In the vast world of sports betting, basketball has always been one of the most popular and fascinating sports. However, not everyone has a clear understanding of an important aspect of betting in basketball: the point difference. Not only is this an important part of betting, but it also gives players promising opportunities if they have the right knowledge and strategy. Today, let bestsoccertips.com learn about basketball point spread betting through the article below!
What is Basketball Point Spread Betting?
Handicap betting in the NBA is an enticing way to place bets on NBA teams. Whether you believe the favored team will win by a significant margin or you predict that an underdog will make things difficult by keeping the game close with the potential to create a large point differential, you can almost always expect an exciting rollercoaster in NBA competitions.
In every NBA game, there’s a favored team (the team predicted to win) and an underdog (the weaker team). If you bet on the favored team, you’re betting that they will win the game by a certain margin. On the other hand, if you bet on the underdog, you’re betting that the underdog will lose by fewer points than the specified margin. If the underdog wins the game outright, the bet is also paid out.
For example, let’s say the Los Angeles Lakers are favored by -3 against the Celtics. This means the Celtics are the underdog at +3.
If you bet on the Lakers to win by the point spread, you need the Lakers to win the game by at least 4 points. Conversely, if you bet on the Celtics with the spread, you need the Celtics to lose by 1 point, 2 points, or win outright. In this example, if the Lakers win by exactly 3 points or the Celtics lose by exactly 3 points, it’s considered a tie, and the bet is refunded.
How does Basketball Point Spread Betting work?
Point spread betting is the most common form of basketball betting odds. At its simplest form, the point spread levels the playing field in any game, regardless of the disparity in skill. Here are some key factors that bettors consider influencing the value of the point spread in NBA betting:
- Team strength: Teams with recent strong performances and talented rosters are more likely to be favored with a larger point spread. Conversely, weaker teams may receive fewer points.
- Home-court advantage: Playing at home can provide a significant advantage in the NBA, reflected in the point spread. The home team is often favored by fewer points to account for this advantage.
- Injuries: Injuries to key players can greatly affect the point spread. If a star player is absent or playing at less than 100%, the point spread may adjust in favor of the opponent.
- Recent form: A team’s recent performance, including win-loss records and winning percentages, can influence the point spread.
- Head-to-head record: Historical matchups between teams can also play a role in setting the point spread, especially if they have recently faced each other. If one team consistently dominates the other, that team may be favored with a larger point spread.
- Game situation: Specific circumstances of the game, such as the importance of the match, rivalry matchups, or travel schedules, can influence the point spread.
- Coaching and strategy: Coaching decisions and strategies, especially in close games, can affect the point spread. Some coaches are known for exceeding expectations in crunch time.
How to bet NBA points difference
Bettors can expect a convenient and straightforward process when placing NBA point spread bets. As this is the most popular type of bet in NBA betting, you can always find the first point spread odds on any specific NBA event on any sportsbook homepage. Clicking on the point spread number will highlight that bet. For example, if the Lakers are favored by 3 points, you will see “Lakers -3” with the designated odds typically listed below the spread. Then, simplifying the process of adding the desired amount of bet and placing the bet will complete the betting process.
Using a betting calculator to understand both your risk and potential reward can be a highly effective tool to support mathematical equations. Whether it’s straight bets or parlays, users have the ability to input betting odds and the amount they wish to wager to calculate profits. Our odds calculator tool can tell you how much you will win based on your total bet amount.
Basketball point spread betting strategy
There are several strategies that professionals use that you can use to your advantage when betting on NBA basketball. Remember, a bettor’s job is to set a boundary that they believe will bring equality to each party; This line does not necessarily mean that a certain team is expected to win with that amount. So if you can determine that a team will win by a seven-point margin but they are only five points ahead of the stronger team, you should bet on that matchup.
Below are the factors to consider:
Late injury search and roster changes
With only five players starting NBA games and between 8 to 13 players seeing playing time, the absence of a key player in a game can have a significant impact on the roster. Additionally, teams often announce their lineup right before the game starts, so these are crucial pieces of information to monitor. For this reason, it’s best not to bet on NBA games until just before the game starts.
Pay attention to the schedule
The NBA can provide teams with some challenging schedule patches. Teams from the Eastern coast may play against four Western Conference teams within five or six days. As you can imagine, by the fourth game, the Eastern team might be fatigued from traveling, and players may need rest. Teams also play back-to-back games, meaning two games on consecutive days. Typically, a team will play away and then return home the next night, so even though a team plays at home, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll feel comfortable and well-rested—they might have played a draining game in another city just 24 hours prior.
Monitor line movement
Bettors will consider these real-time factors when the betting line changes, but they may also change due to public reaction to the initial betting line. If the public perceives that the Milwaukee Bucks, favored by -2, have a good game at home against the Golden State Warriors and 75% of the bettors pick the Bucks, then bettors will add points to the Bucks’ point spread to try and increase betting back. Line changes mean that the public leans more towards one way or another and may know something that bettors don’t, so monitoring line changes can provide a lot of information.
Pay attention to in-game betting odds
If you’re really in tune with the action, you’ll follow the in-game betting odds and pick up on any underlying differences from the bettors. One strategy is called “middling” in the second half. This is when your initial bet seems good after halftime to the point where you can bet on the opposing team’s point spread in the second half and give yourself a great chance to win both bets. For example, suppose the Golden State Warriors are playing at home and the Phoenix Suns are visiting as the underdog by 3 points. You bet on the Suns at +3 and by halftime, the Suns are winning by 15. After checking the second-half results, you see the Golden State at -6 (bettors believe the Warriors will be more positive as they try to make a comeback). By placing this bet, you create an 11-point range in which you can win both bets—any margin since the Warriors win the second half from 7 to 18 points. In return, the only risk you face is losing one of the bets, so essentially, you break even at worst but win both bets at best.
Conclude
In the world of basketball betting, basketball point spread betting is not only an important aspect but also gives players great opportunities to profit. However, to be successful, players need to have a solid knowledge of strategy and also need to rely on proper analysis and judgment before each match. With the right understanding and skills, betting on basketball point arbitrage can become an exciting and lucrative part of the world of sports betting.
See also: Discover the top 5 american soccer betting sites you should join
