Basketball Betting Explained: How To Bet On NBA Like A Pro

In today’s lesson, we will be discussing how to bet on basketball.

At the end of this sports betting lesson, you will be able to answer the following questions.

  • Is it legal to bet on basketball?
  • How do you bet on basketball?
  • Where can you bet on basketball games?
  • What are the common basketball betting terms?
  • How do you win betting on basketball?

Complete Guide On How To Bet On Basketball

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world today, not just in the United States. Two competitive teams going back and forth, and doing their best to edge out a victory is a very captivating thing to watch.

betting-on-basketball-stadium

Bookmakers know how much attention basketball is getting from its viewers thats why they’ve expanded the options given to those betting on basketball.

Sports bettors can now bet not only in the NBA, but also in other basketball leagues around the world.

The NBA

National Basketball Association, or the NBA, is the most popular basketball league in the world. It is composed of 30 teams that are divided into two conferences – the East and the West.

The NBA season starts in October and concludes in June once a new NBA champion is crowned.

For this 2020 NBA season, the league landscape has changed significantly. For the first time in a handful of years, there is no clear favorite to win the NBA championship. Some might say the NBA has parity again. Something that hadn’t happen for quite some time now.

So how can you take advantage of this and start betting on the NBA?

First, let’s find out if sports betting is legal in your country or state.

Basketball betting is legal in most countries and states, but there are still some countries and states that still consider sports betting as an illegal activity.

If you’re in the United States, you can check the table below to see if your state allows sports betting.

Sports Betting StatusUS States
Allowed Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Arkansas, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Montana, Washington, Washington D.C., Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee
On-going process Connecticut, Maine, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, California, Arizona, Virginia, South Dakota, Ohio, Wyoming, Nebraska, Alabama, Vermont, Florida, Georgia
Not Allowed Idaho, Wisconsin, Utah, Wyoming, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, North Dakota

According to our research, basketball betting is considered legal in the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe and Asia.

For Canadian residents, there is a gray zone in Canada’s laws and regulations on sports betting.

Those in Canada can still bet with offshore bookmakers with no legal consequences as there have been zero cases filed against those who do. And their government does not seem to mind that their citizens are engaged in online sports betting.

The same can be said to Australian residents. As their government is not keen on taking down sports bettors, but illegal gambling websites catering to these people.

However, we still urge you to check your area’s laws and regulations when it comes to betting on sports just to be certain.

How To Bet On Basketball In The US

Finding a good online betting site that accepts US citizens is not that hard compared to before. Now, there are offshore online betting sites that are ready to serve US residents.

We were able to review most of these companies ourselves and experienced their betting platforms.

Since we were able to use these companies’ services, we know that they’re trustworthy and safe to use.

Also, you don’t need to worry about your payouts being withheld or delayed. These companies are known to pay their customers according to their set payout schedules.

You can also trust that their customer support will be there for you any time you’ll be needing their services.

If you want to maximize your winnings, we recommend going with 5Dimes since they have the better odds compared to other major US bookmakers.

If you’re looking for flexibility when it comes to adding funds to your account and cashing out your winnings, we suggest using BetOnline.

Other sports betting sites you might consider are Intertops, BetNow, and MyBookie. All three are good and reputable bookmakers, and we’ve been using them for quite some time now.

As we mentioned earlier, those in Canada can bet on sports using an offshore bookmaker that welcome players in their area.

There are more than a handful of online betting sites you can choose from, but we highly recommend using BetOnline to place your basketball bets.

They’re one of the best bookmakers today and offer a variety of cash-in and cash-out options so it’ll be easy for you to add funds or withdraw money from your account.

UK residents can enjoy betting online without worrying about strict gambling laws. This means they can easily place their bets on the NBA compared to US residents.

After reviewing some UK online betting sites, we’ve decided that BetNow is one of the better online bookmakers out there today. They have a user-friendly betting platform, several cash-in and cash-out options, hands-on customer support, and of course, great promotions and bonuses for new customers from the UK.

Betting in Australia is not considered completely illegal. I know. It’s kind of confusing.

Let me explain in simple terms.

