are those full of stars, particularly the power forwards. Take a look at the Golden State Warriors, for example. After dominating the league for five years thanks to the team’s excellent star power, it’s suddenly struggling.
Instead, the Lakers and the Boston Celtics, which now boast of having some of the best players in the league, are leading the league. Of course, there are teams which still manage to win games despite not being endowed with star players. But if you are new to betting on the NBA, focus on teams with the league’s best-ranked players.
#4: Home Advantage is overrated
Home teams win 60% of NBA games according to Bleacher Report. And as you would expect, most people prefer to wager on these sides. There’s one problem, though. Bookmakers take advantage of people’s bias for these teams. And as a result, they provide poor odds for teams with home-court advantage.
As a bettor, however, your goal is to find quality odds and not necessarily the easiest games to win. That means you don’t have to bet on home teams every other time. In fact, you should focus on a significant percentage of your time finding on the road teams with a high chance of winning.
Of course, don’t ignore home advantage entirely. The NBA consists of such a busy schedule that most teams tend to rest their star players during back to back road games. As such, always do due diligence to find out which players are lined up, a game’s form and other stats before you bet on the home or road team.
#5: The Media Loves to Hype Teams and Players
The media writes news to sell papers, subscriptions and boost views. As such, not everything you hear about an NBA team or player is correct. Some players, like these rookies featured on USA Today, were so hyped in their first year in the NBA that you would have thought they would all become future hall of famers.
Similarly, the media choose the player most likely to win the season’s MVP before teams play their first official match. And while sometimes the media’s predictions come true, they tend to be wrong most of the time.
To become a successful NBA bettor, therefore, avoid distractions from the media. Read teams because you need the information. But don’t get swayed by opinions from NBA competitors, particularly in things related to betting.
#6: Coach Changes Impact Results
Similar to most other leagues, coaches play an essential role in the success of an NBA team. Some franchises have coaches with long, proven win rates. Others fire their coaches frequently, and this often affects their players.
When betting on the NBA, find out how each coach operates his team. Some coaches approach each game with scoring in mind. As a result, their teams focus more on scoring rather than defending. Other coaches have a balanced play style.
With such facts in mind, you can know when to bet on the Lakers for a straight win. You know when to back the Rockets to score over 110 points and when not to bet on the Warriors at all.
