Basketball is one of the most popular sports, yet many fans are always at a loss of how to place good bets on their favorite teams. Basketball has a variety of betting markets that can be quite lucrative if you understand how to work them to your advantage. The main NBA season offers good markets, but there are hundreds of other leagues happening in the rest of the world when the NBA is not on. How do you start betting and winning in basketball?

Understand the Types of Bets

Live Betting Strategy For one reason or another, time has shown that basketball is one of the best options for in play basketball betting strategy. This has a lot to do with the speed at which a basketball match. On weekdays our basketball tips are posted at around 6pm UK time. During weekends this is a little earlier, at around 4pm. We try to get them up as early as possible to take advantage of early lines.

Money line bets, also called Straight Up bets, are on the winner of a match. They are presented as

• Toronto -170
• Boston+210

In this example, you will spend $170 to win a $100 bet if Toronto wins, and you will get $210 for a $100 if Boston wins. Toronto are the clear favorites in this match.

Point spread bets are on the margin of winning or losing. The more mismatched the teams, the higher the point spread. This market is presented as:

• Toronto -17.5
• Boston +17.5

In this example, Boston would need to either win the game outright or lose by 17 points or fewer, while Toronto would need to win the game by 18 or more.

College Basketball Betting Strategies

There are also Over/Under markets that wager on the combined points of the two teams. A bet market with Over 220/ Under 220 wants you to wager whether the game totals will go over 220 or stay under the mark.

Prop or proposition bets are common in basketball. They are hinged on certain outcomes of the game as the bookmaker may propose, e.g., How many points will Toronto put up in the first quarter against Boston?

Prop bets bring a different flavor to basketball betting than in other types of sports betting. This is more so if you are used to straight betting in other sports, for example horse racing (take a look at new betting sites for Cheltenham festival). They offer a good alternative when money line and point spread bets are unattractive.

Compare 3-Pointers Vs Posters

Teams that rely on 3-point shooting look great on TV, but they often lack the skills to charge deep into their opponent’s side and drive into the basket. Most of the winning teams in the NCAA, which is highly competitive, do not rely on 3-point shooting.

Compare Physical Form

Basketball schedules can be very hectic when the season is on. A team could play a game per day. It happens a lot in college basketball. Which team is more fatigued than the other? A team’s schedule on the road can also wear it down. If a team has to travel half the country and play the next day against a home team, the home team has a clear advantage in fitness.

Bet on Big Losers

Motivation plays a big role in winning or losing a match. Has a team been handed a major loss in the previous match? They will have a high motivation to win in the next game. If you see the bookies favoring them, they believe the team has quality over the opponents. Experienced punters like to look for a previous of over 15 points. The next game is most likely to cover these points.

Root for the Home Underdogs

Home advantage plays a big role in motivating a team to win. No one wants to lose in front of family and friends. A home team that has been priced as underdogs presents a good bet for points spread betting (10+). The reason is that they will often put in their best effort, while the visiting favorites are simply looking for a win. The margin of loss, if it happens to the home team, is usually tight.

Watch for Changing Lineups

Although basketball is a team sport, a few players are usually key to success, e.g., LeBron James in Lakers or Stephen Curry in the GSW. Always check out the rosters for the playing lineup and pay attention to injuries. You can find valuable in-play bets when key players get off the pitch, but the bookies are slow to change the odds.

Hunt for Value Bets

Value bets are bets you think are mis-priced by the bookies. For example, you think Boston will lose by six points (Boston +6) while the bookies think they will lose by 8 (Boston +8). This is a valuable bet because the bookies are offering higher odds for a higher probability. The good news is that there are many value bet hunting tools today. You can have hundreds of valuably priced bets each day.

Basketball Betting Strategies

Basketball is a fast-moving game, and the bet markets are always bringing up something exciting. Create and perfect your strategy, and your weekends will always have something to look forward to.