AU residents can still participate in sports betting as the laws in their country are strict to the betting operator and not the gambler. This means most Australian residents still bet on sports since their government doesn’t arrest sports bettors.

Most Australians participate in online betting through international providers.

We were able to review a handful of AU online betting sites and chose to recommend 5Dimes.

We place some of our sports bet with them, so we know they’re 100% legit, and we haven’t encountered any problems adding funds to our account or withdrawing our winnings from them.

Basketball Betting FAQs

For basketball betting beginners, this section can be of great help to you. Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide you the answers you’ve been looking for when it comes to betting on basketball.

How do you bet on basketball?

To start betting on basketball, you’re going to need someone to take in your bet like a local sportsbook or an online bookmaker.

Once you have a bookie to take your bets, you’ll just have to start making your bets or picking which outcome to bet on.

In a single game of basketball, there are several dozens of bets an individual can choose from.

  • Money line bets
  • Point spreads bets
  • Game total bets
  • Prop bets

For those just starting out betting on basketball, it can be quite overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the terminologies. But you have to understand that you’re not required to bet on all of them.

Basketball betting is not a test where you have to answer at least 8 out of 10 questions to pass.

In reality, bookmakers can be more generous than your professors.

Because you only have to win 54% of your bets to breakeven or profit from sports betting.

Of course, you also need to factor in the odds you’re betting on. These odds will affect the amount of money you can make betting on basketball.

How do odds work in basketball?

Odds are set by oddsmakers to assess the probability a certain event will take place. In sports betting, odds are used to reflect how much you’re going to get paid if your bet wins.

There are three different types of odds typically used when betting on basketball.

American odds, which are used primarily by sportsbooks who cater to US bettors. These odds are very easy to understand.

If the odd has a minus or negative sign (-) before the number, this means they’re the favorite.

If it has a positive sign or plus sign before the number, they’re considered the underdog by the bookmakers.

The number after a minus sign tells a sports bettor how much bet he needs to place to win $100. And the number after a plus sign tells how much a bettor will win if he places $100.

For example, the odds for a Brooklyn Nets win against Charlotte Hornets is set at -150. You have to bet $150 to win $100. If the odds for a Charlotte Hornets win is at +130. When you place a $100 bet, you have a chance to win $130 if the underdog wins.

For evenly matched teams, the usual odds you’ll see next to their team names will be PK or pick’em. This means neither of them is considered the favorite nor the underdog. This means if you place $100 bet on a PK spread, you‘ll win the same amount if your bet wins.

Next, is the fractional odds. These are odds used by bookmakers who serve UK customers. Fractional odds have a slash or a hyphen between two numbers.

The first number is the amount you win when you wager a certain amount. This amount is represented by the second number.

For example, 5/7 odds are placed for a Miami Heat win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This means for you to win $5, you have to bet $7.

If the odds are 9/4 for a Minnesota Timberwolves win, then you just have to place $4 to win $9.

Lastly, the decimal odds. Decimal odds are popular in the Oceania region (Australia and New Zealand), Canada, and other parts of Europe. Decimal odds represent the total amount you will win for every $1 bet.

A good example is if you placed $10 for a New York Knicks win at 6.00 odds. You will win $50 if the team wins. As opposed to earlier odds we talked about, decimal odds include your stake with it. So for 6.00 odds, you win $5 for every $1 bet. For decimal odds set at 1.80. You win 80 cents for every $1 you bet. 

What does a +200 money line mean in basketball betting?

A +200 money line means the team is an underdog and if they win the game, you will get paid twice the amount you’ve wagered.

For example, there is a game between the Celtics and the Pelicans. Pelicans are away underdogs and given a +200 odds on the money line. If you place $100 bet on them to win the game, you will profit $200 if they end up defeating the Celtics on their home floor.

What does a 7 point spread mean in NBA betting?

A 7 point spread can mean two different things. It depends on whether it has a plus sign or a minus sign before the number.

A -7 point spread means you are betting on the favorite to win the game and they must win by at least 8 points or more for you to win your bet.

The opposite can be said when it’s a +7 point spread. This means you are betting on the underdog for the game. And they must only lose by at least 6 points or less, or straight up win the game, for your point spread bet to win.

