NBA Betting

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New superstars to the NBA have increased the level of interest in NBA betting this season. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have helped make the NBA more exciting and that has translated into more people betting the NBA. In past seasons, getting anyone interested in the Cleveland Cavaliers or Denver Nuggets was as hard as getting Allen Iverson to keep his mouth shut. LeBron James has created an excitement level for the NBA that has not been seen since Michael Jordan was in the league. You see more betting action because of LeBron’s presence. Sometimes you will see proposition bets based on how many points, rebounds or assists James will get each night. Now that is popularity.

So how do we go about betting the NBA? It is very straight forward for the most part. We have a point spread and a total on every game. If we like the Lakers over the Suns the line might read L.A. -14 with a total of 202. We lay 110 to win 100 on whatever side or total we like. And I can tell you the Lakers get a lot of action. When you have a superstar at nearly every position you can understand the attraction. Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, Gary Payton, - they are loaded with stars. Los Angeles got off to a slow start but as the NBA season winds down they are competing for the best record in the league. The downside to betting the Lakers is that they are a huge public team. Everywhere you go everyone seems to either like or hate the Lakers. That really makes them a public team. They are like what the Cowboys used to be in the NFL. They have this love - hate relationship with fans.That relationship can help you in your betting. You may get a little bit more value betting against the Lakers on some occasions.

To start looking at how to profit betting on the NBA we’ll begin with a few tips. Situations are a key factor when handicapping the NBA. When you are making a bet on the NBA look at how the teams are playing, what situation they are in, how they do head to head, and their home and away records. Let’s say that you really like the Lakers tonight. They are playing at Seattle and are a 5.5 point favorite. A couple of things to keep in mind is how the Lakers do when they visit Seattle. Another thing to keep in mind is did the Lakers play the previous night. It is always difficult to play back to back nights in the NBA. That is especially true when that second game is on the road. Other situations that factor into your selection might be which team needs the game. Late in the season teams are jockeying for playoff position and will really focus on certain games. Look at those situations closely. Let’s say you really don’t have a strong opinion on the side but you think the game is going to be high scoring. Bet the over. It is always more fun to watch the two teams and cheer for points rather than cheer against them. I have known many gamblers over the years and nearly all of them prefer to play the over. That does not mean they win. It just means they like to see points scored. That can help your cause in certain situations. You see a total that has been set high because the bookmaker knows the public likes to bet the over. It gives you good value taking the under. And those are the type of plays that can turn you into a winner.

When betting on the NBA you will find that things really matter more inthe last few minutes of the game. I can’t count how many times I have had double digit leads midway through an NBA game, only to lose in the last few minutes. If you like to watch the NBA and suffer through each and every basket, then the last few minutes are even more exciting. Here are a couple of more things to think about when betting on the NBA. Injuries and key players missing can be huge when making your NBA bet. If Kobe Bryant is not playing for the Lakers then it affects the betting line and really makes it hard to play Los Angeles. But remember, the bookmaker knows that too. And he adjusts the betting line accordingly, sometimes too much. He knows you will not bet the Lakers since Bryant is out and he gives the opposing team more value. Also keep in mind that this is the NBA and even the backup players are pros and often teams get inspired when missing an injured player. So don’t overreact to a player being out. Just be aware of it.

One area I have not covered when betting the NBA is the money line. It is based on just having the team win the game. No point spread is involved. An example would look like this. New York at Cleveland. Cavaliers are -5 with a total of 183. Cleveland is -210 on the money line while New York is +180. So if you like Cleveland on the money line you are risking 210 to win 100. If you like the Knicks, you are risking 100 to win 180. The moneyline is not as heavily bet in the NBA but is something you may want to add to your betting menu when you see a good opportunity.

If you love betting on the NBA remember to take into account some of the tips we talked about. Watch for those streaks and enjoy the game.As always, don’t forget your gut. When you get that feeling - go with it.