The National Basketball Association is the premier league for the sport which means it's by far the most covered market in the world of basketball betting.
Betting on the NBA is extremely popular in the US thanks to the almost nightly action offered from mid October through early June. For those looking to find out more about one of the top betting markets in the US, our NBA betting guide includes a list of top basketball betting sites, advice for basketball betting as well as expert picks.
Affiliate Disclosure:At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. This means that if you visit a website through our link and make a deposit, Gambling.com will receive a commission payment at no extra cost to you.At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links.At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. This means that if you visit a website through our link and make a deposit, Gambling.com will receive a commission payment at no extra cost to you. All product reviews and recommendations are still impartial as our editorial standards are designed to be commercially independent and follow a professional methodology.MoreLess
New customers online only. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. €10 min stake on racing pools (if EW then min €10 Win + €10 Place) placed within 7 days of registration. Receive €20 Tote Credit, €10 Free Sportsbook Bet and 50 Free Spins on selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. http://Gambleaware.org
IRE/NI new customers only. Min Deposit €/£10. Min stake €/£10. Min odds Evs. Free Bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. Free Bets expire in 7 days. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment method restrictions. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+ Play Safe. New customers using Promo code BB40 only. Min €10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 4 x €10, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 7 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. See full terms below. gamblingtherapy.org
18+ | ΙΕ new customers only | Max €100 free bet | Min bet €30 | Min odds 7/10 (1.70) | Bonus Code: BET30GET100 | Free bet stake is not returned | Offer valid until 31.12.2024 | Free bet valid for 7 days | T&Cs Apply
18+. Min deposit €10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least €10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at €500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game T&Cs apply.
18+ New Customers opt in, deposit and bet up to €100 at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of registration, excludes deposits via PayPal & excludes cashed out bets. Matched bonus paid in free bets; 7 day expiry. Geo Restrictions. T&Cs Apply See Below. Please Gamble Responsibly.
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply; T&C apply; 18+
Min. bet €10 to receive €20 Free Bet (placed 10 days from registration). Min. odds of 1.6. Free Bet credited at qualifying bet settlement and placed within 10 days.
Welcome Bonus Bet - Bet €10 Get €15 terms. This offer is for new sports customers only and is available once per household. Max. Bonus Bet amount €15. Minimum wagering on the sport to activate the Bonus Bet is €10 (which can be achieved from a Min deposit of €10). Offer valid only to customers wagering on sport €10 or more and make a qualifying bet in accordance with the Bonus Bet Specific Terms and Conditions below. 1st Place Prize: €1000. Prizes granted up to 48h after the tournament ends. Bonus Bet does not contribute towards the leaderboard. Click to see full T&Cs
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first €5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x €5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
New ROI customers only. Min Deposit: €5. Maximum Free Bet: €50. Overall odds: 1.50 (1/2) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 50 Bonus Spins credited on placement of qualifying bet. 50x bonus wagering applies as do weighting requirements. Bonus Spins only available on selected games. Debit card deposits only. Offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 18+ GamblingCare.ie.
New Players Only. Minimum stake $/€/£ 10, minimum odds1.5, stake not returned.10X wagering the winnings from the free bet. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds.Free bet is valid for 7 Days from issue. Max conversion: $/€/£ 20. Excluded Skrill deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Full Terms Apply.
Regardless of what you consider a rookie to be, the Rookie of the Year race is annually one of the m...
Betting NBA Basketball
With division, conference and even cross-country rivalries that span decades, the drama offered by the NBA strikes a personal chord with fans of both teams and individual players.
The cast of characters and storylines have never been stronger and both make for intriguing matchups almost nightly over an 82-season featuring 29 teams from the U.S. and 1 from Canada.
The playoffs offer even more excitement as its grueling 7-game format does an excellent job removing much doubt that the two best teams face each other at the end of the season.
Understanding NBA Betting Lines & Odds
American sportsbooks use a point spread system to predict the winner of each contest and the number of points they will win by.
Over/under bets are made by establishing a number of points that will be scored by both teams combined and whether or not the number will be higher (over) or lower (under).
For example, if Golden State is favored over Cleveland by 5 points and it’s expected to be a high scoring game, Golden State’s odds would look like this: GS -5.0, 180. Cleveland’s odds would look like this: CLE +5.0, 180.
To cover the spread, Golden State would need to win by more than five points. To beat the spread, Cleveland would need to win the game or lose by five points or less.
Moneylines are based on a negative or positive integer that represents how much money must be bet on the team in question in order to win €100. In this case if Golden State were favoured with a moneyline of -140 it would mean a bettor would have to place a €140 bet to win €100.
If Cleveland were the underdog with odds of +160 that would mean a bet of €100 would win €160.