What pays more money line or spread?

Money line betting is choosing who will win the match, regardless of the number of points they win by.

The spread, more commonly known as the point spread in basketball betting, is given to unevenly matched teams. Point spread is highly dependent on the margin of victory in a game.

The oddsmakers set the point spread before the game. And the one with a negative point spread is considered the favorite.

For 5 spread, the favored team should win by more than 5 points for your bet to win.

Since the favored team is given a – 5 point spread, the underdog will have a + 5 point spread.

The underdog team can only lose the game by less than 5 points or straight up win the game. If either of those scenarios happens, you win your bet.

If the result ends in a score difference of exactly five points, your bet will be graded as a push.

Now to answer the question “what pays more: money line or spread bets”, we’ll have to go with point spreads.

If you’re going to bet on the money line of the favorite thats heavily favored in the point spread, you’re not going to win much. The odds can be too high for you to make any significant profit.

The only situation when the money line pays more than spread is when you place a bet on the underdog.

Does overtime count in basketball betting?

Ties do not happen in basketball unlike in soccer betting, so the overtime period counts in basketball betting.

Whether you are betting the full game or just the 2nd half or 4th quarter, overtime will always be counted to grade your bet.

For example, you placed a +3 point spread bet on the Heat against the Lakers. The game went to overtime. Your wager won’t be graded until the game concludes, so if the Heat lose by 4 points or more, your bet will lose even if it was tied at the end of regulation.

The only scenario that overtime is not counted in basketball betting is when it is clearly stated before you place your bet.

Is online betting safe?

Online betting is 100% safe as long as you’re with a reputable online betting website.

If you need help selecting a trustworthy bookmaker to place your bets with, here are our recommendations:

  • 5Dimes (Our top choice and first-ever bookmaker with the best odds)
  • BetOnline (Fast payouts, lots of cash-in options, and competitive betting platform)
  • BetNow (Has the most user-friendly betting platform we’ve used so far)
  • Intertops (Online betting pioneer and has a solid reputation)
  • MyBookie (Up and coming bookmaker)

We can vouch for these bookmakers since our team is using them to place our bets. And we haven’t had any issues dealing with them.

Beware of websites that don’t pay out their customers.

A simple Google search of “<bookmaker> review” or “does <bookmaker> payout?” can tell you if you’re dealing with a safe betting site or a bad one.

If I win my NBA bet, how do I get paid?

Collecting your winnings in basketball betting is pretty straight forward. You just have to request to your bookmaker that you wish to withdraw your money.

As long as you meet your bookmaker’s requirements like the minimum withdrawal amount, you can easily withdraw your money at any time.

The withdrawal method may vary depending on where you are located, the method you used to cash-in, and the available payout options with your bookmaker.

Basketball Bets

If you’re still not familiar with some of the terms you’re seeing on some online betting sites, this section should help you out.

In basketball, specifically the NBA, parity has never been a thing.

Big market teams like those couple of good teams in Los Angeles have an unfair disadvantage in acquiring talented players.

Of course, there is an exception to this. And if you’ve been following the NBA, you know I am talking about the New York Knicks. An organization that has been underachieving for quite some time now despite playing in the biggest market in the NBA.

Will James Dolan sell the Knicks eventually?

Hopefully.

Since 2018, the time when the NBA implemented changes to their shot clock reset rule, favorites have a winning percentage of 67.22% against underdogs.

That’s a great winning percentage, but why do sports bettor still bet on underdogs?

Favorites’ Winning Record For The 2018-19 NBA Season

TeamWinLossWin. %ATS (+/-)
Milwaukee1133079.00%2.1
LA Clippers752178.10%1.6
Toronto983176.00%1.1
Denver853073.90%-0.3
Portland682473.90%0.9
Philadelphia793072.50%-0.5
Indiana682672.30%0.5
Golden State652969.20%-1.9
Orlando401869.00%1.6
Boston793668.70%-0.3
Oklahoma City643167.40%-0.8
Utah783867.20%-1.8
Brooklyn412067.20%0.8
Detroit381966.70%1.3
LA Lakers663366.70%-2.1
Houston824266.10%-1.5
Sacramento311666.00%0.7
San Antonio512765.40%-0.6
Miami543262.80%-1.2
Dallas503062.50%-0.1
Memphis281860.90%-0.3
Charlotte281959.60%-0.2
New Orleans352756.50%-0.7
New York131154.20%-0.5
Chicago171553.10%-1.4
Washington282750.90%-3.3
Minnesota292950.00%-1.8
Atlanta101147.60%-5.8
Phoenix161945.70%-3.1
Cleveland5935.70%-7.5
153474867.22%

