{"id":70052,"date":"2018-10-12T08:26:22","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T15:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/?post_type=guide&#038;p=70052"},"modified":"2025-12-09T13:43:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T18:43:38","slug":"nba-betting-basics","status":"publish","type":"guide","link":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/how-to\/nba-betting-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Betting Guide: How to Bet on NBA Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p><strong>Jump to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#explained\">NBA Betting Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"#bet\">How to Bet on Single NBA Games<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"#multiple\">Multiple Game NBA Bets<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"#options\">Other NBA Betting Options<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Navigating through scores of&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;betting&nbsp;lines&nbsp;can be confusing and challenging. This comprehensive&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;betting&nbsp;guide covers all the different types of bets you can make on&nbsp;NBA basketball&nbsp;games to help clear things up for new and experienced&nbsp;bettors&nbsp;alike.<\/p><div class=\"\" data-freestar-ad=\"__300x250 __300x250\" id=\"sportsbettingdime_InContent_1\">\n        <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({\n                placementName: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_1\",\n                slotId: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_1\"\n            });\n        <\/script>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>From straightforward&nbsp;basketball&nbsp;betting&nbsp;lines, like<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/spread-betting-explained\/\">&nbsp;betting against the spread<\/a>, to the complex and multifaceted&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/parlays-teasers-explained\/\">world of&nbsp;teasers&nbsp;and&nbsp;parlays<\/a>, learning how to bet on&nbsp;NBA games&nbsp;is simple with the right info. Understanding the different lines, how they work, and how they may or may not suit your level of engagement and interest is integral to learning how to bet on&nbsp;NBA games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike Allen Iverson, we&rsquo;re not talking about practice. When your chips are down, and your bets have been placed, you can&rsquo;t take them back. The game is on!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockparty-geo-restricted-content\" data-render-type=\"fallback\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockparty-geo-restricted-content\" data-render-type=\"fallback\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockparty-geo-restricted-content\" data-render-type=\"fallback\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-blockparty-geo-restricted-content\" data-render-type=\"fallback\"><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nba-betting-explained\"><a id=\"explained\"><\/a>NBA Betting Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The NBA is the crown jewel of the basketball world and there&rsquo;s plenty of eyes on the league and its players when basketball season rolls around each fall. Because of that, there are a ton of different types of bets you can make on any game at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From betting how many rebounds and assists a player on the Chicago Bulls will get down to who will win the NBA championship this season, there are numerous betting options at your disposal. That said, it can also be pretty tough to keep up all those options on a regular basis. This NBA betting guide will give you the tools to learn how to bet on NBA games the right way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-pick-the-right-nba-betting-site\">How to Pick The Right NBA Betting Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Picking the right NBA betting site really comes down to promos and personal preference. There are plenty of great betting sites and each has its own set of individual NBA betting rules that go along with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some great options from renowned online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel down to newer entries like Barstool Sportsbook. The best place to start is by researching the different sportsbook options and seeing how you feel about each. In some cases, you might just like a certain brand more than others and the decision can really be that simple as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help, we have some in-depth NBA betting site reviews for you to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Sportsbook<\/th>\n<th>Learn More<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FanDuel<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/fanduel\/\">Read Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DraftKings<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/draftkings\/\">Read Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BetRivers<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/betrivers\/\">Read Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BetMGM<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/betmgm\/\">Read Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-types-of-nba-promos-to-watch-out-for\">Types of NBA Promos to Watch out for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, one crucial component of choosing the right NBA betting site is making sure you do your due diligence when it comes promos. Each