How To Win A Basketball Game
- How To Win A Basketball Game Every Time
- How To Always Win A Basketball Game
- How To Win A Basketball Game Wikihow
- How To Win Basketball Games With Less Talent
A blog post explaining the 8 most common tactics used by youth basketball coaches that are detrimental to the development of youth athletes. Be brave and compete in a truly monstrous basketball tournament! Select one of 32 infamous creatures and prove your skills on the court in 1 vs 1 battles. Use these basketball resources to learn the basics about NBA players, game rules, and playing tips, as well as essential hoop info about top NCAA teams and how to make a jump shot.
How to Bet on Basketball
by Predictem.com Staff
If your looking to bet on hoops, there’s many different options you have to choose from. Some are single game bets with less house advantage while others tie games together forcing you to win all bets and that have huge payouts. We’ll explain them all below!
If you already know how to bet on basketball games and are just looking for some advice on the day’s games check out our free NBA picks section.
The Point Spread - Also known as “sides,” this bet features a favorite and an underdog. If you take the favorite in the match up you give points to the other team which means you take those points away from your score at end of game to determine your score vs. the other team. If you stake the underdog, your getting free points from the other team that you add onto your score at games end to determine the winner. The common odds on this bet have you laying $1.10 to profit $1.00. As with almost all wagers in sports betting, should you tie you get your stake back. If you win you nail the profit as well as your stake back.
The Moneyline - This bet eliminates the point spread and makes it a bet in which the team you select only has to win by one point. If you take the favorite, expect to pay more to win less. If you take the underdog, expect to lay a small amount to profit more. The odds take into account the difference in equality making the wager an even proposition.
Totals - This type of bet has nothing at all to do with the point spread or either team winning. Totals wagers are only relative to how many points are scored in the game by both teams. You either select over or under the posted total. This like sides, is a wager in which you should expect to lay $1.10 to profit $1.00.
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Parlays - This is high risk/high reward bet that is tough to conquer and in exchange for that it has fat payouts. In a parlay wager, you bet in between 2-12 teams and have to win all of the best in order for the bet to cash. One loss and your ticket is in the trash. Here’s some parlay odds so you can get a better idea of how the wager works:
| Special Reduced Parlay Odds[-105] | Regular Daily Parlay Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Teams | 2.8/1 | 13/5 |
| 3 Teams | 6.4/1 | 6/1 |
| 4 Teams | 13.5/1 | 10/1 |
| 5 Teams | 27/1 | 25/1 |
| 6 Teams | 54/1 | 40/1 |
| 7 Teams | 107/1 | 75/1 |
| 8 Teams | 210/1 | 150/1 |
| 9 Teams | 411/1 | 300/1 |
| 10 Teams | 804/1 | 700/1 |
| 11 Teams | 1,570/1 | 1,100/1 |
| 12 Teams | 3,066/1 | 1,800/1 |
As you can see, if you can hit a 12 teamer you can nail down 1800 to 1 odds. It’s been done many times before, but no easy task!
*Note: Special parlay odds shown are only offered by 5Dimes.
