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• Bet On Nba Games

Betting the point spread, straight up winner, and over/under point total are the three popular NBA bets. Sportsbooks also first half lines, live betting, and other betting angles. Get the latest NBA odds, point spreads, money lines and over/unders for popular sportsbooks and view SportsLine's expert analysis of each upcoming game. The fractional odds for this example would be San Antonio at 3/1 and the Decimal conversion would read 4.0. How to Bet NBA Money Line Odds. A majority of NBA games involve point-spreads of single-digits, while games.

• Where to Bet:

Nba Finals Betting Odds

How to read NBA Las Vegas Odds

The point-spread was developed to provide a balance for both teams involved in a contest to attract bettors to potentially back the weaker team and receive points. The two squads in a game are listed with a title, either a favorite or an underdog. The favorite is usually the perceived better team in the game, as backing them means giving up several points.

The favorite is always listed with a minus (-) sign before the point-spread while the underdog is labeled with a plus (+) label.

Ex. Favorite -10, Underdog +10

On the VegasInsider.com odds page, there is another number associated with the favorite and its listed as -10. This number is simply defined as “vig” or what many in the sports betting industry call vigorish. Another common term is called “juice” and it’s technically the price the bettor has to pay on a straight wager.

Ex. Bet $110 to win $100 (10% juice)
Ex. Bet $100 to win $91.91 (10% juice)

It's not uncommon to see other values posted other than -10. Examples seen on the NBA Vegas Odds pages could include -08, -12, -15 and -20. The -10 price is the most common value in the industry while many books offer reduced 'juice odds' and that would fall into the -08 category.

The lower-juice sportsbooks are normally found outside of the state of Nevada. If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make NBA bets.

Another number that’s posted on the NBA Las Vegas is the total or ‘over/under’ for the specific matchup. If the favorite is designated as the home team, then the total will be listed above and vice versa if the visitors are favorites.

All of the above numbers are listed next to the teams, and before each matchup is a Rotation number. The NBA Las Vegas Odds are listed in order of rotation and those numbers are generated and produced by the sportsbooks. Above each matchup and rotation is the Time of the game, which is subject to change. All game times are Eastern Standard Time.

NBA Open Line

One of the best features on the NBA Vegas Odds is the Open Line. This numbers consists of the first betting line received from one of our Las Vegas or Global Sportsbooks. The opening line varies depending on the sportsbook but it provides a clear-cut rating that the oddsmakers use. If you’re betting on the NBA or any other sport, it’s a great idea to view the open line first.

VI Consensus NBA Line

The VegasInsider.com Consensus NBA Line is just as important as the Open Line and also a key resource on odds platform. The Consensus column could be called a “Median Line” since it shows the most consistent number provided by the sportsbooks on VegasInsider.com. The consensus line will be the same as the open line but once the wagers start coming in, this number is often different than the openers.

Betting on NBA Games

Where can I bet on NBA games?

There are several legal sportsbook options in the United States. Visit our sportsbook directory to find online sportsbooks where you can bet on the NBA.

Who are the experts picking to win?

Odds On Nba Games Tomorrow

Our experts offer picks on all the big NBA games. Check out our 2020 NBA Playoff Predictions or our NBA game picks to see what our handicappers are saying.

What type of bets can I make on NBA games?

Betting the point spread, straight up winner, and over/under point total are the three popular NBA bets. Sportsbooks also first half lines, live betting, and other betting angles.

Who's the favorite to win the NBA Championship?

For odds on where teams will finish in the NBA Playoffs, check out our NBA Futures page.

Can you place parlay bets on NBA games?

Most sportsbooks will allow you to parlay your baskteball bets, meaning you can bet on multiple odds and win a bigger payout if they all win. Check out our parlay calculator to see what your payout will be.

The mantle for which sports league is most popular with Americans outside of football is still up for grabs, but there’s a good case that it’s the NBA and basketball.

That, in turn, translates into pro hoops being one of the most popular sports to bet on. Betting on professional basketball is now legal in a growing number of states across the country.

Read on for more information about NBA betting, where you can wager on NBA games, and more.

Where you can bet on the NBA in the US

Once upon a time, the only place you could bet on the NBA was in Nevada. Sportsbooks have been legal there for decades, and online sports betting has been legal for the better of a decade.

But betting on the NBA is now legal in a variety of states, and its list is growing rapidly.

Here is where you can legally bet on NBA games currently:

In some of those states, you have to visit a physical sportsbook in order to bet. But online basketball betting is becoming more common. Here’s a look at where you can bet on NBA games via an app or website:

NBA betting in New Jersey

Betting on pro hoops is significant business in New Jersey. There are several teams that NJ residents root for: the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.