sportsbook has its own unique promos that are designed to give bettors value for signing up with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A promo can take the form of a first bet offer on many occasions, but there are also special league-specific promos that sportsbooks roll out generally when a new season is on the verge of starting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out some of the promos from these trusted online sportsbooks below and see what promo best suits your wagering needs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/espn-bet\/promos\/\">ESPN BET bonus code<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/fanduel\/bonuses\/\">FanDuel Promo Codes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/draftkings\/bonuses\/\">DraftKings Promo Codes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/betmgm\/offers\/\">BetMGM Promo Codes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/caesars\/bonuses\/\">Caesars Sportsbook Promo Codes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-bet-on-the-nba-single-game-bets\"><a id=\"bet\"><\/a>How to Bet on the NBA: Single Game Bets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you sign up for an<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba-sites\/\">&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;betting&nbsp;site<\/a>, the first lines you&rsquo;ll see will be&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;bets,&nbsp;spread bets, and totals bets. These fall into the category of single-game bets, as they involve outcomes of one particular&nbsp;matchup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Single-game bets are the easiest wagers to understand. But before you pick which&nbsp;NBA games&nbsp;to bet on, you first need to know how to read NBA odds. The next sections will familiarize you with each of the main types of lines you&rsquo;ll encounter when you head to your&nbsp;sportsbook, and explain how to interpret&nbsp;betting&nbsp;odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start, here&rsquo;s an example of how&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/odds\/\">NBA lines<\/a>&nbsp;including spreads, totals, and&nbsp;over\/under&nbsp;are most likely to be displayed.<\/p><div class=\"\" data-freestar-ad=\"__300x250 __300x250\" id=\"sportsbettingdime_InContent_2\">\n        <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({\n                placementName: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_2\",\n                slotId: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_2\"\n            });\n        <\/script>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-desktop\" class=\"hidden sm:block mx-auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-311669 size-full\" style=\"margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-v-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-D.png\" alt=\"Example basketball game odds\" width=\"850\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-v-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-D.png 850w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-v-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-D-300x79.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-v-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-D-768x203.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-mobile\" class=\"block sm:hidden\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-311668 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-V-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-M.png\" alt=\"Example basketball game odds\" width=\"320\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-V-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-M.png 320w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/GState-V-Boston-SPREAD-sample-odds-M-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>We&rsquo;ll use this example to illustrate some key concepts below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-betting-the-nba-nbsp-moneyline\">Betting the NBA&nbsp;Moneyline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The simplest&nbsp;NBA bet&nbsp;available is the&nbsp;moneyline, and it&rsquo;s also the most common. When you bet the&nbsp;moneyline, you&rsquo;re betting on who will win the game straight up<em>.&nbsp;<\/em>The margin of victory does not matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;odds is straightforward. Whichever team has a &ldquo;+&rdquo; number next to it is the&nbsp;underdog, while the team with a &ldquo;-&rdquo; next to it is the favorite. The associated numbers indicate the implied probability that the&nbsp;sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;site&nbsp;has assigned to each team&rsquo;s chances of winning the game. The odds can also be used to calculate your prospective winnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A positive&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;(<em>e.g.&nbsp;<\/em>Boston Celtics&nbsp;+180) indicates how much you can win on a $100 bet. Conversely, a negative&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;(<em>e.g.&nbsp;<\/em>Golden State&nbsp;Warriors&nbsp;-200) indicates how much you must wager in order to win $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, if you were to bet $100 on the Celtics, you would stand to win $180. Your total&nbsp;payout&nbsp;would be $280: your $100 stake plus the $180 profit. To win $100 betting on Golden State at -200, you would have to wager $200. As you can see, betting on the favorite requires more risk for the same reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need additional help interpreting probabilities and what they mean for your&nbsp;payout,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/how-to-read-sports-odds\/\">check out our guide to all things odds-related.