18+. Min deposit €10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least €10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at €500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game T&Cs apply.
A wide variety of factors can be considered when betting the NBA regular season. With so many contests to choose from (1,230 from October to April to be exact) anything can happen on any given night.
Consider 'Resting Players'
Teams who might have already clinched a playoff berth will sometimes engage in the process of resting their best players. This dramatically shifts the odds in favor of their opponents, but it's worth noting that teams with excellent depth still are worth betting on in these situations.
Avoid Picking Underdogs Who Might be Tanking
It's become increasingly common to see teams at the bottom of the rankings put less emphasis on winning games in order to gain higher drafting position to revitalize their franchise. This process (known as tanking) has helped some teams and its worth knowing whether or not a team may be suspected of it when picking underdogs.
Noteworthy Revenge Games
Revenge games are as or more prominent in the NBA that they are in any other professional sports league. With smaller team sizes comes a heightened focus on individual players and player movement has grown steadily more impactful over recent decades.
With buzzworthy offseasons chaotic mid-season trade deadline players end up switching sides more often than most diehard fans would probably prefer.
This adds tremendous zestiness to matchups in which a star or role-player takes on his former team and generally the player will put in extra effort to win. The nature of the negotiations can play a huge role in this as players who were slighted or appeared slighted will almost certainly feel a revenge factor grow when playing against his former team.
These games are very fun and satisfying to bet on particularly if you're betting on the player's new team.
Watch Out for Rivalries
Rivalry games in the NBA have brought out the best in some of the best teams and generational players in league's history. Some rivalries are based on divisions, of which there are four in each conference, and the frequency in which teams play eachother tends to build bad blood.
Some rivalries are temporary built between two teams that happen to be dominant or in constant competition for the top at the same time.
These often end up in playoff series or even conference finals. Some rivalries, such as the infamous Lakers-Celtics showdown, transcend generations and sometimes even the sport itself. These games are always fun to bet on and often push teams to perform a peak levels with bragging rights and personal feelings on the line.
Online Bookmakers With The Most Variety Of Betting Markets And Sports
Established 1997
Total Sports
The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
25
Yes
Bet Builder
Can you create your own personalised bets?
18+. Min deposit €10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least €10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at €500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game T&Cs apply.
Established 2001
Total Sports
The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
32
Yes
Bet Builder
Can you create your own personalised bets?
There is a noticeable dropoff in effort at times when teams get far ahead of their opposition.
However, the NBA has seen many comebacks and big leads blown due to early leads taken. In general, NBA games are won in the third and fourth quarters as the first two periods do more to set the stage for the dramatics that take place after halftime.
Coming back is difficult in any sport, but time and time again the best teams understand the the NBA is a league of scoring runs and the tables can turn at any moment do to the trademark fast-pace of the game.
It's very hard to protect leads in the NBA and teams that understand the ebb and flow of the game are often good bets. Teams that dictate the pace of the game are often (with exceptions) ones that win. A team will often prefer either a half-court or strong transition game and teams that force the opposition into playing that game generally do very well.
Making NBA Picks
As with any game of basketball, the winner of an NBA game is most often determined by matchups. These can be based on overall team strengths and weaknesses or at an individual man-to-man level.
For example, a team that doesn't defend three-pointer well may be at a major disadvantage against a team that attempts a lot of threes and makes a high percentage of those threes.
A team that defends the paint and rebounds well, however, may do well against a team that relies heavily on its centers and forwards for scoring.
Look Beyond Key Player Matchups
A team that has a player who is normally a role player matched up against a weak defensive counterpart may see that player have a big night.
For example, if San Antonio's shooting guard is a good scorer and Minnesota's shooting guard is a poor defender, that weakness could be exploited based on the skill and ability of San Antonio's shooting guard.
Compare Schemes
Teams also can struggle against a particular coach's scheme.
A team may be bad at defending the pick-and-roll, thus a coach that employs that tactic more often than not may be at an obvious advantage.
One-Man Shows Could Mean Upsets
That's not to say that teams that may have poor matchups on a particular night can't win. Many times individual players can "go off" and carry their teams based on a number of factors.
Teams that have players with this game-breaking ability are worth considering in upset picks or instances where a team appears to have a bad matchup. The NBA has become a more and more individual-centric league and team styles and strategies have evolved to reflect that in the modern form of the game.
Teams that play a more sharing style based on ball movement and fundamentals are still successful on a nightly basis, but as mentioned can be overcome by strong individual performances at times.
Best In-Play Betting Sites
Established 2012
Inplay Sports X
The number of sports with in-play betting available
Cash Out - InPlay
34
Yes
Inplay Multis Y/N
Mobile Live Streaming
Is there live streaming of sporting events?
18+. Min deposit €10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least €10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at €500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game T&Cs apply.