New Jersey has an advantage over a lot of other states, as well: easy access to the New York City market. New York has legal sports betting only in upstate casinos, and no sports betting online. That means NJ sportsbook operators have sole access to people that live or work in NYC.

Here is a sampling of NJ sportsbook apps available:

NBA betting in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the biggest state in terms of population that has legal sports betting apps. The Sixers are the main game in town here, and after years stuck in the bottom of the heap of the Eastern Conference, interest in the team has been on the rise.

Here are the current sportsbook apps available in PA:

NBA betting in Indiana

Indiana is one of the newest states with legal wagering; that includes both physical sportsbooks and sports betting apps available around the state.

Basketball of all types is big business in Indiana, from college to the NBA, with the Indiana Pacers in the state and the Chicago Bulls nearby. (For now, folks in the Windy City can easily cross the border and start betting online on NBA games and the Bulls.)

More info: Indiana sports betting apps.

NBA betting in West Virginia

There aren’t any NBA teams in West Virginia, but the state is still hoops crazy because of West Virginia University. That should lead NBA betting to come in No. 2 behind the NFL in terms of the amount wagered in the state.

More info: West Virginia sports betting apps.

NBA betting in Nevada

Betting has been legal online in Nevada for nearly a decade, and as such, betting on basketball is already well established.

While there’s no NBA team in Sin City, there’s usually heavy action on the two nearby Los Angeles teams: the Lakers and Clippers.

Beyond that, the NBA is usually the king of betting in the city when football is not going (and outside of March Madness in college hoops).

More info: Nevada sports betting apps.

NBA betting in Iowa

Bet On Nba Games App

If you want to bet on the NBA legally in Iowa, you’re in luck. The state has both physical sportsbooks and online betting options.

Sports betting currently isn’t legal in any of the surrounding states, so NBA fans from beyond Iowa could make the pilgrimage to bet. (Illinois has legalized wagering, but it’s not yet live.

More info: Iowa sports betting apps.

NBA betting in Oregon

The first state with legal sports betting on the Pacific Coast was Oregon, as of 2019. The Oregon Lottery offers a sports betting app in collaboration with SBTech.

Without top-level teams in most of the major pro sports leagues, the Portland Trail Blazers get an outsized amount of attention in Oregon. Betting on them could be the most significant single sector for online wagering in the state.

More info: Oregon sports betting apps.

NBA betting in Rhode Island

There is just one app in the state, via the Rhode Island Lottery, to use for betting. Like much of Rhode Island, fans look north to Boston for their fandom and usually root for and bet on the Celtics.

More info: Rhode Island sports betting apps.

Legal NBA betting options vs. offshore sportsbooks

The states above all have legal sportsbooks, albeit of varying levels of competition and quality, for NBA betting. There are also a variety of options offshore, from companies that flout both federal and state laws to serve the US market.

As a bettor, you often don’t have to worry about legal issues regarding an offshore sportsbook, but legal sports betting does offer several advantages:

• If there are issues with a sportsbook on a bet or getting paid, you have recourse to state gaming regulators.
• Payments are safe through large companies and American banks.
• Revenue and tax money helps Americans and state residents.

Two of the states have monopolies on sports betting, meaning bettors in the state have only one option. Despite that fact, those sportsbooks, in Oregon and Rhode Island, are at least competitive with offshore sportsbooks.

NBA betting at sportsbooks vs. betting apps

If you want to bet on an NBA in states with legal sports betting, you have a couple of options: Head to a sportsbook near where you live or wager online. In the early days of the expanded US betting market, we know that about 80% of wagers for NBA and other sports come online, a percentage that is only going to rise.

Why? For many people, betting online is more convenient. With an app, you can bet wherever you want, including at home while watching a game. You could even bet while at a sportsbook if you wanted.

A sportsbook is a different type of experience. You make bets before you watch a game; then you sit and watch how the game turned out, and perhaps have some drinks and food. As more NBA games start, you could place more bets. You get a communal feel betting and watching at a sportsbook, as people are rooting on their favorite NBA teams, and their bets.

The significant advantage of betting online is live betting (or in-game betting), which is difficult to do or outright impossible, depending on where you live.

NBA sportsbook apps vs. websites

If you made the decision to bet on NBA games online, you usually still have a choice to make, but this one often isn’t hard either.

US sportsbooks typically offer NBA betting both via a website and an app. The most convenient way for more bettors to get a wager down on the NBA is via a dedicated app. Apps will provide an experience that is tailormade for a mobile device, letting you bet anywhere you go.

