10 Winning Tips for Betting NBA Basketball Odds

1. Keep track of injuries

The NBA is a daily grind for players, and coaches are constantly juggling their lineups to adapt to opponents and injuries while keeping their key contributors healthy and fresh. 

Keep a close eye on injury reports and follow beat reporters for the best insight into which players are suiting up and starting that night.

2. Pick your spots

Due to the demanding schedule of the NBA, situational basketball bettors can find value just about every night. Pay close attention to a team’s calendar and when they run into schedules that have them playing plenty of games in a short span or cross the country on short rest. Use our NBA scores and matchup page to identify your best spots.

There are also lookahead and letdown spots aplenty, so weigh the previous matchup as well as the upcoming opponent before pulling the trigger on tonight’s point spread.

3. Monitor streaks and slumps

Unlike football, which sees teams in action just once a week, NBA teams play three and four times over seven days, which means bettors should put more weight into current hot streaks and cold skids. And that doesn’t just pertain to teams. 

Bettors should also dive into which players are lighting it up and which ones are laying bricks over the past few games. 

5. Pick out pace

Betting road underdogs may seem daunting, but there is a lot of value in taking them. Last season, NBA underdogs won 50.3 percent against the spread and more than 30 percent straight up.

Unlike the NFL, crowd noise doesn’t affect NBA players and isn’t as much of a variable in basketball. More often than not, you’ll find teams that are road dogs that would be easily favored if they were playing at home. Smart bettors can take advantage of those kinds of matchups.

6. Root for road dogs

Betting road underdogs may seem daunting, but there is a lot of value in taking them. Last season, NBA underdogs won 50.3 percent against the spread and more than 30 percent straight up.

Unlike the NFL, crowd noise doesn’t affect NBA players and isn’t as much of a variable in basketball. More often than not, you’ll find teams that are road dogs that would be easily favored if they were playing at home. Smart bettors can take advantage of those kinds of matchups.

7. Look for line movement

There is always a good time and a bad time to bet on a game. Usually, when the line first comes out is when the odds are at their most vulnerable. As game-time draws closer, the sportsbook will adjust several variables such as injury and player news and make the line “sharper.” 

Most times, when teams suddenly list a superstar as out for the game the day of, the line will shift dramatically (also known as severe line movement). Sportsbooks may even suspend the game, and bettors won’t be able to wager on it until the book can adjust appropriately. 

When the betting public majority backs one side, the line tends to change in that team’s favor. But reverse line movement is when most tickets are on one team, but more money is backing the opponent. That indicates sharp money, meaning the big-time bettors are taking the other side. Use our NBA Cover's Consensus to pick out who the betting public thinks is going to win. 

8. Know when to bet against the public

The majority of the public loves to place action on the big teams like the Lakers, Nets, and Clippers. The media’s perception and false build-up of a team such as the Lakers can make them seem like massive favorites in a game that, in reality, is a toss-up. 

For example, in a matchup between Los Angeles and Memphis, Betting on a less-talked-about playoff team like the Grizzlies may not seem hip. However, more often than not, it is the right play against square action on the Lakers. 

9. Find the best odds

Once you know who you’re picking, ensure you’re getting the best value for your bet. Some books such as Pinnacle will offer way better odds for heavy favorites, and the more money you stake, the bigger your returns will be. 

Long-term, line shopping puts you in the best position of profiting from sports betting. 

Compare odds on your bet across many different books using Covers’ odds comparison tool.

10. Know your referee tendencies

Referees are among one of the most significant outside forces that can dictate the pace of a game. Some refs tend to keep games closer than others and can dramatically alter Over/Unders by the number of times they send players to the free-throw line. 

Check out how NBA referees fare so far this season against the spread and with Over/Unders.