Most Common Basketball Betting Types Explained
Basketball betting sites have a wide range of betting types meant to guide you when placing bets. If you are new to basketball betting sites, here are the most common basketball betting markets that you should know.
Moneylines
The money line is one of the most common betting options. It requires you to predict which team will win the game. For instance, the market can apply if the Chicago Bulls play the Golden State Warriors in a regular NBA season. You can predict between the two teams playing which one will emerge victorious. If you place your bet on the GSW and they win the game, you get a profit.
Race to Points
Race to points is yet another common betting market in the basketball gambling scene. The betting line requires you to predict which team will be the first to reach a certain number of points. A good example is a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. In the match, you can predict the Lakers to be the first team to reach 20 points. If that happens, you win the bet.
Handicaps/Spread betting
Handicap is a point spread betting option that is most common in NBA games involving superior and inferior teams. In this case, the operator will disadvantage the superior team to make the game fair. The superior team must overcome the handicap for the bet to be fulfilled. In a game between the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets, the operator might give the Nuggets a handicap of (-5.5). If you decide to punt on Denver Nuggets to win the game, there is an aspect that must be considered. First, Denver will have to overcome the (-5.5) handicap. After that, the remaining final score must still be greater than that of the Houston Rockets for you to win the bet.
Winner Margin
Instead of predicting the Match Winner, you can take advantage of the high odds provided on the Winner Margin option. The bet type requires you to predict the margin with which the winner will beat the loser. In a game between Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, you can punt on the latter to beat the former with a 10-point difference. Therefore, you will only win if the margin is correct by the end of the NBA game.
Over/Under markets
Over/Under is a popular totals bet. The betting market mostly applies when predicting the combined score of the two teams competing in the NBA match-up. A good example is a game between Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. You can punt on both teams to have a total score of Over 210.20. However, if you want better odds, you can consider the Correct Score betting market.
Quarter Bets
Quarter bets are profitable betting markets that usually have exciting odds. However, you can only place quarter bets when dealing with professional basketball leagues. Most NBA and European bettors will have access to this market. A good example of quarter bets is punting on Memphis Grizzlies to beat Phoenix Suns in the first quarter. Therefore, by the end of the first quarter, The Grizzlies must be leading.
Basketball Leagues
Basketball betting occurs across various leagues in the United States and other parts of the world. If you are interested in betting on basketball, these are the leagues you should keep an eye out for:
NBA
The NBA is the most popular basketball league. It is highest level of basketball in the USA and is peak athleticism, excitement and pure sport. There are 82 league games in a season with 30 teams making up the league roster. The NBA has a play-off series which takes in place in April and May for added excitement.
WNBA
The highest level for women’s basketball is the WNBA. Overall, it’s a very entertaining league. The season operates from May to September. Then there is a playoffs and the WNBA finals in October. Currently, there are 12 teams in the league.
NCAA
NCAA is the college basketball league. These are the best young talents in the game who are hoping to make it to the NBA. Their season runs from November to March, during which they treat us to exciting and high-scoring games. Because of these exciting games, NCAA is one of the most popular basketball leagues to bet on.
The National Championship game takes place on the first Monday of April and the tournament that leads up to the final is one of the most bet on basketball events of the year.
The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the culmination of all non-conference games played during the playoffs. In this best-of-seven series the champions of each conference play each other to determine the ultimate NBA Champion. Since this is one of the most prestigious titles in basketball, there is plenty of betting action. You can often the best odds and uniquely priced bets during this series.
March Madness
This is the annual NCAA tournament that determines the National Champion. From mid-March to early April, 68 teams battle it out to be crowned the National Champion. It’s exciting thrilling and high scoring basketball. The teams are divided into four regions, East, West, Midwest, and South.
March Madness is a single-elimination tournament, or a “knockout” tournament. Every game is high value with each team wanting to make it to the next round. This makes for some of the most intense betting experiences among handicappers.
EuroLeague
EuroLeague is the European equivalent of the NBA but made up of the top club teams from various European leagues. You could view it as the basketball version of football’s Champions League, a high quality European league. The regular season is played out between October and May, and the playoffs from late May to early June. It may not be as popular as its American equivalent, but it’s still good for betting.