NBA Betting 2022-23 Guide

NBA Point Spreads

Wager on the winning margin

NBA point spread bets involve placing a wager on which team you think will win the game and the points margin by which they’ll win. Simply put, the ‘point spread’ is the number of points by which the favorite team is expected to win.

These point spreads are set by the sportsbook, and will likely vary slightly from site-to-site when you explore NBA online betting.

When basketball betting on the favorite to pay out as a winner, that team must win the game, and do so by more than the amount by which they were favored. This is known as “covering the spread”.

NBA Point Spread Example:

In this NBA betting example, the Lakers are favored to win by 8.5 points over the Warriors. This would be styled as such:

• LA Lakers (-8.5)
• Golden State Warriors (+8.5)

The (-) signifies the game’s favorite, while the (+) signals the underdog.

If you bet on the Lakers point spread, you would need them to win by 9-or-more points to win the wager. The Warriors would win the bet if they won outright or lost by 8-or-fewer points. If the Lakers won the game 110-108, the Warriors would “cover the spread” because even though they lost, they did so by fewer than 8.5 points.

NBA Moneylines

Wager on the overall game winner

An NBA moneyline bet is a type of bet that provides betting odds focused on who will win the game outright rather than by how many points.

A minus sign (-) in front of the odds indicates the favorite and the number listed shows how much money you must wager to win $100. A positive sign (+) in front of the odds indicates the underdog and the number show how much money you will win for a $100 wager.

The more uneven the contest, the bigger the +/- numbers you’ll see.

NBA Moneyline Example:

Let’s say the Lakers have moneyline odds of -250 against the New York Knicks who are +200.

In this NBA betting example, a $100 wager on the Lakers would pay a profit of $40 if they won, while a $100 wager on the Knicks would return a profit of $200 if they won. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

For more on how to read odds, you can always check our guide to sports betting.

NBA Point Totals

Wager on the total number of points scored in a game (by both teams)

The total, or over-under betting, in an NBA game is a wager on the final combined score of both teams. Like a point spread, this amount is determined by the bookmaker based on matchup, past performance, team averages, etc.

As a bettor, you must choose whether you think the score will be more (“over”) than the set total, or less (the “under”).

NBA Point Total Example:

The Lakers play the Knicks, and the total is set at 199.5. This type of NBA betting wager would typically be listed as such:

Lakers v Knicks (Totals)

• Over 199.5 (-110)
• Under 199.5 (-110)

The Lakers win with a final score of 110-100. This is a total combined score of 210, which means the over would pay out.

LIVE NBA Betting

Wager on a game that’s already in progress

Live NBA bets are where you can bet on basketball games once they have begun.

Generally, multiple live bet types are available for NBA online betting, with sportsbooks offering spreads, totals, & moneyline wagers with odds that update during the game.

NBA Live Betting Example:

Leading up to the game, oddsmakers had the Warriors as heavy favorites and offered a low payout. It’s halfway through the second quarter, and the Lakers are leading the Warriors 20-10.

Now that the Lakers are up by ten points, Golden State has become the heavy underdogs. By NBA betting live, bettors can wager on the Warriors to rally and win with better odds than before.

NBA Parlays

Combine 2 or more wagers to increase the potential payout

A parlay bet is a single wager placed on the outcome of multiple events. In a parlay, all connected bets must win in order for your wager to pay out. This is a great way to increase the odds – and a bettor’s potential payout – but beware that the risk is much higher when combining bets.

Depending on the sportsbook, online NBA parlays can typically include multiple bet types, whether that’s moneyline, point spreads, over/unders, or more.

NBA Parlay Example:

The Lakers are playing the Knicks and the Warriors are playing the Bulls. You place a parlay bet on the Lakers moneyline and the Warriors moneyline.

In this instance, your wager would pay out only if both the Lakers and the Warriors win their games. If they do, your payout would be your wager size, multiplied by the Lakers odds, multiplied by the Warriors odds.

If any event that your parlay loses, your entire ticket loses.

NBA Futures

Bet on the future outcome of an NBA event

Thanks to futures, NBA gurus can put their money where their mouths are with respect to their long-term predictions. NBA futures bets allow bettors to wager on topics like who will win the Finals, who the MVP will be, and who will lead the league in scoring.

These types of wagers are generally open in the pre-season and throughout the year. As you’d expect, the payout odds correspond with the likelihood of an event occurring.

NBA Futures Example:

Here’s an NBA betting futures bet example, chances are that role players like the Cavs Kevin Love will not win an MVP Award. So, his payout odds to win NBA MVP futures bet would be quite high. On the flip side, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the mix every year and have a solid chance to capture NBA MVP Futures bet.

NBA Props

Wager on a particular outcome in an NBA player performance

Typically, a prop bet involves betting on the performance of an individual team or player in a game or season.

Props are particularly popular during the Finals, when bettors can wager on things like the length of the pre-game national anthem, or the series MVP

NBA Player Prop Bets

The standard for NBA online betting prop wagers link to the performance of individual players in a given game: How many total points will LeBron have? Which player will have more rebounds? How many threes will Steph Curry hit?

NBA Team Prop Bets

These focus on team performance: how many total games will the Raptors win? Which team will score first? Which team will be the first to score 20 points?

NBA Draft Prop Bets

These props involve which NCAA and NBA G-league players will be selected to which team, the order of draft picks and even what players will wear, drink or say during the televised draft.