<\/a>&nbsp;Once you feel comfortable reading NBA odds and understand the basics of&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;betting, our comprehensive guide to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/how-to\/the-moneyline-an-essential-guide-for-basketball-bettors\/\">betting the NBA&nbsp;moneyline<\/a>&nbsp;has more advanced strategic considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nba-nbsp-betting-intro-to-the-nbsp-point-spread\">NBA&nbsp;Betting: Intro to the&nbsp;Point Spread<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many different names for betting against the spread: betting the spread,&nbsp;point-spread&nbsp;betting, and betting against the spread (ATS) &ndash; just to name a few. Rest assured, they all refer to the same thing. Betting against the spread is unique because you aren&rsquo;t picking an outright winner&nbsp;<em>or<\/em>&nbsp;loser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you place a&nbsp;spread&nbsp;bet&nbsp;on the favorite, they have to win by a specified&nbsp;number of points. Conversely, if you bet on the&nbsp;underdog, they have to&nbsp;<em>not lose<\/em>&nbsp;by the specified&nbsp;number of points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Betting the spread might sound a tad confusing, so let&rsquo;s look at our sample line above to see it in action. The team with a negative number next to it, the&nbsp;Golden State&nbsp;Warriors, is the favorite to win. If you bet on the&nbsp;Warriors, they have to beat the&nbsp;home team, the Celtics, by&nbsp;<em>at least<\/em>&nbsp;7 points to successfully &ldquo;cover&rdquo; the spread and make your bet a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to look at it is to subtract 6.5 points from Golden State&rsquo;s total at the end of the game. If, after deducting 6.5 points, Golden State is still the winner, they&rsquo;ve successfully covered the spread.<\/p><div class=\"\" data-freestar-ad=\"__300x250 __300x250\" id=\"sportsbettingdime_InContent_3\">\n        <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({\n                placementName: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_3\",\n                slotId: \"sportsbettingdime_InContent_3\"\n            });\n        <\/script>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Betting on Boston? They need to win the game outright or lose by 6 points (or fewer) for your bet to succeed. A &ldquo;+&rdquo; sign in the spread denotes an&nbsp;underdog&nbsp;status. This is a simple and reliable way to discern which team oddsmakers&nbsp;think is least likely to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-does-betting-against-the-spread-use-half-points\">Why Does Betting Against the Spread Use Half-Points?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most confusing aspects of betting against the spread is the inclusion of half-points (In our example, the spread is 6.5 instead of being 6 or 7). Experienced sports bettors refer to these half points as &ldquo;the hook,&rdquo; a mechanism that eliminates any possibility of a tie, or &ldquo;push.&rdquo; Obviously, there are no half points in basketball, so you will either win or lose your bet when a half point is added to the spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there is no &ldquo;hook,&rdquo; the game could end in a &ldquo;push&rdquo;. Generally speaking, a push will result in the return of your wager. Be aware, however, that some sportsbooks treat a push as a loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-are-spreads-preferred-by-nbsp-sportsbooks\">Why Are Spreads Preferred by&nbsp;Sportsbooks?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Spread betting is incredibly popular, particularly when betting on the&nbsp;NFL&nbsp;or NBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;sites&nbsp;use spreads to encourage equitable betting on both teams, which is their safest way for operators to secure a profit. If there is equal money bet on both teams, the&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;can pay out the winners from the pool of money collected from the losers, and simultaneously pocket the five or ten percent &ldquo;vig&rdquo; (bookmaker&rsquo;s fee) they collect from&nbsp;<em>everyone<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to note that the spread is fluid. It can (and will) change in the lead-up to the game. If&nbsp;bettors&nbsp;place significantly more money on one team, say Golden State (-6.5), the&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;may adjust the spread to encourage more betting on the other team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sportsbooks&nbsp;do this to mitigate their own financial risk. However, don&rsquo;t worry if the lines change after you&rsquo;ve placed your bet. No matter what, your bet is locked in at the odds you initially wagered on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-totals-betting\">Totals Betting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Totals betting (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/totals-betting-explained\/\">also known as&nbsp;over\/under&nbsp;betting<\/a>) is also relatively straightforward. Simply put, you are placing a bet on the&nbsp;total points&nbsp;scored in a game. Calculate the total score by adding the points each team scored together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, the total is set at 210.5. If you bet on the over, you&rsquo;re betting that Golden State and Boston&rsquo;s combined&nbsp;final&nbsp;scores&nbsp;will be more than 210.5 points. Just like placing a bet against the spread, half-points are used to avoid the possibility of a push, or tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have noticed that both the over and under have a -110 next to them. Just like the&nbsp;moneyline, that number indicates the&nbsp;payout. In our example, you must wager $110 to win $100, whether you bet on the over or the under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While you&rsquo;ll most often see the&nbsp;over\/under&nbsp;odds set at -110 or -105, the&nbsp;payout&nbsp;for the over and under is not always the same. The&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;will sometimes offer more enticing odds to attract more action on the less popular side of a given wager.