NBA Betting Guide for 2020

The two most opportunistic times to place a wager on the NBA are the moment the betting lines hit the marketplace and the moments after an injury is announced to a key player for any given team.

• Once the betting lines open, this is the friendliest time to place a bet. The lines are now ‘soft’, meaning there is not much action (money) being placed yet. During this time, you have the ability to get the side of the bet you like before the market and professional bettors influence that line (line movement/changes).

• Moments after an injury is the most advantageous time to place an NBA bet. It’s a common trend for teams not to announce injured/resting players until moments before tip (and sometimes after). This puts Vegas and the books at an extreme disadvantage. Following accounts like Fantasy Labs NBA on Twitter is the best way to get an information edge over the books. I’ve found that you will have 2-3 minutes to place a bet before the books change the line due to injury/rest.

• Pace refers to the number of possessions per team during a game. When choosing Overs, target games where two teams are in the top-10 in average pace per game. These pace statistics can be found on numerous basketball information sites for free. Now, Vegas ‘attempt’ to incorporate the pace into their lines, but I personally believe there is an edge in targeting fast pace games. In the 2018-2019 season, the NBA saw its fastest paced season by a wide margin. The league average pace rose by over 4 possessions per game. Vegas was inefficient in being able to quantify and keep up with just how fast the teams were playing. I believe teams will continue to play faster, and we can continue to take advantage of the lack of data Vegas is working with when they set their Over/Unders.

• You can project game pace using the following equation:
  (Team A Pace – League Avg. Pace) + (Team B – League Avg. Pace) + League Avg. Pace

Shopping your lines is essential in NBA Betting. Now, shopping your lines has a few components.

• First, you can shop the vig of the line. The vig is what you see next to each line.
  For example, (-110) is the vig. You want to make sure that (-110) is the best number you can find. In a vacuum it might seem great, but after some research you may be able to find a (-105) line. This means you only have to bet $105 to win $100, compared to $110 to win $100 with the original line you found. Less risk!
  These numbers add up over the long haul of a bettor’s career and can be the difference between profitable years and years of losses.

• The second way to shop in Vegas is by shopping the actual line itself. If you think a favourited team is going to win, then you’ll want to find the sportsbook offering the lowest spread for that favourite.
  Maybe the first line you see has the Lakers as a -5 favorite. If you are a Lakers backer on this night, it would be smart of you to look and see if any other books are offering a Lakers -4.5 or Lakers -4 line.
  Shopping lines is so crucial in NBA betting, as the lines you want are rather easy to find if you put the effort in.

• Vegas is most inefficient at projecting player props, and they just so happen to be the softest lines (least money on them), due to professionals having strict betting limits on these types of bets. The stricter limits for professionals on these types of bets should be a clear indicator that Vegas is not confident they can consistently beat sharp/smart bettors on player props.

• Start by identifying some point guards in high pace games. These guards are usually in an elite tempo environment, where points, assists and rebounds are likely to occur faster than Vegas can accurately project them to.

The NBA, or National Basketball Association, is the top pro basketball league in North America and features a team from Canada.

If you want to place an NBA bet online, then find the related section on one of our recommended sportsbooks. Click on the match or market of interest, then add the odds to your betslip. Now enter your stake to view potential returns before placing the wager.

Popular NBA betting types on matches include moneyline, spread betting, handicaps, Over/Under markets and quarter betting. Don’t forget there are futures markets too!

We only recommend the best NBA betting sites to you on this page. The sportsbooks selected by our experts put pro basketball betting first.

Absolutely. The vast majority of leading betting websites now have dedicated sportsbook apps you can download for free to your smartphone or tablet.

Live betting is where you place bets on NBA games as they are actually happening on the basketball court. Prices are always updating as the action unfolds.

There are no guarantees in betting, and gambling on the basketball is no different. You can increase your chances of winning, however, by following the expert NBA betting tips given on this page.

Moneyline markets are betting odds without a draw or tie included on which team will win an NBA game. You will often find these expressed in the American price format.

This all depends on how much you stake. The more money you wager on NBA betting, the greater the potential returns. Be aware that some sportsbooks will have max payout limits.

To feature among the top NBA betting sites here, a sportsbook must take security very seriously and create a safe gambling environment for everyone.