NBA basketball is a unique game because it runs on a schedule. On any given night, you can look forward to one or more games that are important to watch. But the schedule gets even more interesting when you consider how some games in the NBA are actually odds-on favorites while others are long shots. Knowing how to leverage this can dramatically change the way you place your bets each week or each month, especially if you’re placing them online where the odds are always available.
The Odds-On Favors
The first step in understanding NBA betting is to realize that some games are simply more valuable than others. The following NBA games this coming season have the odds-on favorites listed next to them:
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, Oct. 23
- Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets, Oct. 23
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz, Oct. 23
- Los Angeles Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Oct. 23
- San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Oct. 23
- Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics, Oct. 23
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings, Oct. 29
- Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors, Oct. 29
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, Nov. 11
- Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Nov. 11
- Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns, Nov. 11
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat, Nov. 11
- Charlotte Bobcats vs. New York Knicks, Nov. 25
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic, Dec. 2
- Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons, Dec. 2
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, Dec. 8
- Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers, Dec. 8
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks, Dec. 9
- Chicago Bulls vs. Seattle Supersonics, Dec. 16
- Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards, Dec. 16
- Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Dec. 18
- Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors, Dec. 20
- New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Dec. 22
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Bobcats, Dec. 22
- New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics, Dec. 26
- Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat, Dec. 27
- Seattle Supersonics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Dec. 29
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Dec. 30
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, Dec. 31
The Underdogs
While some games are easier to bet on than others, the opposite is true for the underdogs. Teams that were expected to perform well this season underperformed horribly, resulting in many teams with records well below.500. As a result, the following teams have been installed as the underdogs for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season:
- Grizzlies
- Rockets
- Spurs
- Nuggets
- Jets
- 76ers
- Sharks
- Nets
- Kings
- Hornets
- Pelicans
- Pelicanroids
- Clippers
Knowing When To Bet
The best thing about the NBA is that there are so many games each week. This makes it possible to follow almost every game closely, and that’s exactly what makes it ideal for betting. It’s always a good idea to follow the schedule and know the dates of important games. Doing this can help you determine when to place your bets, and knowing how the game is going can increase your odds of winning. For instance, if you realize that one team is dominating the other, you can place a wager knowing that the game is almost certainly going to end up in your favor.
Some people prefer to bet on the favorite in all games, but that’s a strategy that doesn’t always pay off. You’re better off knowing which games are most likely to result in a win and wagering on those. Teams can turn things around quickly, so you might miss out on some winning opportunities if you focus on the favorite in every game.
Some Teams Are Better In Small Markets
One of the great things about the NBA is that it’s a league that can be followed internationally. This means that you have the opportunity to place wagers on games that are being played in locations that you probably couldn’t get to otherwise. The Toronto Raptors are a great example of this. Toronto is the capital of Canada, but it isn’t exactly close to the United States. The Raptors have dominated the NBA in 2019, and that’s largely thanks to the fact that they’re one of the more popular destinations for international players. This popularity extends to the sports books, where small-market bets are heavily favored over large-market bets.
In most countries, you have to pay money to place a wager on an NBA game. Some places will even charge you for accessing this content. But in countries like Canada and Australia, where the game is legal, you don’t need to pay to place a bet. You just have to follow the simple rules put in place by the government to regulate gambling. This is often the case with international sports events where the pay-to-play model doesn’t apply.
More Money Will Flow Toward The Season
Another great thing about the NBA is that all games but the finals are played during the season. This means that there is a steady flow of money coming in throughout the year, with large sums getting bet on games during the season. The final two weeks of the season feature the fewest bets of any week in the season, which is understandable because people are trying to get their money back in time for the playoffs. In fact, weekly total bet amounts increase near the end of the season, which is great for gamblers.
These factors, along with the simple fact that there are more games this year than there has been in a long time, make the NBA a viable option for those looking to place wagers. The question is: Which team do you back? The favorites are always interesting to bet on because sometimes they’re the opposite of what you’d expect, and that’s what makes them interesting. The underdogs are interesting, too, because sometimes they rise up and surprise everyone.