Point Spread Betting

Basketball point spread betting is probably the most popular type of wager that you can make. The point spread is a calculated points difference determined by oddsmakers between two teams lining up.

For example, if Golden State is playing Charlotte, they’ll be a big favorite. As a 12-point favorite (for example), Golden State must win the game by 12 points or more for them to ‘cover the spread.’ Any result where Charlotte wins or loses by less than 12 points, bets on Charlotte against the spread would win.

In the NBA, betting against the spread is a great way to make every game interesting, even while the game is live. With 82 games in a season, even the best teams will lose to major underdogs and of course there are plenty of momentum swings, resulting in huge runs. Savvy researchers who pay attention to fatigue, home/road splits, player injuries and coaching changes can all find an edge against their competition.

Point Totals

Total betting is another extremely popular way to bet on basketball. Also known as over/under, betting on the point total is as simple as it sounds. You are placing a wager based on whether or not the two teams on the court exceed or fail to meet a certain combined score. Here's an example:

Let's say that Duke and Michigan State are slated to square off with a point total set at 155.5. If you believe that they will combine for more than 155.5 points, you would wager on the over. If you feel that Duke and Michigan State won't meet that score, you would wager on the under. If the final score is 80-75, bets on the under would be successful.

Money Line

Betting on the money line is a simplified version of the prior two wager types. Instead of including points, you simply place your money on who you think will win the game. Money line wagers are built around odds which means that if you are betting on the favorite, you have to stake more money than if you were betting on the underdog (for the same profit/return). For example, you wouldn't really make a significant amount of money by betting on a large, competitive school like UVA against a small school if UVA wins.

Parlays

Parlays are all about stringing together bets to increase winnings. In order to win your parlay, you must accurately make multiple winning picks to win. By combining several bets into a parlay, the chances of winning are less, but the rewards are much greater if you pick correctly.