<\/p>\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-desktop\" class=\"hidden sm:block mx-auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-397957\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/3\/sbd-betting-nba-d.jpg\" alt=\"nba betting explained phone parlay dekstop\" width=\"850\" height=\"588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/3\/sbd-betting-nba-d.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/3\/sbd-betting-nba-d-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/3\/sbd-betting-nba-d-768x531.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-mobile\" class=\"block sm:hidden\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-397959\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/3\/sbd-betting-nba-m.jpg\" alt=\"nba betting explained parlay phone mobile\" width=\"290\" height=\"203\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-multiple-game-nbsp-nba-bets\"><a id=\"multiple\"><\/a>Multiple Game&nbsp;NBA Bets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as multiple games are involved, betting on the NBA becomes a lot more complicated. With a greater number of games, there is an increased number of variables to consider. But there&rsquo;s a good reason to get yourself acquainted with multi-game bets: added complexity comes with the chance of much larger&nbsp;payouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;betting lines&nbsp;associated with betting on&nbsp;parlays,&nbsp;teasers, and props are a favorite of seasoned&nbsp;bettors. Let&rsquo;s take a detailed look at each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-parlays\">Parlays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;is any bet that involves&nbsp;wagering&nbsp;on the outcome of more than one event or proposition. These outcomes could be in the same game or spread over multiple games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&rsquo;s say that you wanted to bet on the&nbsp;Celtics&nbsp;winning, as well as the total score of the game being under 210.5. A&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;allows you to do so, effectively betting on both outcomes with a single stake. It&rsquo;s also possible to add another event to this stake, (say, the&nbsp;Lakers&nbsp;beating the&nbsp;Clippers). If you win&nbsp;<em>all&nbsp;<\/em>parts of your&nbsp;parlay, the&nbsp;payout&nbsp;will be much bigger than if you bet on just one event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s important to note that there is no prize for getting two out of three events correct.&nbsp;<em>Each bet within the&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;must be correct for it to be graded a winner.<\/em>&nbsp;As a result,&nbsp;parlays&nbsp;can provide mammoth&nbsp;payouts&nbsp;on a small wager, but that&rsquo;s only because the probability of predicting multiple events correctly is generally very low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&rsquo;s assume you construct the following three-bet&nbsp;parlay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Boston Celtics&nbsp;at +6.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BOS vs GS Over 210.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Los Angeles Lakers&nbsp;at +3.5<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let&rsquo;s assume that all three parts have a 50\/50 chance of succeeding. The rough&nbsp;payout&nbsp;on a three-bet&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;like this would be about +550 or +600 (meaning you would win $550 or $600 on a $100 wager. Sounds great! But not so fast: Your chances of winning all three are just 12.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn&rsquo;t mean you should always avoid&nbsp;parlays. It only means that you should recognize the degree of difficulty before putting your money down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parlays&nbsp;can include various combinations of&nbsp;moneyline,&nbsp;point spread, or totals bets from either one game or multiple games. However, few&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;will allow you to make a&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;bet on both the&nbsp;moneyline&nbsp;and the spread of the&nbsp;<em>same&nbsp;<\/em>game. These outcomes are closely related, so&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;do this to mitigate their risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;allow a limitless number of events for&nbsp;parlays, while others place a cap at a predetermined ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Constructing&nbsp;parlays&nbsp;is a more advanced&nbsp;betting strategy.