Teasers - A teaser bet is like a parlay in that you have to win all your games, but differing in that teasers allow you to move the point spread in your favor. Here’s a teaser chart so you can get a better idea of how many points you can move the line and what the cost will be to do so:
| BASKETBALL TEASER PAYOUT CHART | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| TEAMS | 4 POINTS | 4.5 POINTS | 5 POINTS |
| 2 | 1/1 | 10/11 | 5/6 |
| 3 | 9/5 | 8/5 | 3/2 |
| 4 | 3/1 | 5/2 | 2/1 |
| 5 | 5/1 | 4/1 | 7/2 |
| 6 | 7/1 | 6/1 | 5/1 |
| 7 | 10/1 | 9/1 | 8/1 |
| 8 | 15/1 | 12/1 | 10/1 |
| 9 | 20/1 | 15/1 | 12/1 |
| 10 | 25/1 | 20/1 | 15/1 |
Pleasers - This is quite possibly the knarliest of all bets. Pleasers are a mix of a parlay and a teaser but with a twist. Instead of getting points to use in your favor, your GIVING points away making it harder for you to cover. In exchange, the bookie is willing to give you enormous odds to win. Let’s take a look at a pleaser chart:
| 4 PT Pleaser | Basketball | Ties Lose |
| 2 Team | 4 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 400 |
| 3 Team | 8 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 800 |
| 4 Team | 20 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 2000 |
| 5 Team | 50 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 5000 |
| 6 Team | 100 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 10000 |
| 4.5 PT Pleaser | Basketball | Ties Lose |
| 2 Team | 5 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 500 |
| 3 Team | 10 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 1000 |
| 4 Team | 25 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 2500 |
| 5 Team | 60 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 6000 |
| 6 Team | 125 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 12500 |
| 5 PT Pleaser | Basketball | Ties Lose |
| 2 Team | 6 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 600 |
| 3 Team | 12 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 1200 |
| 4 Team | 30 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 3000 |
| 5 Team | 70 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 7000 |
| 6 Team | 150 to 1 | Lay 100 to get 15000 |
Props - These bets match up player vs. player such as Tim Duncan vs. Kobe Bryant to score the most points in the game and such. They can even be ridiculous bets such as who will get the ball first or score first. We don’t recommend those type of bets obvioiusly.
There is however value to be found in any betting matchup involving individual players stats. As a tip to you, don’t just look at what the player averages over the course of a season, check out how that player does vs. the team in question. Some gems are to be found here by turning over these rocks! Props have very low limits because astute players can dominate them!
Futures - These are long term bets such as a certain team to have over or under a certain amount of wins during the season. Then there’s the high risk/high reward bets such as picking a team to win their division or league championship. These type of bets are also a great way for small players to get in on the action and have something to root for during the course of the season for a very little investment. Don’t expect a high winning percentage though! Futures are tough to beat but oh so sweet when they cash.
Now that you know how to bet on basketball, may we recommend that you check out our “best sportsbooks to bet on NBA games” article?
While the NBA isn’t on the same level as the NFL in terms of popularity, it’s a sport you can make some serious cash in. When it comes to handicapping the NBA, there’s a lot that goes into it.
This article is for those of you who are knew to betting on the NBA and want a better understanding of how it works.
Beating the NBA odds is no easy task. That’s why I recommend you let one of our expert NBA handicappers do the work for you. I’m confident that with the help of their premium NBA picks, you can take your bankroll to the next level.
Point Spreads (Sides)
The most popular kind of bet to make is on the point spread. The oddsmakers set a number to try and balance the two teams out. If you bet on the favorite, that team must not only win the game but do so by more than the spread. If you take the underdog they either have to win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread.
If you bet the point spread you will typically have to lay -110 odds. This means for every $1.10 you bet, you will win $1.00. To win $100 on your wager, you would have to risk $100. However, at 5 Dimes you can get reduced juice, as low as -105,. It’s a big reason why they are my favorite book. Let’s look at an example:
Phoenix Suns +8
Los Angeles Lakers -8
If you place a $50 bet on either side you will risk $55 to win $50. Let’s say the final score is Lakers 104, Sun 94. If you bet Los Angeles -8, you would have won your bet. Los Angeles won the game by 10 points.
If you took Phoenix, you would be a loser. The Suns lost by 10 points and were only getting 8. They failed to cover by 2 points. For Phoenix to have won the bet, they would have had to lose by 7 or less. If LA would have won by 8, neither team would cover and it would be graded as a push (no bet).
Money Lines
If you aren’t quite confident betting on the spread, you can simply bet on who you think will win the game. To do so, you will make your bet on the money line.
While picking the winner is easier with the money line, there’s a lot of risk involved. Let’s take a look at another example.
Chicago Bulls -350
Milwaukee Bucks +300
If you wanted to bet the Bulls to win the game on the money line, you would have to risk $350 to win $100. At these odds, you would have to win 4 out of every 5 wagers you make. If you placed 4 bets and went 3-1, you would be down money at these odds. You would win $300 on your 3 winners and lose $350 on your 1 loss.
On the flip side of this, you could bet the Bucks to win the game. Here you would have to risk only $300 to win $100. You would have to win just 1 out of every 3 bets at these odds to break even.
