The NBA season of 2017 has been underway for over a month now, and whilst there are ample playoffs left before anything serious commences, you’ll want to get your foot in first and place them all-important bets. However, if you’re a newbie to NBA sports betting, how should you go around it? Well, understanding the points spread and the betting options available to you would be a good start, but there are other little things that will help you massively with your NBA betting capabilities. Whilst there is a Football Index available when betting on the upcoming World Cup, you won’t find it for NBA, so here are our top tips when betting on the basketball event.
Don’t Underestimate Home Advantage
Playing your basketball game at home stadium can be a real motivator, and whilst bettors can often feel sceptical about placing bets on the home team, you’d be surprised at how much of a bad decision this can be. Usually, a bettor will give the home team around three or four points when attempting to estimate the outcome, however more often than not, the home court advantage is worth so much more than that. Taking the 2009-2010 NBA season for example – the Clippers were 21-20 in front of the home fans, however they were only 8-33 when away from the home. So, the moral of the story? Always expect the home team to do better than the spread suggests.
Understand The Odds System
This might sound like an obvious point to many, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people who put down their stakes on teams without the knowledge of the odds from the bookies. On the other hand, people may understand some odds, but still be unaware of all of the different versions, some of which may be easier for them to grasp. Let’s take moneyline bets as an example – these are hugely favourable in America, although not so much in the UK. Did you know that there are decimal and fraction odds available, both of which a little simpler than the American moneyline? Know what’s available to you!
Don’t Favour Last Year’s Champs
Once a team has won an NBA season, they’re suddenly seen as the unbeatable champions. And sure, they were for that particular season, but what confirms that it will be the same the next time around? During NBA’s 2016 season, the Heat came third overall, however as of today, they are only tenth in the leader board, so your position the following year ultimately means nothing for the new season. Players are transferred every year, and very rarely will a team remain completely the same throughout the entirety of the period between the last NBA season and the current one. This works the other way round as well. Currently, the Pistons are fourth on the NBA leader board, but last year they were eighth. So, you should always monitor teams properly first before you start chucking all your money on one you’ve already deemed ‘the best’ based on a performance 365 days ago.
Expect The Unexpected
This is perhaps one of the most important tips when betting on the NBA season, and possibly all other sports as well. Sportsmen and women are just like us, humans, meaning that they are just as likely to injure themselves or experience something that impairs their performance on the playing field. Players are getting injured all the time, which will completely change the performance of the team if they were one of the team’s greatest assets. Similarly, teams deemed to be the underdog could come out on top, as who knows what kind of coaching and training they received building up to the season? Never expect anything.
The new NBA season has already got a lot of people very excited, us being some of them! Betting on your favourite sports always makes things more exciting, so try your best to get it right this year and follow these crucial tips to win large on your next bet!
