The United States of America residents are known for their passion for sports and basketball is one particular sport that brings the whole nation together because it is followed by millions of people of all ages and races. The National Basketball Association which is popularly known as the NBA is a professional basketball league in North America is popular not only in America but worldwide as NBA stars like LeBron James are idolized across the globe.
The NBA is a truly exciting league bringing entertainment to millions across the globe, you just need to see the electrifying atmosphere in the stadiums when the NBA matches are being played in order for you to appreciate how popular and exciting the league is. As with all the sports, it is not always about the excitement, but there is also a considerable amount of money to be made on the NBA through betting and you will discover that most bookmakers offer this league due to its popularity amongst punters. Although most bets are still pre-match, in-play betting is beginning to become more popular. This article seeks to explain some of the most popular NBA betting markets so that you have a true understanding of them before you bet.
Moneyline
A Money Line bet in the NBA is the simplest and a popular form of betting. When you place a money line bet, you are simply picking which team will outright win the game. The NBA Money Line odds will list the favorite as a negative number (ie. -200), what this means is that you will have to bet that amount to win $100. Money line odds list the underdog as a positive number (i.e. +300) which means you will win that amount on a $100 bet. An NBA money line bet can not “push” because NBA games can not end in a tie.
Spreads
This is also another popular bet type in the NBA and this market is quite useful when there is a match between a favorite against an underdog. What this means is that if you strongly believe that the Celtics will beat the Kings, you will not make enough profit by backing them just to win at the -500 odds. What the bookmaker will do then is it will take a certain amount of points from the favorites and giving it to the underdogs to make sure that each team has equal chances of winning. For example, Celtics would be taken 9.5 points :
Celtics -9.5 @ -110 Odds
Kings +9.5 @ -110 Odds
In this case, you have the option to back Celtics to win by ten or more points difference or Kings to win or lose by fewer than ten points difference and you get equal odds on both picks.
Totals (Over/Under)
This is one of the less risky bets which is quite popular with punters, When you are betting on the totals market, you will be predicting whether the total number of points scored by both teams combined will be higher or lower than the line offered by sportsbooks. See the example below:
Celtics v Kings – Over 175.5 points @ -110 Odds
Celtics v Kings – Under 175.5 points @ -110 Odds
Parlays
A parlay is a form of bet which involves wagering on the outcome of more than one event or proposition. These outcomes could either be in the same game or spread over multiple games. On a match between the Celtics v the Kings you can place a bet backing Celtics to win, as well as the total score of the game and all the two will be part of a parlay bet. The main advantage of a parlay bet is that the payout will be much bigger than if you bet on just one event. Please note that for a Parlay bet to win, all the outcomes must be correct.
Teasers
A teaser is a type of parlay and therefore requires you to wager on more than one event outcome. With a teaser, all bets are placed on the total or against the spread, and you have the ability to adjust the spread or total in your favor. You need to realize that with teasers, your payout will be reduced according to the amount you shift the numbers to your advantage. Below is a good example of how teasers work;
NBA Odds before Teaser
Celtics +2.5
Kings-7
NBA Odds after Teaser
Celtics +2.5
Kings -2
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