Football Manager Expert and Political Betting Specialist across Exchange and Spread Betting Sites
Nobody hates basketball, not even those who think they do.
The OLBG betting school has articles covering Basketball basics if you need a refresher course.
From a betting viewpoint, there is lots to learn.
History, Rules & Objectives
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, it’s best to leave you with a quick introduction as it relates to the sport.The Basics Of Basketball
By learning what is required in the game will enhance your enjoyment of the game.
The focus will be on the American National Basketball Association (NBA) as it’s, by far, the most popular and most prestigious league in the world.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) will also be referenced, however.
The obvious objective of basketball is to outscore the opponent.
The game was invented by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical educator, and physician, in 1981 and has come quite a long way since then.
24 Seconds
On every full possession, the time limit is 24 seconds to get the ball through the hoop.
8 Seconds
The players have eight seconds to move the ball from their half to the oppositions half.
Unlimited Substituions
Don't like the way the game is going just use your unlimited substitutes to move the scoreboard in your favour.
NBA League Structure & Season
The NBA is made up of 30 teams (29 American and one Canadian) which are split into the Western and Eastern Conferences.2019 Winners
In the 2018 -2019 season, the Toronto Raptors became the first non-USA team to win the NBA title.
- 1st vs 8th
- 2nd vs 7th
- 3rd vs 6th
- 4th vs 5th
For extra clarity, say the Toronto Raptors topped the Eastern Conference, and the Washington Wizards finished eighth, they will be paired in a seven-game series to determine who advances.
The first team to four wins seals progression to the next round until only one team remains in each conference.
The winners of the respective conferences then go head to head in the Finals, also a best of seven series, for the coveted NBA Championship.Year | Champion | Runner Up | Score |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | Miami Heat | 4-2 |
2019 | Toronto Raptors | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 |
2018 | Golden State | Cleveland Warriors | 4-0 |
2017 | Golden State | Cleveland Warriors | 4-1 |
2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 |
2015 | Golden State | Cleveland Warriors | 4-2 |
2014 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat | 4-1 |
2013 | Miami Heat | San Antonio Spurs | 4-3 |
2012 | Miami Heat | Oklahoma City Thunder | 4-1 |
2011 | Dallas Mavericks | Miami Heat | 4-2 |
2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4-3 |
The above should have left you with a clearer picture, so let’s move on to the real reason you’re here, betting.
Types of NBA Betting
The Money Line
This one is quite simple. You pick a winner and hope they win.
NBA Handicap
Handicap betting is the most popular form of NBA punting and is also referred to as the betting line or point spread.
Warriors: -6.5 @ 2.5
Cavaliers: +6.5 @ 2.5
The Warriors would be the favourites here and if you reckon they’ll win by a margin larger than 6.5 points, you’d place a bet on -6.5.
If you think the Cavaliers will win or lose, but with a margin lower than 6.5 points, you do the opposite. If the Warriors win 104-93, the -6.5 bet would be the winning one.
You simply need to subtract 6.5 from the winning total of 104, which would leave you with 97.5. So even with the handicap subtracted, Golden State still wins the game,
This means -6.5 is indeed the favourable selection and would make you £25 better off a £10 stake.
If you’d bet on Cleveland (+6.5), then you’d have to add that to their score.
You would come up with 99.5, a figure which still leaves them in the losing column despite the addition, also meaning that the bet of +6.5 would be a loss.
So basically, a handicap bet basically starts a team off with either an advantage or disadvantage.
In the example above, Golden State started the game down 6.5 points but still won by 4.5 points.
Adversely, Cleveland started with a 6.5-point advantage, yet they lost by 4.5 at the end.
Totals (Over/Under)
Those of you familiar with football/soccer betting should already know how it works.
- Over 200 @ 1.97
- Under 200 @ 2.42
Quarter/Half Betting
Bets can also be had on individual quarters or halves of a match.Outright Markets
Outright markets give punters the opportunity to bet on the outcome of an entire season as opposed to single games.Playoff Betting
While bettors would have the same options in the Playoffs as they had during the regular season, this particular stage of a league campaign offers even more.NBA Post Season
Normally the NBA postseason starts in April and ends in June
Types of Betting
As mentioned earlier, Playoff betting on an individual game basis isn’t different from regular season betting.Series Winner Betting
Simple. All you do is bet on the team you think comes out on top of a particular series.Series Score
Again, simple. You predict a series score, for e.g. you could bet on Cleveland to beat the Toronto Raptors 4-1 in an Eastern Conference match-up.Series Total Betting
This bet isn’t contingent on winners and losers, only the number of games played out in a series.Conference Championship Betting
As the name suggests, one places a bet on the team they tip to come out on top of a conference (or both).Finals/Championship Betting
Not much to see here really.NBA Pitfalls
Injuries
Of course, it pays to pay attention to the overall fitness of a squad if you’re going to bet on them.Rotations
Coaches do tend to rest their best players before big, meaningful games during the regular season; so it is something to look out for.Power Rankings
Keeping an eye on the NBA’s power rankings is likely to do bettors a lot of good as it should point them in the right direction.Early Season Patterns
The beginning of the NBA season is a good time to get a jump on the bookies as they take some time to adjust to changes such as new players, draft picks, coaching etc.Hit The Court Running
Does your team have a history of starting the new season strongly?
Home Comforts
Home-court advantage counts for a lot in the NBA, so it’s always something to be taking into consideration when placing bets.Is the team tired?
Fatigue especially when playing numerous games in a short period need to be considered before placing your bet.
NBA Statistics
NBA Statistics
If you have not checked the statistics you will have less chance of making a winning bet.
Click here to find out which bookmaker OLBG recommends for Basketball Betting?
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