The NBA Finals is finally upon us! It’s the culmination of the entire season: the best regular season performances, the riveting drama of the playoffs, and now, the ultimate match-up between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
The Cavs are the 2016 NBA champions, becoming the first team to defeat the Warriors in the Finals (although the Dubious Brothers did manage to pull off an upset back in 1949). With this win, the team’s fans can celebrate a championship on home soil for the first time in 51 years. It’s also the end of an era for Warriors fans as they’ve lived in the shadows of their Bay Area rivals for the past 12 months.
Whether you’re a seasoned basketball fan or this is your first year following the games, you’re bound to be excited about the upcoming Finals. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can now place NBA Finals bets online – if you follow a few simple instructions, that is.
Here, we’ll answer all your questions about betting on the NBA Finals and give you the lowdown on where to place your bets in the lead-up to the big game.
The Basics
The basics of NBA Finals betting are actually quite simple. You’ll need to understand the rules and regulations surrounding sports betting in general, as well as the NBA in particular. Once you do, you’ll be able to follow the steps below and get your finances in order before the start of the Finals.
Step one: Find a place to make a bet
The first thing you should do before taking any bets is find a place to make them. To place bets on the 2016 NBA Finals, you’ll need to have an account with an online sportsbook (also known as a “regulated sportsbook”). If you don’t have one yet, you can open an account with a reputable sportsbook and make your first deposit using our referral link.
Step two: Determine how much you want to wager
Now that you have an account, you can start making wagers on the 2016 NBA Finals. To do this, you’ll need to determine how much you’re willing to wager. The most common bets are listed below, along with their odds:
- Moneyline: If you think the favorite will win, you can bet on the moneyline (a la carte betting). The favorite is the team that scores more points at the end of the game.
- Total Wins (Over/Under): If you think there will be more wins by one team or the other, you can bet on the total number of wins (over/under). For example, if you think the Warriors will win more games than the Cavs, you could bet $10 on the over/under selection 10.
- Oddsmakers: If you think the pointspread will be a certain amount of points (for example, 3 points for every $2 bet), you can bet on the oddsmakers (parlay betting). The lines might be harder to predict than the final score, so you might as well give it a go.
- Proposition: You can also put your money on a prop bet. For example, did LeBron James really just block a shot with a chair? Or will he get a triple-double in tonight’s game? These are the types of bets you can make on the proposition side.
- Head-to-head: If you want to bet on the game winner, you can do so directly from the page where you made your wager. For example, did the Cavaliers beat the Warriors last year in four straight games? You’ll need to look for the results of that series to see if you can use it as a head-to-head matchup.
- Free bets: Some bookies will even give you free bets if you wager a certain amount of money on a certain team. Just make sure you follow the rules and regulations surrounding free bets in your area.
Step three: Determine what sports to bet on
You now have your sportsbook account and you want to make a wager on the 2016 NBA Finals. The first step is to determine which sports to bet on. You can’t bet on all of them, as there are restrictions in place due to state and federal laws. If you follow the steps below, you’ll be able to choose the sports that interest you without running into any problems.
To begin with, you should avoid betting on any team or player that is connected to you in any way. Doing so could lead to problems with the bookie you’re using (they might even refuse to take your wager). Instead, choose sports that you know well and are confident will come into play during the Finals. The following are the four sports you should avoid at all costs:
- NHL
- MLB
- UFC
- Golf
Step four: Create a betting slip
Once you’ve decided which sports to bet on, it’s time to create a betting slip. A betting slip is an official document that you’ll need to provide to your bookie when you want to place a bet. It contains essential information like the amount you want to wager and the name of the game or sports you’re betting on. Many sportsbooks have automated systems in place that make creating a betting slip as easy as clicking a button. Just find the “wagering” tab in the menu on the left and follow the instructions.
Once you’ve created the slip, you can submit it along with some documentation proving you are 18 years old. You’ll then be asked to confirm your email address, as well as provide a delivery address if you want the bookie to send your winnings.
Step five: Follow the rules
Last but not least, it’s time to follow the rules. If you want to take advantage of this exciting offer and place bets on the NBA Finals, you have to abide by the rules and regulations set by the leagues and their members. The most important rule is actually quite simple: never bet against the house or the spread (unless the sportsbook is offering a sign up bonus). You are, in fact, supposed to bet on the spread to get the advantage of betting on the over/under (or the moneyline, if you’re using those odds).
The spread is the difference in points between the two teams. For example, if the home team is listed as +3 and the road team is listed as +1, that’s a spread of +2. If you are betting on the spread and the home team wins by 1, you would earn 3 points ($2.10). If you are using the over/under selection, you would earn 1 point for each dollar you bet (the total is below the over/under line).
If you want to take advantage of this NBA Finals betting offer and place bets on the Finals, make sure to abide by the rules and regulations surrounding sports betting. You’ll have a better chance of winning if you do.