NBA Odds Guide
While the NBA season may be winding down when we’re writing this, this guide has been created to help with the remainder of the 2022-23 season and for seasons beyond, as the tips, strategies, and information aren’t based on any single season.
Below, we’ll go over the different bet types to know when it comes to NBA betting odds, how to get started betting, and more.
NBA Lines Explained
Throughout this page, you’ll see us use terms like NBA betting odds or lines—these are similar terms that can be used differently depending on the wager you want to make.
As mentioned, there are different ways you can bet on the NBA, and directly below, we’ll cover them in extensive detail, providing examples using real-life games happening today.
But first, let’s go over how to read the odds that we’ll talk about.
How to Read Odds For the NBA
Whether looking at NBA odds or odds from another sport, you can read them similarly. Here, we’ll look at odds through the lens of either winning $100 or wagering $100. We do this because it helps simplify things.
Let’s start with determining the favored team and the underdog:
When looking at odds, you’ll see a “-” and a “+” assigned to either the odds, NBA point spread, or both. The “-” indicates the favored team, and the “+” is the underdog.
- If you see odds of -340, not only does this mean that team is a pretty good-sized favorite, but in terms of money, you’d need to bet $340 to win $100.
- If the odds were +340, you’d win $340 if you bet $100.
So, with betting odds, think of it like this—all odds with a “-” in front of it illustrate how much money you’d need to wager to win $100, while the “+” shows how much you would win if you bet $100.
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NBA Betting Odds To Know
Moneyline
When it comes to NBA lines & odds, no wager is more straightforward to understand than the moneyline.
When you make a moneyline wager, you pick who will win the game outright. However, as you know, with the NBA, some teams are far better than others, which will be reflected in the odds.
As seen above, if a team has a moneyline of -340, they’re the favorite, and you’d need to wager $340 to win $100. Conversely, if a team is +120, you’d win $120 if you bet $120.
You can also read it like this:
- At -340, the implied probability of winning is 77.27%
- At +120, the implied probability is 45.45%
Point Spread
While the moneyline is picking the straight-up winner, we also mentioned that, in the NBA, there are teams that are better than others. Well, the point spread is designed with that in mind—it’s a number that NBA sportsbooks come up with for each game in an attempt to make the game as fair as possible.
Like with odds, the “-” shows the favored team and the “+” the underdog; however, with the point spread, there’s another way to view it.
When the game starts, the score is, of course, 0-0. However, if you bet on a team that’s -13.5, you can pretend that, from the start, they’re down 13.5-0. On the flip side, if you bet on a team +13.5, you can pretend they’re in the lead.
In addition to the betting odds, which are always at or around -110, you’ll also need to keep the point spread in mind.
- If a team is -13.5, they need to win the game outright and do so by 14 points or more to cover.
- If a team is +13.5, they’ll cover the spread by winning outright or losing by 13 points or less.
Totals
If you can’t decide which team will win or determine with the point spread in mind, the third-most-common wager in sports betting is “totals”.
Totals, also known as over/under bets, allow you to wager on the combined point total in the game. With this bet type, you’ll see the total points line and wager on whether you think the final score will be more or less than the NBA game lines assigned for that bet.
As seen in the example below, we have a line of 218.5. The odds here are similar to the point spread in that it’ll always be at or around -110.
So, if you bet the over at 218.5 and the final score was 110-109, you’d have 219 points, which would be just enough to win the wager.
| TOTAL POINTS |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Over 218.5 -110 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Under 218.5 -110 |
Futures
The futures betting market allows players to predict events at or toward the end of the season. Popular examples include betting on who you think the winner of the NBA Finals will be, which teams will win each conference, division winners, MVP winner, Sixth Man of the Year, and more.
These wagers are available even before the start of the season, where you can get some great value. However, as the season progresses and the league starts to take form, you’ll slowly see the value deteriorate because, naturally, some teams pull away while others don’t.
Like a moneyline wager, this bet type will have multiple selections with odds attached. Futures are a great way to capitalize on betting odds value. However, these wagers can tie money up for months, so most players don’t take advantage of it.
Parlays
If you’re going through the daily slate of NBA games and find multiple contests you feel confident in a wager on, you can put them in a parlay to receive improved betting odds.
There are two types of parlay bets in sports betting—traditional and the newly added Same Game Parlays. With a traditional parlay, you’ll pick multiple games, add them to a betslip, and wager on the odds comprised of both teams and the additional risk. With parlay wagers, you only win and receive a payout if each contest wins.
Let’s run through an example:
- You bet on the Orlando Magic -1 (-113) and Brooklyn Nets +3 (-109). This two-leg parlay now has odds of +263.
As you can see, independently, you could bet on two contests with “-” odds, but together, you get +263. Again, both games would need to succeed for you to win. If the Nets win and the Magic lose, the parlay loses.
Same Game Parlays
The other type of parlay you can engage in is the Same Game Parlay. This parlay allows you to focus on one game. However, there are some limitations. For example, you can’t parlay the moneyline and point spread together.
However, you can create a Same Game Parlay combining the moneyline, total, and a player prop.
Like a traditional parlay, each thing you bet on will need to “win” for your parlay to settle as a win.
Prop Bets
In addition to the more typical wagers, NBA prop bets are also wildly popular. There are three types of prop bets in the NBA:
As you’ll see with all props, you’ll either bet with straight-up odds or with an over/under line.
Some popular team props include predicting the over/under of an individual team point total, whether the points will be even or odd, and NBA second-half lines for points.
As opposed to a single player or team, game props encompass the entire game. Popular game props include the “race to a certain number of points”, whether a game will go to overtime, the winning margin, and more.
Of all prop bets, player props are easily the most popular and most recognizable. This is where you’ll bet on the statistical performance of a single player, including their points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, three-point shots, and more.
Live Betting
If you miss an opportunity to bet on a game before it starts, you can now wager on it while it’s actively going on.
With live betting, you can wager on most of the markets above; only the odds, lines, and point spreads shift rapidly as the game unfolds. Every made/missed basket, foul, or turnover can alter them.
Getting Started Betting On NBA Odds and NBA Lines
- Check out our online sportsbook reviews to see where you want to play. We also cover the welcome bonus for each platform.
- Also, we provide free NBA odds picks daily—something to remember during the research process for your bets.
- After you’ve picked where to play, go to their desktop site or download their mobile app. Most are available on the Apple App and Google Play Store.
- Create an account.
- Make your first deposit.
- Head over to the NBA page.
- Find what you want to bet on, add it to your betslip, confirm your wager, and wait for the results.
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Conclusion on NBA Odds and NBA Lines
As you can see, a lot goes into NBA odds and lines. There are multiple betting markets to choose from. Understanding those, how to read odds, and how to get started are essential as you decide to make your first wager.
If you’re a newer bettor, we encourage you to bookmark this page and return as you prepare to make your first wagers at your new favorite online sports betting sites.
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