Unfortunately, those numbers do not tell the whole story. Bookmakers make adjustments on their money line odds to make sure that they are not at a disadvantage.

If you are going to bet on favorites’ money line every single time, there will be a point where you will have to bet at least $1000 just to make a hundred.

Losing that kind of bet can have a huge impact on your bankroll. That’s why it’s important to know how to practice good bankroll management.

NBA Money Line Bets

Betting on the money line in the NBA is betting on who will win the game.

You wager on which team will score the most points in an NBA match, and if you picked the right one, you’ll get your bet back and your winnings.

For example, there’s a game between two bottom-dwelling teams the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves are at home and are favored to win the game at odds of -120. Meanwhile, the Suns are +100 underdogs.

This means if you place a $100 bet for a Wolves win, you’ll win $83.33 if they defeat the Suns. If you bet the same amount for a Suns win, you’ll win $100.

You’ll win less money betting on NBA favorites, but they’re more often than not the better team according to the oddsmakers. And betting on the money line of underdogs will net you more profit if they pull an upset win.

NBA Point Spread Betting

Betting on the point spread is different since the odds here are closer to each other. Theres a good opportunity for you to make easy money if you’re able to assess the game properly.

Unlike money line bets, point spread bets are decided by the margin of victory for each NBA game.

Unfortunately, some NBA favorites’ point spreads can be more than 10 points if they are facing an inferior NBA team.

And NBA teams don’t give that much thought on their margin of victory as long as they win the game.

Away Underdogs

A good example is the game last February 28, 2020, between the visiting Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors were favored on the money line at -1300, while the Hornets were underdogs at +800.

For basketball betting beginners, this means that you have to risk $1300 for a Raptors win to gain $100 and risk only $100 for a Hornets win for an $800 profit.

The game was predicted by sports analysts to be an easy win for the home team.

The point spread set by sportsbooks for this game was 13.5 points in favor of the Raptors. The -13.5 spread means the Raptors should win by at least 14 points for you to win your bet.

Now, the game started close with Hornets leading by 2 at the end of the first quarter. Unfortunately for those betting on the Raptors, the Hornets made a great run to start the second quarter and were up at the end of the 1st half.

Since the Raptors were in good form coming into this game and were the home team, some in-game bettors placed more money for a Raptors win.

The Raptors did come back, able to take a lead at last two minutes of the game, but fell short at the end.

Allowing the Hornets to achieve an improbable away win against the NBA defending champions.

A Valuable Lesson About Basketball Betting

This type of game only shows that betting on basketball is not going to be easy, even if you’re placing your bet on the home favorite, it is not a sure winning bet.

Even if a team is favored by more than 10 points, or even by 20 points, anything can happen in a basketball game, no team in the world is expected to win every game.

Role players can will their team to a win. Unfortunate injuries can happen at any time. Superstars may get ejected early in the game. Coaches may make the wrong lineup decision.

As Kevin Garnett used to say, anything is possible.

Betting On NBA Game Totals

Betting on basketball game totals is much easier to explain and understand compared to spreads. You can place a bet on whether the game total will go over or under the game total set by your bookmaker.

Let’s go back to the Raptors and Hornets above, the game total for that game was set at 215. The game started slow and proceeded to continue that trend throughout the game. The only way it would have gotten over the game total was if it went to overtime, but unfortunately for over bettors, it did not.

The good thing about betting on game totals compared to the money line is that the odds set by the bookmakers for each outcome, over and under, is closer or almost the same, and this can guarantee you a good profit if you placed the winning bet.

