The NBA season is now over, which means that you can put your pencils and notebooks in your backpacks and start that humdrum life of theirs. Or at least, you can start following the advice that the NBA gives you to maximize your betting experience.
Did you know that the NBA season ends at the end of the month, or that their entire season is over after only a few weeks? Well, it is! So, if you’re looking for some excitement, betting on the NBA is definitely the way to go.
The NBA regular season ends on a Wednesday, but the post-season continues for another couple of weeks. Once the NBA regular season has ended, the postseason starts. This is where teams are divided into conference semi-finals and finals. The winners of these series advance to the next round, while the losers face elimination. If one team is defeated in the semifinals, they have to go through a consolation round to earn a spot in the NBA Finals – which in turn is where the big money is. So, for the majority of NBA fans, the end of the regular season is when the fun starts.
Did you know that the postseason is where a lot of the action is during the NBA season? At least 76% of the bets that are placed by the public come during the postseason, which is when a lot of the money is on the line. The reason behind this is because teams generally perform better in the post-season and there’s a lot more going on. It’s basically an extension of the season. Which, in turn, makes it more exciting and a better draw for bettors. This is also the case with the NFL and the MLB, by the way.
So, if you’re an NBA fan, you’ve got an extra two weeks to wait for the excitement to begin in earnest. Or if you’re looking for somewhere/something to wager on, you can start with the NBA playoffs.
Back to Back
What is interesting is that during the last decade, there has been a clear trend in the NBA that is worth noting. This is especially relevant now that we are well into the new millennium and the internet makes it possible to access all of the stats that are relevant to any given game. So, if you’re interested, here are the details.
In the year 2000, teams played only one game per week on average. As a result, only about 10% of the games per week were decided by one score – which is pretty low. On the whole, the games were slow moving and somewhat dull. Which is surprising, considering that this was before everyone had a cell phone and TV screens in their hands 24/7.
These days, with everyone connected to the internet and constantly checking their social media accounts, fans consume content when and where they want it. So, game speeds have increased as a result and there is more scoring and less one-sided games played. This being said, only about 3% of the total NBA games are decided by one score these days.
This is mainly because of the increase in player usage that we’ve seen in recent years. Teams are much more reliant on their stars and the amount of possessions that they get. It’s basically an arms race at this point, as no team can afford to lose a game, regardless of the final score.
However, this does create problems, especially for fans of teams that are playing on a back-to-back. Teams will play only one game per day on average these days, which means that they don’t get a break for several days. This is also when the opposition gets a turn at resting and preparing for the following game. So, if you’re a Lakers fan and you’re playing the Celtics, you might want to keep your eyes open for oddsmakers’ favorites in the NBA playoff races. It’s basically a perfect scenario for someone who wants to bet on the NBA – but it’s not what the league wants to promote.
Speaking of betting, you might want to keep an eye on teams that are playing on a back-to-back. The reason behind this is that if you’re looking to bet on the NBA, you generally want to avoid betting on teams that are playing on a back-to-back. Why is this? Well, when teams play on a back-to-back, they generally play bad and it’s fairly obvious at that point what the outcome will be. So, if you’re looking for an upset, maybe stick with a team that is playing on a break or has a good chance of winning.
Over Under and Side
Odds makers and betting exchanges have taken note of this trend as well and have adjusted their wagers to account for the increased action that we’ve seen in recent years. The over under (or point spread) is now usually set around -3.5 points and the side is anywhere from -1.5 to 1.5 points. So, there is more action on the over and less action on the side.
Keep in mind that the over under is not the same as the over/side. The over under is usually set at a premium, which means that it is more expensive to bet on the over. However, some sportsbooks will even rebate part of your bet if the over outcome happens. This is because there is more liquidity involved in the over/side and they can sometimes get away with paying out on the over, even if the point spread turns out to be in favor of the home team. This is generally done for entertainment purposes, as it adds an extra element of chance and makes things more interesting for the bettor. But, keep in mind that the point spread is generally the same as the over under, except in times of major college football games.
Home Court Advantage
Another interesting trend is that of the home court advantage. This refers to the fact that teams generally play better at home and win more often than they lose on the road. This being said, home court advantage can vary from team to team and is not always an obvious fact. This is why you should always try to catch a game, regardless of whether you’re at home or on the road. Home court advantage makes a huge difference in the NBA and is mostly responsible for the high number of one-sided games, as home teams win 93% of the time. This being said, the margin for error is small and things can go either way.
More Positives Than Negatives
One of the things that the NBA does well is that they generally have more positives than negatives. This being said, it’s not always easy to find the good in a game, especially when you’re just analyzing a single performance. But if you look for the positives, you will usually find them. The first thing that you should look for, when you want to find the positives in an NBA game, is the effort that the players put in. This is especially important to keep in mind, because there are a lot of sloppy games when you compare it to the totality of the season. When you’re looking for the positives, you can generally find them in the game strategies and individual performances of the players. Even the most minimal fans will know that basketball is a difficult game to follow and watch, which is why scoring is generally low and not very exciting. The key to a good NBA betting experience is to find the positives in every game that you watch and bet on them, as much as possible. This way, you will increase your chances of winning and minimize the amount of money that you lose, time and time again.