&nbsp;Handicapping&nbsp;multiple games at once can be difficult, so proceed with caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-teasers\">Teasers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;teaser&nbsp;is a type of&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;and therefore requires you to wager on more than one event outcome. With a&nbsp;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. Of course, your&nbsp;payout&nbsp;will be reduced according to the amount you shift the numbers to your advantage. Let&rsquo;s take a look at an example to see how&nbsp;teasers&nbsp;work in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-desktop\" class=\"hidden sm:block mx-auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-311673 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-D.png\" alt=\"Teaser example lines\" width=\"850\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-D.png 850w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-D-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-D-768x381.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-mobile\" class=\"block sm:hidden\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-311672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-M.png\" alt=\"Teaser example lines\" width=\"320\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-M.png 320w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/TEASER-sample-odds-lines-M-224x300.png 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Say you look at the line for the first game and are drawn to the New York Knicks laying 5.5 points with their home-court advantage, but want to add some extra cushion to the spread. Looking at the second game, you might not trust Utah to dust off the Pistons by a whole 7 points but are still confident the Jazz will come out of the game with a modest lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the work of a&nbsp;teaser&nbsp;comes in. You can manipulate the line in your favor at the cost of a reduced&nbsp;payout&nbsp;compared to that you&rsquo;d see with a standard&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most online sports betting sites offer basketball teasers that allow you to adjust the spread by 4, 4.5, or 5 points. Depending on the number of selections you choose to include in your bet, some sportsbooks offer something called &ldquo;sweetheart&rdquo; teasers. These give you the option of manipulating the betting line by 8 to 10 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter how enticing&nbsp;teasers&nbsp;may seem, remember that you still need to predict all events correctly to win the bet. Scrutinize the fine print of your&nbsp;sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;site&rsquo;s terms and conditions. Some&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;will remove an event from the&nbsp;teaser&nbsp;if the result is a push, while others will count it as a loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-other-nba-betting-options\"><a id=\"options\"><\/a>Other NBA Betting Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;National Basketball Association&nbsp;has soared in popularity over the past few decades, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/\">NBA betting<\/a> has grown along with it. As a result, a number of creative and fun bets are now available at online sportsbooks during the regular season and NBA Finals alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These days,&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;betting&nbsp;options&nbsp;are nearly limitless. You can bet on player performance, major awards such as the NBA&nbsp;MVP, championship futures, and more. Some propositions allow you to bet on the outcome of a single play!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-prop-bets-nbsp-in-nbsp-nba-games\">Prop Bets&nbsp;in&nbsp;NBA Games<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/proposition-betting-explained\/\">proposition betting<\/a>, or &ldquo;prop&rdquo; betting, you can bet on things other than the results of games. This includes&nbsp;wagering&nbsp;on specific players or events within games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The options available in prop betting can range from how many points a particular player will score in the&nbsp;second half&nbsp;to who will have the most blocks throughout the&nbsp;regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many&nbsp;prop bets&nbsp;are structured as&nbsp;over\/unders. For example, a&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;could set&nbsp;LeBron James&rsquo; point total for the Lakers&rsquo; next game at 24.5, with odds on both the over and the under at -110.<\/p>\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-desktop\" class=\"hidden sm:block mx-auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-311680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-D.png\" alt=\"Photo of LeBron James\" width=\"851\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-D.png 851w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-D-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-D-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-D-820x462.png 820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-shortcode=\"visible-mobile\" class=\"block sm:hidden\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-311679\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-M.png\" alt=\"Photo of LeBron James\" width=\"319\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-M.png 319w, https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/app\/uploads\/media\/1\/lebron-image-1-M-300x175.