NBA Spreads Betting
NBA betting is hugely popular – and more people are starting to add even more excitement to the NBA game by betting on the game. There are several different ways to place a wager on the NBA – you can bet on NBA futures odds – betting on the winner of the NBA Championship or even Division or Conference winner. You can also bet on the NBA games individually. There are several ways to do this also – the basic NBA money line odds, where you decide which team you think will win. Then there is over / under bets, where you bet on whether the points total will be over or under the betting lines set by the online sportsbooks – and the other most popular way is by betting against the NBA point spread. This is where the bookmaker gives both teams a handicap to even up the match, which will enable punters to bet on the underdog team as well as the favorite and still have a decent chance of winning.
In this article, we will be focusing on NBA point spread betting – so you can enjoy the whole NBA season betting on your favorite team – whether you think they will win or not!
How To Bet Against the Spread on NBA
The good news is that online sports betting is legal in many states across the US – but we would always recommend making sure you check the legislation in your area. Once that you have established that all is well where you reside then you need to make sure that your bets are as informed as possible. So, here we have brought you a guide on how to read NBA odds when betting against the spread as you would find at any online sportsbook or Las Vegas sportsbook.
As soon as you are ready to start placing your bets against the spread on your favorite NBA team, then check out one of our preferred sportsbooks that are all safe, legit and offer a great user experience.
The Points Spread was originally created in order to create a balance for the betting process to make both teams a little more equal. This will then attract more bettors to put more money on a weaker team and still have the chance of winning. The two teams are both listed with their title – either the favorite to win or the underdog. The favorite is the better team and the one expected to win… so backing them would mean giving up several points in the handicap.
You can tell the favorite team as it will be listed with a minus sign (-) before the points spread. The underdog team, on the other hand, will be labelled with a plus (+) sign.
Favorite -10, Underdog +10
There is another number associated with the favorite and this is -10. This is simply called the ‘vig’, known in the sports betting industry as the ‘vigorish’. A common name for this is also the ‘juice’ – and this is basically the price that a bettor will need to pay on a straight wager.
So, if you were to bet on your team with a 50/50 straight wager, then you would need to wager $110 to win $100 – or a wager of $100 would reward you with $91.91. This is how a sportsbook guarantees that it makes a profit… with the 10% vig/juice.
However, don’t be surprised if you see a posted value that is different to -10… it could also be -8, -12, -15 or even -20, although most generally offer -10. If a sportsbook claims to offer reduced juice then it would probably be -8.
The sportsbooks that claim to offer lower juice are generally not found in the Las Vegas area. So, if you do happen to live in a state where it is legal to bet on sports, then check out our best NBA sports betting sites so that you can find the best places to make the best value NBA bets.
Alongside against the spread bets, you could add a totals bet… or an over/under bet for the same game.
The NBA Open Line
The best way to find your value bet is to think like an oddsmaker – and to do this, you need to know what happens when he sets his numbers. The NBA open line – which is also known as the initial line or overnight line is an educated prediction of the starting point that they think will get equal action from bettors wagering on both teams. They set this in order to attract wagers on both sides. However, this will then change depending on the reaction of the public. If one team is seeing more action, then they will amend their odds accordingly to attract more bets on the other team. The best way to get value odds is by checking the line regularly and seeing how the NBA line is trending from the open line. So, whether you’re looking for online sportsbooks odds or NBA Vegas odds, keep an eye on the fluctuations to get the best deal!
Why Bet Against the Spread?
So, why bet against the spread (ATS)? Well, there are obvious reasons that this has become one of the most popular types of sports betting. Firstly, it really is very simple. The point spread is just the number chosen … the betting line that has been set by the bookmakers to even it up a little bit between an underdog and a favorite – to give a bettor a reason to bet on the underdog – and you can bet with the spread or bet against the spread. This means that a bettor can choose to bet on their favorite team even if they are the underdog – and still have a decent chance of winning. They can bet with their heart whilst still betting with their head.
Betting with the Spread
When you choose to bet with the spread, you are opting to bet on the favorite team to win – and cover the spread. For example, if the Los Angeles Lakers are favored at -10 over the Denver Nuggets. If you take the Los Angeles Lakers -10 then you will be betting with the spread and are betting on the Lakers to win by more than 10 points.
Betting Against the Spread
Alternatively, you can bet against the spread – and this means that you will be betting on the underdog team to win the game. You will then need the underdog team to either win the game completely or to lose by less than the point spread given. Again, we will use the above example. The LA Lakers are favorites with a handicap of -10 and the Denver Nuggets are Underdogs with a handicap of +10. However, the Denver Nuggets is your team and you want to bet on them. In order to win a wager on the Denver Nuggets then one of two things will need to happen. Firstly, the Denver Nuggets could actually win the game. Secondly, the Denver Nuggets lose the game, but they lose by less than ten points. If they lose by exactly 10 points then it will be deemed a push – and your bet will be refunded so you will neither have lost nor won your wager.
Against the Spread NBA Betting FAQs
What is ATS NBA Betting?
ATS betting is short for Against the Spread. This is a type of bet that allows you to bet on a team with a handicap. This is good for bettors as it gives them better odds if they want to bet on the favorite – and gives any bettor placing a wager on the underdog a better chance of winning. It is also great for the bookmaker as it encourages bettors to wager on both teams equally.
What if I Win My Bet Against the Spread?
If you win your wager then you will get your original bet back and also your winnings. generally, this will be with a vig (juice) of -10. So, if you wager $110, you will win $100 and your return will be $210.
What if I Lose my Bet Against the Spread
This is the same as losing any bet. If you wager against the spread and lose then you will lose the entire amount of your bet.
What if My Team Loses by the Spread Number?
If you wager on your team to win at +10, then you are betting on the team to either win or lose by less than 10 points. If they lose by exactly 10 points then this would be considered a ‘push’ and your bet money would be refunded.
What Other Types of Wagers Can I Place on NBA Games?
Other than betting the point spread, NBA fans can also bet on the straight up winner (with no handicap). You can also bet on over and under totals bets. These are the three most popular bets to make on an NBA game. In addition, you can also make a number of NBA props bets – placing a wager on different events that you believe might happen in the course of the game.
Can I Find ATS NBA Odds on the NBA Championship Winner?
Yes, certainly, no matter what game you want to bet on – be it the NBA regular season, NBA playoffs or NBA finals, you will be able to find all sorts of odds available – including Against the Spread betting odds.
Can I Place Parlay Bets on NBA Games?
Yes, certainly. Most of the top sportsbooks available to you will give you the opportunity to make parlay bets on basketball. This means that you can wager on multiple odds – which also means winning a bigger payout should your luck be in. However, remember, although you will win more money with a parlay bet, you also have more risk of losing… so make sure you choose your parlay bets wisely.
Where Can I Find the Best NBA Betting Odds?
We recommend a number of different and excellent online sports betting sites, that all offer punters a variety of NBA betting lines. However, each one varies on the value of their odds depending on the type of wager. As such, we would always recommend looking through a couple of different sports betting sites. Some will have more generous NBA moneyline odds, some will be more generous with NBA point spreads odds and others may have great value in futures odds. Always check first so you get the best value available.