As you may already know, the NBA made some changes before the start of the 2018 season to their shot clock reset rule.

The usual reset of 24 seconds for when a team gets the offensive rebound is reduced to just 14 seconds. This followed the rule used in FIBA international competitions. This rule is also followed by other leagues like the Spanish ACB, CBA, and NBL.

And because of this rule change, bookmakers had to make some changes to how they set NBA game totals for each NBA game.

NBA Teams’ Over-Under Record For The 2018-2019 Season

TeamOverUnderPushOver %Under %
Washington8658259.70%40.30%
Atlanta8762058.40%41.60%
San Antonio8565256.70%43.30%
New Orleans8165055.50%44.50%
Miami8165155.50%44.50%
Cleveland7966254.50%45.50%
Portland8874254.30%45.70%
Minnesota7866254.20%45.80%
Detroit8069353.70%46.30%
Toronto8979253.00%47.00%
Dallas7570451.70%48.30%
Charlotte7570251.70%48.30%
Boston8075051.60%48.40%
Sacramento7571051.40%48.60%
LA Clippers7773251.30%48.70%
Philadelphia8078150.60%49.40%
Chicago7272350.00%50.00%
Milwaukee7981249.40%50.60%
Brooklyn7476149.30%50.70%
Orlando7277348.30%51.70%
Utah7277248.30%51.70%
Indiana7278148.00%52.00%
Okla City7177348.00%52.00%
Phoenix7076147.90%52.00%
Golden State8188047.90%52.10%
New York6878246.60%53.40%
Denver7386245.90%54.10%
Memphis6679245.50%54.50%
Houston6883645.00%55.00%
LA Lakers6282143.10%56.90%
Total229622165450.28%48.53%

As you can see from the table above, the rule change subsequently increased the number of possession each team gets during the game. And gave them a chance to put up more points than ever before.

However, this increase did not translate to easy wins for basketball bettors.

Bookmakers increased the game total for each NBA game based on their collected data and information. And this made it harder for some sports bettors to predict the right outcome for each NBA game.

Betting Tip

You won’t see any game total set under 200 anymore before tip-off unlike in the past decade or so. If you’re going to check the data above, you’ll see that over bettors did not win much against under bettors.

A good strategy to apply when betting on game totals is to look at how both teams play their game.

We consider the number of three-point attempts and three points made by an NBA team as a good indicator if they’re a good team to bet on if we’re taking the over. We also consider the number of possessions they get for each of their game. And the number of veterans in their starting lineup when it comes to assessing if we’re going to bet the over or the under.

Now, betting on the over for the game total of a game between Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards is a better pick since both of these teams shoot lots of threes and run a lot compared to other NBA teams.

Another good team to back for over bettors is the Grizzlies. Since the grit-n-grind Memphis Grizzlies are a thing of the past now.

This 2020 Grizzlies team will be playing the complete opposite game their predecessors did. They’re young and hungry to prove themselves. They’ll be a very interesting team to watch out for during this NBA season.

Injury Opportunity

Another factor that may affect the game total for a game are the players on the injury report.

Sports bettors must check this report before placing a bet because this can have a huge effect on the point total for the whole game, especially if one of the superstars of the team is not available to play.

For example, due to load management or injury, the Lakers decide to sit out Anthony Davis for a game, every fan knows someone will step up for the team, it can be anyone.

Lebron James might decide to light it up, Kyle Kuzma may get more shots up, or maybe Alex Caruso goes loco for the team to win. 

There’s a lot of possibilities that may happen during an NBA game, and one of the good things about checking the injury report before betting is you may find an edge you can take advantage of that your bookmaker might have overlooked.

Basketball Prop Bets

Another type of betting available for those betting on basketball are prop bets.

Proposition bet is a type of bet you make predicting if an outcome will happen or not during a basketball game, this is not directly linked to the final score of the game.

A good example of a prop bet is the total points a player will score.

Take James Harden, for example, the total points set for him for each game in the 2020 NBA season averages around 32-38 points depending on his team’s opponents. This is right around his season average of 34.4 points per game.

