How to place a bet on the NBA Tips
Placing a bet on the NBA picks on this page is a simple process. When you find selections you want to follow with a bet, just tap on the 'Add' to betslip option next to the picks, and these will automatically be saved to your betslip until you are ready to place your bet. Check out the NBA predictions from OLBG's Best Basketball Tipsters before deciding on today's NBA bets.
If you like placing Accas or perm bets, then that's fine, add as many selections as required, and these will be stored on your betslip until you place the bet. When you have finalised your selections, check the odds comparison table at the top of the screen to see which bookmaker is offering the best odds.
Before you opt for your preferred bookie you may wish to check our Best Bookmakers for Basketball Betting Guide which has useful info to help maximise your NBA betting plus the latest bookie promos.
When you are all set to place your NBA bets, select your bookie preference, and you will be transferred to their site with your betslip selections already filled and without the need to find them again there. Just add your stake and best of luck!
Against The Spread Betting in the NBA
Against the Spread betting also known as the abbreviation ATS is the NBA equivalent to the Asian Handicap market in football.
Rules can differ from bookmaker to bookmaker especially when it comes to games being played in Europe so please make sure you check your bookmaker to see whether or not overtime points are included.
The favourite in the game will be given a deficit to make up whilst the underdogs will be given a lead to defend and depending on the line there could be 2 or 3 possible outcomes.
For example, let's say the one line is Boston Celtics -5.50, if betting on that line then the Celtics would have to win by at least 6 points for the bet to be successful.
The other side of that line could be, for example, Milwaukee Bucks +5.50 because they are the underdogs they are given a head start so as long as they don't lose by 6+ points then that bet would be successful.
The other option which may come up from time to time is when a line is a whole number, for example, Boston Celtics -5 & Milwaukee Bucks +5 which would mean if the Celtics won by 5 then neither would be successful and the bet would be a Push.
This market is most used when you think the money line odds are a bit on the short side and you think the team can cover the handicap because you will get better odds for this market than the money line because of the greater risk.
For a detailed preview of the NBA season take a few minutes to read our NBA Preview & Betting Guide.
NBA Money Line Predictions
The money line market is the same for these NBA predictions as it would be for the NFL Tips, the NHL Predictions, or the MLB Tips, you are backing which one of the two teams you believe will win the game.
For the NBA and the majority of the European leagues, this includes any overtime played, but please be sure to check with your bookmaker on their rules before placing your bet.
With these NBA money line predictions from our experts, you can place single wagers on them or build them into one bet, this is an Accumulator Bet which is also known in the US as a Parlay Bet.
The benefit of creating an accumulator is that you increase the payout odds. Each bet you put in is multiplied by the next. Say you have three picks, the first bet, for example, has odds of 1.75 if successful, go onto the second bet.
This means if you stake £10 on the accumulator if the first is successful at 1.75 then you have £17.50 going on to the next part of the bet, if that is also 1.75 then it's £17.50 * 1.75 which is £30.62.
That money then goes onto the third selection of your bet, let's say that it is also at an odds of 1.75, it would be £30.62 * 1.75 which means your total return would be £53.58, a profit of £43.58.
Of course, with an accumulator, you need every pick in that bet to be successful; otherwise, you will lose your stake. An accumulator is useful when games are taking place at the same time.
We have daily accumulators which are picked based on the expert tips from our tipsters head over to the page to see which predictions are included today.
How often do Favourites win in NBA?
How often do moneyline favourites win in the NBA? Over the past five seasons, 67.98% of favourites have been successful in the NBA regular season.
Home favourites have a slightly higher success rate than those on the road, with 68.96% of home favourites winning compared to 66.47% of those on the road.
NBA - How often does the underdog win?
How often does the underdog win in the NBA? The underdogs have a 32.02% win rate over the past five seasons of the NBA regular season, which means, on average, they win roughly once in every three games.
Their win rate is slightly better at home than on the road, when at home that win rate is 33.53%, however, when they are on the road it drops to 31.04% and this type of statistic is what the best NBA tipsters look for, if they are more likely to win at home than on the road then that is something that will follow.
The most successful underdog team over the last five seasons has been the Denver Nuggets, who have won 40 of 94 games (42.55%) as underdogs, whilst the most profitable has been the Indiana Pacers, who to a £10 stake returned a profit of +£345.30.
Teams to avoid are the Detroit Pistons, who have won just 81 from 337 (24.04%) and the Houston Rockets, who have won just 24.30% of their games as underdogs (69 from 284).
The Golden State Warriors have a 50%+ strike rate at home with underdogs; they have won 24 of their 42 games (57.14%) to return a profit of £196.10 (£10 Stakes).
NBA Total Points Betting
As it says on the in, the NBA Totals betting is a market where you are betting on how many combined points will be scored in a game, it's the same as the Totals in the other US Sports.
The majority of the time the line will have a .5 at the end instead of a whole number, so the two options could be, for example, Under 214.5 & Over 214.5.
In this example, you would be betting on whether there would be either under 214.5 points or over 214.5 points, so 214 or fewer would be under, whilst 215 or more would be over.
As mentioned with the spread betting, from time to time you will get a whole number, for example, Under 214 & Over 214, which would mean if the game finished with 214 points it would be a Push and your stake returned.
Please also check with your bookmaker, whilst the NBA will most of the time include any points scored in overtime, this may not be the case if you are backing games in Europe so please make yourself aware of the rules.
If you are yet to open a bookmaker and are looking for some guidance, then head over to our Best Bookmakers for NBA Betting guide to see what your options are.
Which NBA teams score the most?
When it comes to game averages, there are only just over sixteen points ranging from the lowest to the highest, which is not a large amount. Games involving the Magic are the lowest at 217.81, whilst games involving the Pacers have the most with 233.81.
The Bucks are the highest-scoring team over the last five seasons with an average of 117.29 points per game, the next best are the Pacers with their average of 116.74, and then the Hawks (116.64), Celtics (115.92), Nuggets (115.86) and Kings (115.45).
On the other end, four teams average under 110 points per game; the worst of those is the Magic, who average just 107.18, and the other three are the Hornets (109.49), Pistons (109.50) and the Heat (109.70).
Andy Powell spearheads OLBG's vibrant basketball content, infusing his passion for the NBA and global leagues. With comprehensive insights, betting strategies, and sharp analysis, Andy enriches OLBG's coverage for the NBA.
Andy Powell
Content Editor
*Statistics only include regular season games, the home team is the official team listed as hosting, and closing lines are used in the figures for seasons from 2020-21 to 2024-25, and all profits are shown to £10 bets.