Sportsbook apps are available for both Android devices (like the Samsung Galaxy) or iOS (iPhone and iPad). You can download Android apps from sportsbook websites; they are not available in the Google PlayStore. For iOS, apps are always available in the App Store.

Sports betting sites are certainly convenient if you are near or on a computer, but betting on a phone is generally more accessible and can be done anywhere.

How to bet on the NBA

Every state where it is legal will take action on the NBA. While some states have limitations on college basketball, those are nonexistent for the major pro sports in the US.

There are several common ways to bet on NBA games:

• Moneyline Bets on the NBA: Here, you pick a winner. The moneyline will be designated by a negative or positive number. The team with odds that have a negative number is the favorite; the positive number is the underdog. If a team is -120 on the moneyline, you would have to bet $120 to return $100 in winnings. For a +120 underdog, a bet of $100 would return $120 in winnings.
• Point Spread Bets on the NBA: You bet on whether a team will cover a point spread set by the sportsbook. The favorite must win by more than the set number of points, and the underdog must win or lose by less than the spread.
• Over/Under Bets on the NBA: You bet on the total number of points that will be scored in a game. It is either under or over a total set by the sportsbook.
• Parlay Bets on the NBA: Parlay betting means linking two or more bets together for an increased payout. You could bet the point spread in multiple games, and get a much larger return on your wager. These are usually much riskier than any of the straight bets above.
• Proposition Bets: Prop bets are usually of the yes-or-no variety, such as whether LeBron James will score more than 30 points in a game, or if Joel Embiid will have more than 15 rebounds.
• Futures Bets: You bet on future events, such as the winner of the NBA Finals, or how many games a team will win in the regular season.
• Live Betting: You can bet on any number of things while games are going on, including moneylines, point spreads and props.

To bet on the NBA at US online sportsbooks, you need to have a way to deposit online. Several options are available, depending on where you are, including PayPal, Neteller, e-checks, Play+ cards, and credit and debit cards. The options vary by state and by sportsbooks.

Bet On Nba Games

If you’re betting at a physical sportsbook, you will usually have to use cash to wager.

NBA live betting

One of the fastest-growing segments in NBA betting is live betting or in-game betting.

One upon a time, the only way to bet on NBA games was before they happened, or if you were placing a futures bet. Now, those limitations have been eliminated, at least in states with online betting.

NBA futures and pro betting

Here is a sampling of what you can bet on at some legal US sportsbooks:

• Bet on who will win the NBA title.
• Bet on NBA division winners.
• Bet on if a team will make the NBA playoffs.
• Bet on NBA win totals.
• Bet on NBA MVP / Rookie of Year / Defensive Player of Year / Coach of Year / Sixth Man.
• Bet on the NBA All-Star game.
• Bet on the NBA 3-point shootout.
• Bet on the NBA dunk contest.
• Bet on the NBA draft.
• Bet on the NBA lottery.

NBA Betting FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) about betting on the NBA:

Is it legal to bet on the NBA in the US?

Yes, you can bet in several states, including:

• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Indiana*
• Iowa*
• Mississippi
• Nevada*
• New Mexico
• New Jersey*
• New York
• Oregon*
• Pennsylvania*
• Rhode Island*
• West Virginia*

* Online betting is allowed statewide.

It will be legal in more states in short order.

How do NBA spreads work?

Sportsbooks will set a number of points that one team will win by; for instance, the Lakers could be favored over the Sixers by 3 points. If you bet on the Lakers (-3), they would have to win by 4 points or more. If you bet on the Sixers (+3), they have to either win the game outright or lose by 1-2 points. If the Lakers win by 3 points in this situation, bettors will get their wagers back.

How does over/under work in basketball?

For an over/under bet, also known as a totals wager, sportsbooks will set the number of points that will be scored in a game. You can bet over or under that total. For example, for a game between the Lakers and Sixers, the total could be set at 240 points. If you bet the under, you are saying the combined points will be under that total. If exactly 240 points are scored, the bet is a “push,” and a sportsbook will refund your money.

How are NBA spreads and odds created?

Sportsbooks will set initial lines, sometimes days before a game takes place. They will do this based on how they rate the teams involved, or perhaps by the early lines set by other sportsbooks. Sportsbooks will then take bets on the games, and they could move the line on the game based on how much money is coming in on one side or the other.

For instance, in a game where the Lakers are favored over the Sixers by 3 points, a sportsbook might move the line to 4-5 points (or perhaps more) if a lot of money comes in on the Lakers to cover.

Can you bet on the NBA draft?

Well, it depends on where you are. Different states have various regulations about whether you can bet on things other than the outcomes of games. In some states, you can place limited wagers on when players might be drafted. Betting on the draft is a fairly limited form of wagering in the US.