If the point total set by bookmakers before the game starts was 35 points, James Harden should score 36 points or more for you to win an over bet on his point totals, or score less than 35 to win your bet on the under.

Other NBA Prop Bets

Prop bets are very flexible that you can even combine two players, teammates or not, combine their stats and bet whether they can hit the total you have set.

Again you are the one setting up the total for your chosen player or players, not the bookmaker. As long as the bookmaker accepts your bet, then you have a lot of choices to choose from.

Other prop bets you can bet on include a player’s total rebounds, assists, three points made, steals, blocks, and even turnovers.

You can also bet on who will be the team to make the first three-point shot for the game or the second three or the third one.

You also have the option to predict which team will be the first to reach a score of 10 points. Whether a player gets a double-double or not. You can even bet if Russell Westbrook can achieve a triple-double for the game or not.

You can adjust the prop bet at your discretion. The lower the probability a proposition happens, the better the odds or the higher the payout given to you by your bookmaker.

NBA Future Bets

Much like prop bets, future bets are not dependent on the single outcome of a single game but several games. This type of bet is not decided within a day, it can take weeks or months for it to be finalized. 

A good example of a future bet is betting on who will win the NBA championship or the Spanish ACB champion. Oddsmakers set the odds before the season and adjust it accordingly once teams start playing one another. Basketball bettors can place their bets on which outcome they think will happen in the future.

During the peak of the Golden State championship run, they were the favorites to win the championship after they won their first championship until they were defeated by the Toronto Raptors.

After their first championship, they were upset twice by both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Raptors, making for a 2-2 win-loss record. This means placing future bets that the Warriors will be NBA champions from 2016-2019 was not that profitable.

NBA 2020 Season Favorites

For this NBA season, the two Los Angeles teams, Lakers and Clippers, are the two favorites to come out in the West, while the Milwaukee Bucks is the favorite in the East.

Among those three teams, the Lakers and Bucks, are both given +250 odds to win the NBA championship.

If you place $100 in favor of the Lakers, you’ll win $250 if they are crowned NBA champions. Placing $100 for the Bucks to win NBA championship will get you the same amount.

If you place both bets, and one of them wins it all, you’ll profit $50, but if they both lose during the playoffs, you’ll lose both of your bets as well.

If you’ll place another $100 bet in favor of the Clippers and include them on your bet slip at +333 odds, you’ll profit about $33. This gives you more or less a 10% ROI for your $300 investment.

Is this a good investment?

I don’t think so.

Since future bets take time before they are decided, you might be better off betting on an upcoming NBA game instead.

There are no sure bets in sports. If one of those three teams does not win it all, you’ll lose your $300 worth of bets.

Unless you are confident enough with your picks and have done a good amount of research on your future bets, you might reconsider placing your $300 bet someplace else.

Now, one of the great things about future bets is betting on underdog teams with long odds. These are what sports bettors called the long shots. Did you witness the most recent Washington Nationals championship run in the MLB?

If you’re not aware of it yet, the Nationals were the 2019 MLB champions beating the Houston Astros on their home floor in a game 7 match between the two teams.

The Nationals were considered underdogs for most of the season until the last game of the World Series. They had +2100 odds to win the MLB championship in May 2019.

If you placed a $100 bet on them during that time, you’ll be $2000 richer by now.

Odds used are from data posted on VegasInsider.com last April 14, 2020

NBA Betting Advice

NBA betting all comes down to the right mindset and strategy. Another factor is timing especially for those doing in-game betting or live betting.

Now, I’ve created a more comprehensive approach in betting on the NBA if you’re interested in learning the winning strategies used by our team.

Due to the public attention that the NBA is getting, wagering in the NBA is very different from betting on other international basketball leagues.

Bookmakers offer a wide range of betting options for sports bettors who bet on the NBA compared to those betting on smaller basketball leagues.

For those betting on international basketball leagues, the betting options are mostly limited to the following:

  • Point spreads
  • Money lines
  • Game totals

Betting on International Basketball Leagues

The top professional basketball league in Spain, Liga ACB, is also a good league for basketball enthusiasts to bet on. Betting on Spanish Basketball is almost the same as betting on the NBA, they just play basketball on different timezones.