Keep in mind that the money line will not be different for each game. The bigger the difference in talent, the bigger the money line will be.
Totals (Over/Unders)
How To Win A Basketball Game Every Time
You can also make a wager on the total of any game, which is also known as the over/under. Oddsmakers will set a number of what they think the final combined score will be. You can either bet on the game to finish over that mark or under it.
For example, the total for a game between the Cavaliers and Warriors may be 205. If the final score of that game is 110-96, the over would be a winning bet, as the two combined for 206.
The odds for total wagers is similar to that of point spreads. Regardless of the number set, the standard juice will always be -110 on both sides of the total.
Parlays
When you bundle your bets together this is called a parlay wager. If one bet loses, your entire wager loses even if the rest of your games hit. You can get some massive payouts but you are adding quite a bit of risk since there is no margin for error. Take a look at the payouts that are available depending on how many bets you select.
Parlay Payouts
| # of Teams | Payout | *$10 Wager Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Teams | 13/5 | $26.00 |
| 3 Teams | 6/1 | $60.00 |
| 4 Teams | 10/1 | $100.00 |
| 5 Teams | 25/1 | $250.00 |
| 6 Teams | 40/1 | $400.00 |
| 7 Teams | 75/1 | $750.00 |
| 8 Teams | 150/1 | $1,500.00 |
| 9 Teams | 300/1 | $3,000.00 |
| 10 Teams | 700/1 | $7,000.00 |
| 11 Teams | 1,100/1 | $11,000.00 |
| 12 Teams | 1,800/1 | $18,000.00 |
Teasers
Do some bets look too good to be true? Occassionally you will think that with a side or a total, but nearly all teasers give you that feeling. A teaser bet is like a parlay in that every game you include has to win for you to profit. The difference is that in exchange for lower odds you get to move the odds in your favor by a number of points. Take a look at the following teaser payout chart to see what you can win with a certain number of bets and by moving the line a certain number of points.
Teaser Odds
| Points | 5 pts | 5½ pts | 6 pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Team | -110 | -120 | -130 |
| 3 Team | +145 | +135 | +125 |
| 4 Team | +300 | +250 | +200 |
| 5 Team | +450 | +400 | +350 |
| 6 Team | +600 | +550 | +500 |
| 7 Team | +800 | +700 | +600 |
How To Always Win A Basketball Game
I have an entire guide to betting NBA teasers that you might want to look at. It shows you the profitable numbers that you’ll want to tease up and down on underdogs and favorites. You’ll also want to open accounts at a couple of different books. We compared basketball teaser payouts from some of the top choices. You can see where you get your action in makes a big difference.
Props
It use to be just the biggest games of the season had proposition wagers available. Now almost every game has numerous prop bets listed. Prop bets can be a number of different things. There’s individual player props on the number of points, rebounds, or assists they have. There are head-to-head props. These would be something like who is going to score more points between two players. There’s also team prop bets, like who will score first.
If you know how a player or team does against a specific opponent, you can take advantage of some soft lines here. These odds do not get a ton of thought from the books because they are not all that popular. There is a downside to prop bets. Since the oddsmakers know they are vulnerable they offer 30+ cent lines on these options. Most books also have low limits on how much you can bet on these.
Futures
The odds on who is going to win the NBA Finals, each conference, and even each division are called futures bets. You can bet who is going to get the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery and even which player will go first. All of these longer term bets are called futures. The downside is that your money is tied up for a significant period of time. However, if you are a small player, this can keep you interested in a team for a long time.
Season Win Totals
A type of future that I particularly like are season win totals. Oddsmakers set a number of wins for the regular season for each team. You bet whether you think a team will go over or under that mark.
Keep in mind these bets are only offered before the season starts. You also have to be prepared to wait a long time to get paid. Payouts aren’t given until the regular season is officially in the books.
Halftimes & Quarters
How To Win A Basketball Game Wikihow
One extra note on sides and totals. You have more options than just the entire game. You can also bet point spreads, money lines, and totals for each half and even each quarter. There is opportunity here if you are paying attention. A few years ago the Lakers rested Kobe for the majority of the second quarter. As a result the Lakers were something like 15-67 ATS in the second quarter of those games.