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>No matter the prop, the&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;will delineate your options clearly and include the requisite&nbsp;payout&nbsp;on either outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-futures\">Futures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after the&nbsp;NBA season&nbsp;ends, most&nbsp;sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;sites&nbsp;will provide the option to bet on the winner of the following year&rsquo;s championship. This is referred to as a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/betting-101\/futures-bets-explained\/\">futures bet<\/a>. Long before playoff seeding is determined (and often before rosters are even finalized), NBA bettors have the option of selecting their pick for next year&rsquo;s champion. Some lucrative futures bets have paid handsomely in recent years. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/canada\/\">Online sports betting Canada<\/a> wasn&rsquo;t legalized at the time, but when the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title, they were as long as +5500 in the preseason (meaning a $100 wager won bettors a whopping $5,500).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other popular&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;futures bets include individual awards like Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.&nbsp;Star players&nbsp;expected to be in the running will be listed. Most&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;also offer a &ldquo;FIELD&rdquo; option, which allows you to bet on every player not listed as an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Potential winnings for these wagers will typically be higher the earlier you place the bet. Of course, it&rsquo;s also harder to predict award winners with less information to go off, but in gambling, the higher the risk, the higher the reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another popular futures bet is team win totals. Prior to the start of the&nbsp;NBA season,&nbsp;oddsmakers&nbsp;will set each team&rsquo;s projected win total, based on their predicted season-long performance. As with other totals bets,&nbsp;bettors&nbsp;can take the over or the under. Referred to as season props, they&rsquo;re typically available for all 30 NBA teams. Be careful before putting a large portion of your&nbsp;bankroll&nbsp;down on a season prop, as that money will be tied up until the season is over!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s important to recognize that many&nbsp;sportsbooks&nbsp;close these bets shortly before the season tip-off. Further, the majority of&nbsp;sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;sites&nbsp;won&rsquo;t allow you to include futures within any&nbsp;parlay&nbsp;bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to track the odds for the most popular NBA futures bets, be sure to check out the SBD Odds Trackers at the links below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/championship-odds\/\">Track NBA Championship Odds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/win-totals-best-odds\/\">Track NBA Win Totals Odds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/rookie-of-the-year-odds\/\">Track NBA Rookie of the Year Odds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/nba\/mvp-award-odds\/\">Track NBA MVP Odds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nba-in-game-live-betting\">NBA In-Game Live Betting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many&nbsp;sports&nbsp;betting&nbsp;sites&nbsp;offer live&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;betting&nbsp;markets, allowing you to place bets on games that are already underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like a regular pre-game bet, you&rsquo;re able to bet on the&nbsp;moneyline, spread, total, and several interesting props. That said, the spread and odds will be adjusted in real-time, based on the progression of the game and the number of incoming bets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Live betting is very exciting &ndash; just remember you&rsquo;ll need to act quickly when you see a line you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-find-more-nbsp-basketball-betting-nbsp-success\">Find More&nbsp;Basketball Betting&nbsp;Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Betting on the NBA can be incredibly simple or very complex. It all depends on your comfort level. To get started, we recommend&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/sportsbooks\/\">finding the best&nbsp;sportsbook&nbsp;that suits your needs.<\/a> Carefully examine the terms and conditions of not only your&nbsp;sportsbook, but the bets you make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do your research, learn what kind of&nbsp;bettor&nbsp;you want to become, and most of all, have fun! Equip yourself with all the knowledge you can about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/guides\/how-to\/\">how to bet on sports<\/a>. After all, the house doesn&rsquo;t beat you: It just gives you an opportunity to beat yourself.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":180726,"parent":57895,"menu_order":0,"template":"","content_buckets":[219590],"class_list":["post-70052","guide","type-guide","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","content_buckets-content-bucket-guide-content"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/70052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/guide"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/70052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":730761,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/70052\/revisions\/730761"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/57895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"content_buckets","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbettingdime.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_buckets?post=70052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}