If there’s one league every basketball fan knows and loves, it’s the NBA. The professional North American basketball league has been going strong since 1946 and continues to be one of the most attractive sporting events in the world. Ready to start betting on the NBA? Explore our selection of NBA betting sites and learn more about the intricacies of betting on this league.
Getting Started at NBA Betting Sites
If you’re an experienced bettor, especially if you’re actively betting on basketball, an NBA bet won’t be much different than any other bet you’ve made so far. One great thing about this league and the bets you can make on it is that it’s all very similar to other leagues like NFL betting.
Here’s how to place a betting slip on an NBA match:
- Explore our list of the best NBA betting sites and pick one that suits you the most.
- Sign up for an account and go through the KYC process. Don’t forget to activate any welcome offers and collect betting bonuses.
- Deposit some funds in your account.
- Locate the NBA betting section in your sportsbook of choice.
- Pick the match you want to bet on and place your wager.
Now you can just sit back, watch the game you’ve just bet on, and hopefully collect your winnings afterwards. Welcome to the world of NBA betting!
What to Look For in NBA Betting Site
As you can see, many bookmakers have NBA betting in their sportsbooks. How can you differentiate one NBA sportsbook from another, then? When we write our sportsbook reviews there are several key components that we look for and their presence and quality are factored into our final scores.
Live Betting
One feature every betting site needs to have nowadays is live sports betting. This is especially important for sports as fast and dynamic as basketball. What we expect from every NBA bookmaker is to try to go above and beyond, either by including live streams of matches or offering dozens of fast markets to match the game’s pace. Minute-to-minute basketball betting is big, so the sportsbook has to keep up.
Multiple Payment Options
It’s not just about the betting features, though. We understand that players also want options for depositing at the sports betting sites. This is a simple one - the more, the better. Ideally, a bookmaker should accept debit cards, wire transfers, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies. If they offer some other payment methods like pre-paid cards or even pay-by-phone, that becomes a huge plus in our book.
Security
We can’t recommend a betting site we don’t believe is safe. Security measures at sportsbooks should include strong encryption of user data to protect the login information, ideally a 2-factor authentication, and for the bookie to appease GDPR and other data protection acts. We also take a look at the license and verify its validity. Bookmakers must hold a valid license from a respected governing body to be included in the top NBA betting sites list.
Customer Support
Lastly, the way the bookmaker treats their customers is also important. Good customer service, with multilingual support and availability 24/7 is a good way for a sportsbook to stand out from the rest. If they also offer various points of contact, like live chat and phone support, on top of a comprehensive FAQ section, then they’ll surely get a recommendation from us.
Most Popular NBA Betting Markets
For a sportsbook to be considered the best betting site for the NBA, it also needs to have a solid variety of betting markets. These are the markets you’ll typically find when betting on the NBA:
- Moneyline: The simplest bet where you’re betting on which team will win the match.
- Totals: You can bet on the total number of points, 3-pointers, fouls, or free throws during a match. Totals bets typically have two outcomes, but sometimes you may bet on an exact result.
- Point spread: A handicap moneyline bet where the underdog is given a score advantage by a bookmaker. The favourite needs to cover the spread for their win to count on your betting slip.
- Player props: The most unique bets to make where you’re betting on an individual player’s performance, typically points and rebounds.
- Parlays: A Parlay or Accumulator is a combination of several bets onto a single betting slip. This way you’re maximising your potential winnings, but also making it a riskier choice as all your selections must win for the parlay bet to win.
- Outrights: If you’re a type of bettor with long-term strategies and want to bet on the outcome of a whole league or a playoff, then the outright markets are for you.
Understanding NBA Betting Odds
One specific thing for the NBA odds is that they’re usually displayed in the American format. Unlike the odds you see on football, for example, these odds aren’t in decimal format but, instead, they’re represented by positive and negative numbers.
Positive odds represent the underdog in the match, so a +120 on Phoenix Suns means you’ll win €120 over a €100 bet. On the other hand, a -150 on Boston Celtics means they’re the favourite and you’ll have to wager €150 to win €100.
Luckily, most sites nowadays let you switch between these formats. For us, the best NBA sports betting site has decimal, American, and other odds formats. Variety is, after all, the spice of life.
Major NBA Events to Bet On
NBA league is almost a whole-year event with little downtime, making it a great choice for bettors who crave non-stop action. After the short pre-season and exhibition matches and tournaments, the league starts with a regular season, followed by playoffs, NBA finals, and a Draft phase.
NBA Season
The NBA season starts in late October and runs through early April. Each of the 30 teams gets to play 82 games, equally divided into home and away matches. Since the 2022-2023 season, there’s an in-season tournament called the NBA Cup which counts in the regular matches all teams get to play throughout the season.
Near the end of the season, in mid-February, an All-Star Game is played between the best players of the East and West divisions. Another interesting NBA fact is that it’s the only league with matches scheduled on Christmas Day.
NBA Playoffs
After the regular season concludes, the top 8 teams from each conference move on to the playoffs, where the higher-ranked teams are seeded in such a way that they’ll play against lower-seeded teams. Matches are played in the best-of-seven format until a winner is determined for conferences.
NBA Finals
The culmination of the NBA season and an event every online NBA betting site will highlight is the NBA Finals. This matchup is scheduled for early June and is also a best-of-7 series of games. The winning team is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, while every player and team member (coaches, manager, etc.) receives a championship ring. Alongside these awards, the league announces the MVP player award to the best-performing player.
NBA Draft
Soon after the NBA finals, the new season is set to begin with a big event that can shake the franchise from the ground, the NBA Draft. The Draft is typically scheduled for late June and is as exciting to follow as the regular season. It’s a great way to bet on the NBA outside of regular matches as you can pick who’ll be the number one pick, who’ll end up in the NBA free agency, and which team will pick a high-value player.
NBA Betting Strategy and Tips
You’ve found the best betting site for the NBA, signed up, and now what? Well, we’d suggest not rushing to place your first bet immediately, as there are often some neat bonuses to be collected once you’ve become a customer. Always check out the Promotions page on the sportsbook for any welcome bonuses, but also promotions related to the NBA.
After that, we recommend pacing yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, especially when the playoffs start, but that can lead to egregious betting where you’re not betting with your brain and, instead, make hasty decisions. Plan ahead, manage your bankroll, and keep tabs on the facts and what is going on in the league.
If you haven’t previously bet on the NBA, try the moneyline and totals bets first. Betting on the spread is great, but until you’re more experienced and familiar with the teams’ performance, this type of betting can lead you to a negative bankroll. Similarly, if you’re setting up a Parlay bet, check whether the site offers acca insurance or any other special on accumulators to boost your odds.
Ultimately, it’s all about having fun and enjoying the thrill of one of the best sports leagues on the planet. Tune into some matches, cheer for your favourites, and have fun betting on the NBA.
