Photo by Markus Spiske
Looking to make some cash on one of the most popular sports leagues in the world? Well, the NBA has a massive audience invested in every game, which means the stakes are always high and incredibly lucrative.
To date, about 30 teams worldwide have competed in this competition. Each team has about 82 games (half at home and the other half away). With so many games running, it creates so many entertaining and intense opportunities for betting markets.
Stick with us as we give you the latest NBA odds and tips to help you make the right bet.
Reading the NBA Odds
When it comes down to NBA betting, understanding the odds is where the money is. You need to learn how the odds work to carefully place bets that will hopefully give you a good return on investment instead of losing your cash. Here’s how the odds work. When you bet on a team with a minus sign next to their name, this means that this particular team is a favourite and is likely to win.
Choosing a team with a plus next to its name means that this team is considered the weaker side and isn’t as likely to win. Here’s an example of how this works. Say, for instance, the New York Knicks are hosting the LA Lakers, and the Knick’s odds were -1.5. For you to win your bet, the Knicks would have to beat the Lakers by more than 1.5 points. On the flip side, if you were on the Lakers, they would need to win by two or lose by less than two for you to win.
What does -110 Mean?
In the NBA, the -110 refers to how much $1.10 you must bet to win. The -110 is the standard moneyline for most NBA games. However, it does change, but not by much. You’ll usually see it change between -108 and -112.
Managing Your Bankroll Wisely
When you take part in betting on the NBA, you need to manage your bankroll wisely. Your bankroll refers to the money you have put aside for the upcoming season. Spend too much at once, and you may risk losing your bankroll for the rest of the season. If you spend very little, you might not make the money you’re hoping for.
So, with your total bankroll, you need to work out what your betting unit would be. A betting unit is the amount you usually wager on a bet. Your betting unit should generally be around 2% of your bankroll. You’re not limited to only placing one unit on a game. If you’ve found a game where the odds are stacked in your favour, you can place multiple bids down. Just keep in mind that this raises your risk of losing, though, too.
Tips for Placing Live Bets
Placing bets while you watching the game makes sense, and not to mention also makes it seem like you are engaging in the game festivities yourself. While watching the game, you get a better feel for what’s happening, and if you know a lot about the game, you can anticipate its outcome to a degree. This will give you the upper hand in betting on the NBA.
In the situation where you know your bet is tanking and you’re going to lose money, it’s okay to make another bet on a different player or team to try to hedge, but if that bet looks like it’s going to fail as well then rather cut your losses than through more money at it. Finally, remember that basketball is a high-speed game that can change instantly so leave your betting till timeout to make a decision instead of rushing it during the game.