Liga ACB has 18 teams playing for the league championship and the two lowest-ranked teams are relegated to the lower division league called LEB Oro.

Sounds familiar?

Just like in European soccer leagues, teams at the bottom of the standings are relegated. And those who top the lower division replace them. This makes Spain’s Liga ACB exciting to watch for their fans.

Most sports bookmakers offer point spreads, money lines, and game totals for this league’s games. The most popular teams are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Liga ACB Players

Former NBA players go to Liga ACB if no current offers are coming from any NBA teams or they want to stay close to home. Some notable players playing in Liga ACB are Nikola Mirotic, Rudy Fernandez, Anthony Randolph, and Alex Abrines.

Some players playing in the NBA today started in Liga ACB before they entered the biggest league in the world. The most notable among them is the young superstar of the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic.

Doncic played for Real Madrid and earned MVP honors during his Liga ACB tenure.

Another league where former NBA players usually go to is the Chinese Basketball Association. Having a population of more than 1 billion people, made China a popular destination for basketball players to start or revive their basketball careers.

Betting on the Chinese Basketball Association is a little bit difficult for casual sports bettors since information and data about their games are harder to locate compared to the NBA.

Bookmakers offer money lines, point spreads, and game totals for sports bettors just like the NBA and Liga ACB. Game results are harder to predict since watching these games can be hard for some because of the time difference and games are not broadcasted in most international channels.

Notable NBA players who played in the CBA.

  • Tracy Mcgrady during the twilight of his career
  • Stephone Marbury who became one of the recognized faces for the league
  • And of course, an NBA fan-favorite menace, Lance Stephenson

Former NBA players face inferior defenders here, so their production is inflated. A good reference is how Jimmer Fredette torched the league for about 35 points per game. This happened during his stint there starting from the 2016 season until the end of the 2018-2019 season.

Jimmer even scored 75 points in a single game that his team lost in the end. Putting an asterisk to a remarkable performance.

CBA Warning for Sports Bettors

Betting on the Chinese Basketball Association can be considered a coin toss because of several reasons like poor competition, lack of parity among teams, and the unverified allegation that game-fixing is being done.

A common scenario in CBA is the lackluster performance of some teams despite facing a not so good opponent. Or a sudden surge of scoring between two bad offensive teams.

One might say those happen in the NBA as well or in any other basketball leagues, but expect that to happen here more often.

The National Basketball League, played in the Oceania region by eight Australian teams and one New Zealand team, is another good basketball to watch out for.

The top two teams for this league are the Sydney Kings and Perth Wildcats, the two finalists for the recently concluded NBL season.

The game is played for only 10 minutes for each quarter, unlike the NBA that has 12 minutes per quarter. This means teams in the NBL score fewer points and have fewer possessions compared to their NBA counterpart.

With fewer teams, NBL also plays less games than the NBA, only 28 games for each team. Half of those games are played at home, the other half on their opponent’s court. Their regular-season starts from early October until the end of February. Playoffs run during March.

Euroleague is the competition among top-tier teams in Europe. Eighteen teams compete for the championship, and 11 of those teams are automatically qualified, the other teams have to pay for their spot and win their respective leagues first. The teams who are automatically included for the annual Euroleague competition includes:

  • Real Madrid
  • FC Barcelona
  • Olympiacos
  • Baskonia
  • Panathinaikos
  • Anadolu Efes
  • Fenerbache
  • Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • CSKA Moscow
  • Zalgiris

Among those teams, Real Madrid has been the most successful with ten championships to their name.

Future bets are also offered by bookmakers for the Euroleague since it’s one of the most recognized basketball competitions in the world.

How To Bet On Basketball – Final Thoughts

Learning how to bet on basketball is not that difficult.

You can start by setting your mindset that you can’t win all your bets.

You should do your research before you place your bets.

And make sure that you track your bets properly.

Your best teacher when it comes to basketball betting is yourself.

You should come up with a betting strategy to follow, studying your behavior after you win or lose the bets you placed, and then tweaking your strategy according to the data and information you’ve gathered. 

With your patience and hard work, you can make consistent money betting on basketball.

Good luck!

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