Basketball goes beyond the NBA, even though many people identify the sport with it, even from a sports betting perspective. The globally popular ball game also moves millions in the betting markets. What, how, and in what way can we bet?
Basics of Basketball Betting
Basketball is one of the most popular ball games, gradually evolving, which is true for the sports betting aspect as well. Nowadays, we can bet on numerous championships, various cup matches, and we can choose from pre-match and live betting options as well.
Alongside the NBA and European leagues, Chinese, Brazilian, and even Indonesian matches are also included in the offerings.
How do Basketball Championships Work?
Championships can be divided into two segments. The common practice is the regular season + playoffs combination. Since regular seasons mostly operate on a home-and-away basis, they make up the majority of the season, while the playoffs last for one or two months and work on a knockout basis.
The substantial betting starts here, as the top teams take every match seriously, whereas in the regular season, there are also matches where teams may not give their all. In the playoffs, most series last until one team wins four (but it can also be three) matches.
This is especially true in the NBA, where every franchise plays 82 games before the 16-team playoffs are determined. It is inevitable that the pace may slacken at times due to the grueling schedule. This is exploited by smaller teams. This is why surprise results often occur in the NBA, making the market unpredictable.
What about European Basketball?
In Europe, the situation is not easier, as many clubs have to compete in European cup competitions alongside their national leagues. One of the flagships of this is the EuroLeague, where the best teams on the continent compete.
It is also worth mentioning smaller series (such as the EuroCup), where clubs finishing in the middle of national leagues primarily compete against each other.
40 or 48 Minutes of Playing Time?
These are the most popular series prominently featured in the betting market, but the Chinese league is also striving forward, as well as a few South American leagues. Apart from the dual load, there is another important difference between the NBA and European (and the rest of the world) series, which is the playing time. In the US, a game lasts for 48 minutes, while in Europe, it is "only" 40 minutes, which also significantly influences the outcome of the matches.
With a 48-minute time frame, the likelihood of high-scoring matches increases, benefiting the trend of three-pointers. In Europe, the game is also changing; formerly, defense took priority, but by the second half of the 2010s, offense came to the forefront, with more attempts being made beyond the three-point line.
Not only in America but also in Europe, total points in matches have started to increase. In the NBA, matches with 260-270 points are not uncommon, which was a rarity around the turn of the millennium.
What to Bet on in Basketball?
We can choose from numerous championships, but of course, each has its own betting limit. The basics are the same everywhere; we can bet on the winner of the match with overtime and without (Money Line), as well as on total points and the handicap market (Spread).
Money Line
In the Money Line, we already bet on the winner by default, which is the more common type in basketball. This excludes the possibility of a draw, which is not very common but still unpleasant if our bet loses this way (it is worth noting that the odds offered with overtime are slightly lower by one or two tenths).
Spread
The Spread is essentially the American version of Asian handicap. This compensates for the value of odds; in the case of the favorite, this number is negative, while in betting on the underdog, it is positive. There are also shifted boundaries, which are mainly popular in the US but are becoming increasingly popular among bettors in Europe as well.
Depending on the spread level, the odds increase or decrease; with a larger positive handicap, we can bet with lower odds, but we may feel more confident in our bet and have a greater chance of success.
Total Points
The same market factors apply to total points, with shifted boundaries also being present.
Regarding points, we can also bet separately on the teams, so we can predict, for example, whether the Golden State Warriors will stay below or exceed the limit set by the office.
Of course, there is also a even and odd market, where we can find balanced odds pairs (for example, 1.87-1.87), but this is like flipping a coin.
Point Difference
When it comes to point difference bets, we can encounter high odds in three, seven, twelve, or even more outcome markets. It is not uncommon to find odds above four here. With this, we can bet on how many points the winning team will win the match by.
The three-outcome market may be the most rewarding for them, as here, as the name suggests, we can choose from three different margins of victory (for example, one team wins by six or more points, or any other result that means a victory by 1-5 points in this situation).
Race to ... Points
Staying with points, we can bet on which side reaches 20, 40, or even 100 points first. The aforementioned types of bets are also available broken down into halves and quarters.
It is also worth highlighting player-specific offerings, where we can bet on the performance of basketball players in the match. After set limits, we can bet on how many points, rebounds, or assists the player we select will achieve. This is only available in the most prestigious matches, such as national team tournaments, as well as NBA and EuroLeague matches.
So, the market is huge; we just have to keep betting! If you like the sport, it is worth getting involved, as basketball provides year-round engagement and betting opportunities for bettors. You can find plenty of basketball tips with us.
