NBA Betting Odds

How To Read NBA Betting Odds

For anyone new to NBA Betting, staring at a lines grid can be confusing. Let’s start with the basics.

Common betting terms include the ‘favorite’ and the ‘underdog’. Oddsmakers determine the favorite (the team slated to win) and the underdog (the team slated to lose). In the US, NBA Odds are shown with a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign. A plus (+) signifies the underdog. A minus (-) signifies the favorite.

In American betting, most major league sports odds are described in terms of a $100 bet. Basketball Odds that have a plus (+) indicate the amount won if $100 is wagered, while odds that have a minus (-) indicate the amount that must be wagered in order to win $100.

Here’s an example:

Utah Jazz +125

New Orleans Pelicans -125

A $100 bet placed on the underdog Jazz would lead to a $125 payout, should the Jazz win. However, you’d have to bet $125 on the Pelicans to win $100 should the favorite Pelicans win.

A $10 bet placed on the Jazz would lead to a $25 payout. A $25 bet on the Pelicans would lead to a $10 payout.

Because you stand to win more by betting on the underdog, it’s common to do so when betting on NBA Moneylines.

Where Can I Find The Latest NBA Betting Lines?

OddsChecker connects you with eleven sportsbooks that offer reliable, competitive NBA Betting Lines. Since sports betting opened up in the US in 2018, the market has seen an inundation of betting sites. However, not all are trustworthy.

Here at OddsChecker, users can scroll through our grids to compare NBA odds offered by eleven elite sportsbooks. We also offer our own NBA picks from expert handicappers, which can help fans take a deeper dive into an upcoming match or tournament.

OddsChecker offers the latest NBA Lines to help you wager on moneylines, point spreads, and totals bets. We’ve got it all.

Aren’t sure how to bet on moneylines, point spreads, and beyond? Keep reading to learn the basics.

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NBA Moneyline Odds Explained

Moneyline betting is the easiest form of betting in terms of reading odds and placing wagers. NBA moneylines simply calculates which team is more likely to win the game. Oddsmakers and handicappers predict this by analyzing season play, homefield advantage, injuries, and other relevant factors.

NBA Moneylines are written as:

Utah Jazz +125

New Orleans Pelicans -125

Betting $100 on the underdog Jazz pays out $125 if they win. A $125 bet on the favorite Pelicans pays out $100 if they win.

An easy way to assess the risk of betting on the favorite in NBA Odds is to divide the moneyline by 100. In this example, 125 / 100 = 1.25. Therefore, there’s a $1.25 risk on every dollar bet. For this reason, sportsbooks offer competitive bets on both the underdog and favorite.

NBA Point Spread Odds Explained

Point spread betting is the most popular form of wagering on the NBA. Unlike moneylines, the NBA Point Spread takes a more detailed look at what will happen in a game. Rather than predict the winner, sportsbooks and handicappers take a deep dive to explore what might happen in a game.

A stronger team is offered a ‘handicap’. This handicap determines how much a team must win or lose by in order for the bet to pay out. This is known as ‘Betting Against the Spread NBA’.

NBA Betting Odds in a point spread are given in a standard - 110 format, which indicates what will be won and lost on a $100 bet. The +/-10 added to the standard 100 indicates the ‘juice’ kept by sportsbooks.

An NBA Point Spread line is written as:

Utah Jazz +1.5 (-110)

New Orleans Pelicans -1.5 (-110)

In this example, the favorite Pelicans need to win by at least 2 points (more than 1.5) for a bet on the Pelicans to pay out. The Jazz, on the other hand, need to not lose by more than 2 points for a bet to pay out.

NBA Totals and Over/Under Odds Explained

Over/Under and Totals bets both refer to the exact same wager. Unlike moneylines and point spreads, NBA Totals wagers predict how many points will be scored by each team combined.

Sportsbooks set out a total score (hence the ‘Totals bet’) and a bettor wagers on whether or not the total score will be over or under this total (hence the ‘Over/under bet’). At the end of the game, both teams’ total scores are added to determine the final Totals line.

NBA Totals bets are extremely popular. They’re also incredibly dynamic. Totals lines will change up until the tip off—or, depending on betting platform, live Totals bets may also be accepted. This means the Totals line will shift throughout the game.

What Are The Different Prop Bets in NBA?

Much like Totals bets, NBA Prop Bets are exciting ways to get in on the action without worrying about the final outcome of a match. NBA Prop bets (‘proposition’ bets) vary greatly and tend to become more creative as the regular season advances toward playoffs and the Finals Series.

Popular NBA Prop Bets include wagering on how many points an individual player will score or how many steals will occur in a given quarter. Typically, sportsbooks offer around 5 prop bets per team, which focus on the strongest players.

How Do I Bet On NBA Futures?

NBA Futures are bets wagered on a market that takes place in the future. For example, a wager placed on the NBA Championship at the start of the season. Though you have to wait for your winnings, you typically get larger NBA odds because of this.

Here at OddsChecker, we connect you with the latest and most competitive NBA Futures bets. We offer lines from eleven trusted, elite sportsbooks that can help you save money and time when it comes to wagering on NBA Futures Odds.

Expert analysts from leading sportsbooks study a team’s strengths and weaknesses, previous records, and recent Draft picks and trades in order to predict who will win a division, conference, Finals title, or other future event, such as MVP recipient. For this reason, there are a diverse range of NBA Futures Odds to pick from.

OddsChecker utilizes its own expert handicappers to help inform NBA Futures betting. By choosing to wager with any one of our eleven legal and reliable sportsbooks, fans can place bets with confidence.

NBA Futures Odds are written as:

Boston Celtics + 650

Orlando Magic +8000

If this bet is placed on who will win the Eastern Conference, a $100 bet placed on the Celtics would pay out $650 if they win. A $100 bet placed on the Orlando Magic would pay out $8,000 if they won the Finals Series. In NBA Futures bets, the original $100 bet is included in the winning payout.

Can I Make Money Betting On NBA?

You can make money betting on the basketball and NBA. Here at OddsChecker, we aim to help you bet starter. There are a few ways to do that.

The first is to follow trusted handicappers. Handicappers closely analyze each team, from players to coaches to homefield advantage, to make precise predictions for every type of bet. OddsChecker provides handicappers for both the NBA and NCAA Basketball.

Additionally, knowing where to bet is important. In addition to our handicappers, OddsChecker connects you to eleven elite sportsbooks. A common term in betting is ‘the juice’, which refers to the amount of money kept by sportsbooks.

Depending on frequency of betting and seasonal promotions, sportsbooks alter their fees. Choosing a trustworthy sportsbook from OddsChecker is one simple way to increase winnings.

The bet itself is also important. For instance, NBA Futures bets will tie up your money until a specific event is finalized. It’s also important to keep in mind that NBA Playoff Odds and NBA Title Odds will change at the season advances. On the other hand, the NBA Point Spread can offer a higher margin of winnings because the bet involves statistical analysis, which tends to be more reliable.

What Are The Vegas Odds For NBA?

NBA Vegas Odds can refer to reading odds, as well as the oddsmakers themselves. Prior to 2018, only Nevadan sportsbooks could legally provide NBA Betting Odds for the US. Since then, sports betting has expanded to more states and now includes a more diverse range of sportsbooks.

Additionally, NBA Vegas Odds are written as fractions, rather than the standard American betting format. They can be written as ‘3 to 1’, which means that there are three chances to win and one chance to lose. In other words, you have a 3 in 4 chance of winning, or a 75% chance of winning.

Browse some of our other popular betting lines: