Basketball Betting

Online sportsbooks are the best place to bet on basketball.  They are convenient, trusted and offer a wide variety of fair odds for betting on basketball.  Having some money riding on a basketball game enhances the games excitement. Even a game that is ten points apart with two minutes left could be very exciting to someone who bet the spread.  An online betting account allows you to place basketball bets easily and securely from your computer or mobile phone.  Simply put, online sportsbooks are the most popular way to bet on basketball games for a reason.

Best Sportsbooks for Betting On Basketball

  • 1 50% up to $250
    • Built for American bettors
    • Wide variety of competitive betting lines
    • Easy to navigate betting platform
    Bet Now Review
  • 2 50% up to $250 in Free Bets
    • Accepts players worldwide
    • Competitive betting lines
    • Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
    Bet Now Review
  • 3 100% up to $1000
    • Accepts players worldwide (including US)
    • Frequently offers value-added contests and promotions
    • Wide variety of betting lines and props
    Bet Now Review

How To Bet On Basketball Online

Betting on basketball is extremely easy and if you follow the three steps listed below you will be placing NBA wagers in no time.

Bet On Basketball – Step By Step Guide

1. Open an Online Sportsbook Account – The three sportsbooks listed above are our top three recommended NBA betting sites for your location. We suggest you visit one of those sites and set up an account. Opening a new account just takes a minute and you will only have to provide basic info such as your name and email address.

2. Make a Deposit – You can’t bet on basketball online without first funding your account. To make a deposit head over to the cashier section of the sportsbook and follow the depositing instructions. Credit card deposits are generally the most popular, but you can deposit via a wide variety of methods including e-wallets, Bitcoin, bank transfers, and more.  If you have trouble depositing contact customer support and they will go out of their way to help you fund your account.

3. Place Your Basketball Bets – Now it’s time to start making money with your basketball knowledge. Head over to the basketball betting section of the sportsbook and begin to build your bankroll by placing sharp bets on basketball games!

Types of Basketball Bets

The three most popular types of basketball bets include betting the spread, the money line and the over/under.

Here’s an example screenshot of the odds for a Bulls vs Heat game, which we will use for all explanations below:

Point Spread

Spread betting is generally the most popular and the most exciting type of basketball bet because it puts the two teams on an even playing field. In order for a spread bet on a favorite to win that team must win the game by more than “spread” amount. For example, if the Miami Heat are -1.5 point favorites over the Bulls then the Heat must win by 2 or more for a Heat spread bet to payout. On the other hand the Bulls must either win outright or lose by 1 point for a Bulls spread bet to payout.

Money Line

With money line betting you are wagering on which team will win the game outright. The odds associated with each team determine the amount a bet on either team wins with a certain risk. Continuing with the Bulls vs Heat example shown above the Heat are -128 favorites, while the Bulls are slight underdogs with odds of +108. This means that you would have to wager $128 to win $100 betting on the Heat, while you would have to bet $100 to win $108 betting on the Bulls.

Total (Over/Under)

Over/under betting, also known as totals betting, involves wagering on how many total points will be scored in a game. The bookmaker sets a “total” and you can wager on whether there will be more or fewer than that many points scored in the game. The over/under for the Bulls vs Heat game outlined above is set at 207 points.

Other Bets (Props and Futures)

Some other fun bets that can be made on basketball include prop bets and futures. Prop bets are any wager that isn’t directly affected by the final outcome of the game (how many points a player scores, which team scores first, etc). Futures bets include such things as which team will win the NBA Championships or the March Madness NCAA tournament.

Basketball Betting Odds

We touched on odds a little bit in the types of basketball bets section, but we will provide another example here. Typically you will see the American odds format when betting on basketball so let’s look at another example of that:

Michigan -5 (-110)
Ohio State +5 (-110)

In this example Michigan are 5 point favorites over the Ohio State Buckeyes. For a spread bet on Michigan to win they must win the game by 6 or more points and vice versa with Ohio State. The -110 indicates that you must bet $110 in order to win $100 betting on either outcome.

Basketball Betting Tips

  • Home vs Away Games – Where the game is being played matters quite a bit in basketball.  The fans play a roll in the game and it’s important to keep in mind if a team is at home or away before placing a bet.
  • Streaks – Basketball seems to be more of a streaky sport than most others.  When a team is firing on all cylinders they feel like they can’t lose and when things aren’t going their way it feels like they can’t hit a shot.  You should include streaks in your basketball betting strategy.
  • Be Patient – Keep your eye out for sharp bets, but don’t feel like you have to bet on every basketball game taking place on a given night.  Betting on every game is a recipe for loss.
  • Compare Lines – You will see this tip on nearly every page here at BetOnIt.org because it is that important.  You should try to find the best line for the outcome you are choosing in order to have the best win rate and biggest return.

Specific Basketball Betting Pages

Recent Basketball Articles