Basketball betting offers sports bettors some of the most intriguing prop bets out of any sport out there. During basketball season, there are typically games almost every night of the week, giving bettors something different to bet on each day. But with so many different basketball betting options, it can be tough to break down what each type of bet actually is, which is why we are here. America\u2019s Bookie\u2019s Basketball Betting section covers all or your sports betting needs, and answers any questions that you may have in terms of types of basketball bets, the best way to bet basketball, and much more!<\/p>\n
Point spread betting is big in basketball. Putting a point spread on a basketball game is essentially a line based on how much one team is projected to win by. The odds on this type of bet don\u2019t vary much, mainly because the line will move quite a bit over the span of a day or multiple days when it is posted. This type of bet is the most common type of basketball bet. Here\u2019s an example of a point spread bet in basketball:<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets -4 (-110) vs. Atlanta Hawks +4 (-110)<\/p>\n
In this situation, the Nuggets are projected as four point favorites over the Hawks. If you were to bet the Nuggets here, they would have to win by more than 4 points, and you would be betting $11 to win $10.<\/p>\n
Total betting in basketball works similar to most other sports, where there is a total number of points that is projected to be scored by both teams in the game. The odds on this bet won\u2019t vary an incredible amount, but the total number will move a bit. For example, if both teams are high scoring teams, the total will be much higher than if the two teams playing are very defensive minded. In this bet there is just one total number selected, and your job is to choose whether it will be above or below that number. Here\u2019s an example of a total bet in basketball:<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets vs. Atlanta Hawks Total over\/under at 198.5 (-110 either way)<\/p>\n
So in this example, the total is set at 198.5, meaning that if you were to bet the over, the two teams combined would have to score 199 points ore more. You would be betting $11 to win $10 here as well.<\/p>\n
A quarter or half point spread bet, is essentially the same thing as a regular point spread bet, except that it is only for one quarter or half of the game. So typically whatever the full game point spread is set at, the halftime point spread will be right around half of that. You can also bet on each game by quarter, which would typically mean that the quarter point spread bet would normally be a fourth of the full game. So here\u2019s an example of both a quarter and halftime betting point spread:<\/p>\n
Quarter: Denver Nuggets -1 (-110) vs. Atlanta Hawks +1 (-110)<\/p>\n
This would be a fourth of the bet listed above for the entire game<\/p>\n
Halftime: Denver Nuggets -2 (-110) vs. Atlanta Hawks +2 (-110)<\/p>\n
This would be exactly half of the full game point spread<\/p>\n
Buying points in basketball betting works very similar to buying points in football. In basketball betting you can buy anywhere between a half a point, 1 point, 1.5 points, or 2 points. Of course, the more points that you buy, the more the odds will vary. The idea behind buying points is that you should do it when it will put you in a better position to win or push your bet. For example, if a team is +2.5 and you feel that they won\u2019t lose by more than 3, you can buy a half of a point. Here\u2019s an example of how buying points affects the odds:<\/p>\n
Normal odds: -110<\/p>\n
Buying 0.5 point: -120<\/p>\n
Buying 1 point: -130<\/p>\n
Buying 1.5 points: -140<\/p>\n
Buying 2 points: -150<\/p>\n
Money line betting is another fairly popular betting option when it comes to betting on basketball, but comes in behind point spread betting. The reason for this, is because when betting on a money line, you are essentially picking a team to win the game straight up. The problem with doing that, is that if the team is a big favorite, the odds won\u2019t pay out very well if you bet them on the money line. On the other side of things though, if you were to bet on the underdog on the money line, you\u2019ll get a better payout in the end. Here\u2019s an example of a money line bet based on the bet used above:<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets (-180) vs. Atlanta Hawks (+130)<\/p>\n
So in this example you can see that the odds have changed quite a bit, and in order to bet the Nuggets now, you must bet $180 to win $100.<\/p>\n
Teaser betting is one of the most profitable types of bets in sports. Betting on teasers in basketball is a bit different than in football, as you can buy points ranging between 4, 4.5, or 5 points. What you are doing here is making a parlay, with at least two teams and moving their point spread. The idea behind these bets is to make them easier to win, but in return you have to give up the higher payout. For example, a two team parlay will pay out around 2.6 to 1, while a two team 4 point teaiser is more around 10 to 11. Here is an example of a teaser bet in basketball:<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets -4 vs. Atlanta Hawks +4<\/p>\n
So if you were taking the Nuggets in this bet, and do a 4 point teaser, you would then be betting on the Nuggets at a pick. This is a great spot to do a teaser bet in, especially if you feel the Nuggets will definitely win the game outright, but may not win by more than 4.<\/p>\n
A special teaser works similar to a regular teaser, but gives even more points to the side that you choose. The reason they are called \u201dspecial\u201d teasers, is because instead of just 4, 4.5, or 5 points, they could give anywhere between 8 and 10 points total. In these types of bets though, all ties will lose normally (mainly due to the fact that they are giving you so many points in a game, and are assuming that this bet is very tough to lose). A special teaser would make the example above go from the Nuggets being -4, all the way to even being +4 with an 8 point special teaser.<\/p>\n
Teasers do come with rules also, and the first thing is the payout. Most sites offer payout that is fixed depending on the number of teams included in the teaser. These odds depend on which sports betting site that you are using as well. Another important rule to factor in, is what happens if the game results in a tie? If there is a tie, most sports betting sites will count it as a push, and just lower the number of teams in the teaser. Other sports betting sites will count that as a loss, automatically losing your teaser, and very few sports betting sites will count a push as a win. On top of these standard rules, most sites will also offer a max that you can bet on a teaser, and a max that the site will pay out on a teaser as well. So always be sure to check what the maximum amount of money your teaser can pay out is.<\/p>\n
Parlays are very similar to teasers, except that you are betting on the actual point spread with multiple teams in the bet. Parlays are between two teams, all the way up to 8 or 9, with some sites allowing a total of up to 10 or 15 teams in a parlay. The idea behind a parlay is that the payout is great if you can hit it, but you have to get every team in the parlay to cover the spread in order to win the bet. If one team does not cover the spread, you lose the entire bet. Here is a list of odds for parlays, broken down by how many teams are included in the parlay (with each bet being a point spread bet):<\/p>\n\n
| Parlays<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 team: 13\/5<\/td> | 3 team: 6\/1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 team: 10\/1<\/td> | 5 team: 20\/1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 team: 40\/1<\/td> | 7 team: 75\/1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 team: 150\/1<\/td> | 9 team: 250\/1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 team: 400\/1<\/td> | 10 team: 400\/1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 team: 600\/1<\/td> | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\nRound Robins<\/h3>\nRound robins are basically multiple small parlays, which are taken from a group of teams that you choose to bet on. In a round robin bet, you choose between 3 and 8 teams to include, and also decide how many ways the bet will go (between 2 and 6). We have listed all of the different ways to do round robin bets below, and will include an example of a smaller round robin.<\/p>\n Say that you are betting on the Los Angeles Lakers -5, the San Antonio Spurs -2, and the Oklahoma City Thunder -2, in a three way round robin:<\/p>\n\n
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