Best NBA Betting Strategies Explained
The NBA is a sport that consists of more than 80 regular season games and a multi-round postseason.
With so many games to choose from, we’ve developed several NBA betting strategies that you can use today to see the results you’re hoping for immediately.
These NBA betting strategies are a mix of ones specifically for the sport but also things that are more generalized for all types of betting. However, they can be treated as NBA betting systems that will provide more longevity throughout the season and postseason.
Below are nine NBA betting strategies for you to learn about and use at your discretion moving forward.
NBA Betting Systems To Follow
1. Review Injury Reports
In a sport with five players on the court on each side, injuries matter quite a bit, especially if they’re high-profile and the star power for their team. Injury reports are reported daily, so you can easily access them and consider them before betting.
2. Set a Bankroll Budget
Regarding sports betting, it’s easy for many bettors to deposit and bet. Meaning bettors will deposit $50 here and $100 there, wager all of it on one game and hope for the best. However, we’d recommend depositing what you can afford budget-wise and slowly wagering between 1% and 10% of that amount. This allows you to diversify your bets and limit your losses over a longer period.
3. Follow The Schedule
There can sometimes be games for the same team daily across multiple days in the NBA. Teams tend to get bogged down and hit a wall when this happens. There are statistics available that show the team’s success for the number of days of rest they’ve had. When you’re considering betting on a team that’s played multiple days in a row, and they’re still the favored team, perhaps it would be a good idea to lay some money on the underdog to take advantage of the schedule.
4. Fade The Public
This is a popular tactic in sports betting, but it is also excellent for NBA betting advice. Some of the top NBA sportsbooks will show you the percentage of money wagered on each side. If you see an imbalance of the money on one side, consider betting on the lesser wagered side, given that your analysis for the game isn’t all in favor of the more wagered-on team. What tends to happen in sports betting is that the public is so keen on one side of the fence that sportsbooks increase the point spread and betting lines for the less wagered-on team you can take advantage of for your benefit.
We couldn’t leave this NBA betting guide without discussing odds shopping—another more general tip you should utilize in sports betting permanently.
The idea with odds shopping is using multiple online sportsbooks against one another. Of course, this strategy can only work if you’re in a state with multiple platforms to choose from.
What you’ll do is pick a game, decide on the wager you want to make, and explore multiple sites to see if you can find better odds, more points on totals wagers, or even that extra 0.5 point on the point spread. It’s not uncommon to find something with the same point spread, but perhaps it’s -120 somewhere and -110 somewhere else. Sure, it’s just -10 in value, but it requires almost no work.
6. Live Betting Hedging
Not only is live betting just an exciting way to bet on sports, but it’s also an excellent resource for hedging your pregame wagers.
This can work in one of two ways. Suppose you placed a pregame wager, and it’s going poorly. In that case, you can bet the opposite side using live betting lines to minimize your losses, break even, or turn an even lesser profit.
On top of this, you can double down on what you think will ultimately be a successful wager.
NBA games progress quickly, so you’ll need to make some snap decisions regarding live betting. We’d recommend perhaps making a wager during a timeout to have a longer period to decide which way to bet.
7. Focus On Key Statistics
For NBA betting, there are several statistics you can consider. Still, some are easier to understand and track than others. If you’re new to NBA sports betting, these are some great stats to zero in on as you continue to develop your strategies.
- Per Game Statistics: These include points, assists, rebounds, and opponent’s points. Sometimes it could be as simple as spotting a team that scores a lot or playing against a team that allows a lot. As for rebounds, we especially enjoy offensive rebounds because this gives that team more second-chance opportunities.
- Three-Point Shooting: It’s no secret that the NBA has turned into a league always looking for the next best shooters from beyond the arch. Teams that tend to shoot well from three-point range score more.
- Pace of Play: Teams that play faster could help with totals wagers, especially if there’s a correlation between playing faster and averaging more points per game.
- Offensive and Defensive Efficiency: These efficiency metrics illustrate how many points a team scores per possession and many points are allowed per possession, respectively.
8. Focus On One Team
Depending on your knowledge of the NBA, it may sometimes be better to focus on one team—perhaps your favorite team. There are 30 teams in the league, rosters of 10 or more players, and numerous statistics to remember. It may be best to, at least at first, focus on one team and specialize there before branching out.
Again, this is all dependent on your knowledge of the sport.
9. Track Results
At most online sportsbooks now, you can see your bet history. We strongly recommend keeping track of your wins, losses, and the amount of money wagered per bet. This will provide a great retrospective for you to review and see if the results indicate a need for change in your betting analysis.
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NBA Betting Guide By State
Sports betting has been legal in more than half of the United States since it became possible in May 2018. In 2023, even more states can launch sports betting fully. Below is a chart showing a handful of these legal states and the age to bet. You can use the tips above as NBA betting help in any of the following:
| State | Age to bet |
| Colorado Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Illinois Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Indiana Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Iowa Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Michigan Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Nevada Sportsbooks | 21 |
| New Hampshire Sportsbooks | 18 |
| New Jersey Sportsbooks | 21 |
| New York Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Oregon Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Pennsylvania Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Rhode Island Sportsbooks | 18 |
| Tennessee Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Virginia Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Washington, DC Sportsbooks | 18 |
| West Virginia Sportsbooks | 21 |
| Wyoming Sportsbooks | 18 |
Getting Started Betting On NBA Betting Systems
- Read our reviews: Check out our site for sportsbook and welcome bonus reviews. Find which one works best for you and your play style.
- Visit the site: Visit the desktop site of the platform or download the mobile app from the Apple App or Google Play Store.
- Register your account: Complete the registration process, supplying information such as your name, date of birth, address, last four digits of your social security number, and more.
- Make your deposit: Once your account is confirmed and your geolocation checks out, you can head to the cashier page and make your deposit.
- Head to the sportsboo: After funds have been added to your account, go to the NBA section of the site.
- Place your bet: Find what you want to bet on, add it to your betslip, and confirm it.
- Results: Wait for the results and collect your winnings.
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Conclusion on NBA Betting Strategies
Whether you’re a new bettor or have been for some time, it never hurts to discover and use new NBA betting strategies. We hope you’ll take with you even one of the above NBA betting systems and use them in your daily betting life.
On top of that, if you’ve never bet before, our getting started guide should be just what you need to ensure no hiccups in starting your betting journey to use this NBA betting guide.
Check back here for new strategies, reviews, and updates for all things sports wagering and NBA betting.
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