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Basketball Betting Guide

The game of basketball is synonymous with the National Basketball Association (NBA) – the world’s premier basketball league for teams in North America and Canada. Read our dedicated page for a complete guide to the NBA, and feel free to browse our NBA picks section for the best basketball betting tips.

This guide will give you a more global overview of the sport, which continues to grow in popularity across Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. We’ve also picked out the best bookmakers for betting on basketball below.

Best Basketball Betting Bookmakers – March 2024

4.5/5
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Terms and conditions: The bonus code is only valid for a new customer's first deposit and must be redeemed immediately after the deposit and before a wager has been placed. The sum of the deposit and the bonus are subject to rollover requirements of 8x at min. odds of -200 (1.5) before a new bonus can be redeemed or a withdrawal can be made. Max. $1000 of each bet count towards the rollover requirements. Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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+5

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0 – 24 Hours

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  • Competitive sign-up and promotional offers
  • Excellent statistics section to aid customers
  • Pain-free deposit options
  • Accepts both high and low limit bettors
  • Lengthy and expensive withdrawal procedure
4.5/5
Rated by 267 users
Claimed by 206 people this week
125% up to $3,125
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Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

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  • BTC
  • LTC
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  • Premier destination for US bettors
  • Racebook covering daily races
  • Esports and virtual sports markets
  • In-depth sports stats and tips
  • Intuitive live betting markets
  • Limited withdrawal options
4.57/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 165 people this week
100% Up To $1000
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Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

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  • LTC
  • USD
  • Generous bonuses and promotions
  • Great range of betting markets
  • Extensive racebook
  • Very good customer service
  • Only a few withdrawal options
  • Fees for withdrawing funds
4.62/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 179 people this week
100% Up to $1000 + $25 casino chip
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VISA
Master Card
Bitcoin

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

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  • BTC
  • Trusted by publications such as ESPN
  • Access a dedicated racing section
  • Crypto-friendly sportsbook
  • Adjust odds format and time zone
  • Support options include call back
  • Quite low sportsbook limits
4.5/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 139 people this week
50% Up To $1000
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Neteller
Skrill
+1

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

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  • USD
  • Accepts players from all over the world
  • Known for their live betting offers
  • Lots of secure banking options
  • Great bonuses and promotions
  • High fees for some deposit options
  • Support agents are often slow to reply
4.5/5
Rated by 313 users
Claimed by 93 people this week
50% Up to $250
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Amex
Bitcoin
Master Card
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Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

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  • BTC
  • Top-rated US online sportsbook
  • Mobile site for iOS and Android users
  • Diverse range of betting markets
  • Excellent customer support options
  • Lines come out very late in the day
  • Odds not as favorable as other books
4.5/5
Rated by 232 users
Claimed by 86 people this week
15% up to $600
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

Amex
Bank Wire
Bitcoin
Cheque
Master Card
Neteller
VISA

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • BPS
  • CAD
  • EUR
  • Popular book that accepts large max bets
  • Huge focus on football and basketball
  • High-spec live in-play platform available
  • Downloadable client for Windows & Mac
  • Odds are not amazing on non-US sports
  • User interface could be improved

A Beginner’s Guide to Basketball Betting

There are various types of bets and markets available to fans of basketball, and games across the world tend to follow the same 2-way betting format as the North American game. Any overtime is included in the bet (unless otherwise stated), and the most common betting markets are the spread, totals, and the moneyline:

Spread Betting

Spread Betting

The spread is similar to an Asian handicap, in that one team will be given a points ‘headstart’ and the other a points ‘deficit’. This allows bookmakers to level the playing field between the two teams and offer roughly even odds.

Let’s look at an example from the EuroLeague where Real Madrid are playing CSKA Moscow. The spread and the odds are displayed as follows:

  • CSKA Moscow -3.5 110
  • Real Madrid +3.5 110

In this instance, CSKA Moscow must win by four points or more to cover the -3.5 spread. By contrast, as far as the betting market is concerned, Real Madrid have an additional +3.5 points added to their score at the end of the game. Therefore, if Real Madrid only loses by 2 points, the bet is a winner.

Total Betting

Total Betting

The totals market is a simple bet on how many points will be scored in the match between the two teams combined. Your bookmaker will set a points line, and you can bet that the total will be over or under that line. European punters will be well-versed in this kind of over/under bet.

The total line and odds for the same match are expressed as follows:

  • Over 168.5 -110
  • Under 168.5 110

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline Betting

The moneyline is another 2-way market, which asks you to predict the winner of the match. This is a simple home or away selection.

The moneyline odds for CSKA Moscow versus Real Madrid are:

  • CSKA Moscow -170
  • Real Madrid +150

As you can see, CSKA are the favorites to win the match, while the odds on Real Madrid are higher as that team is the underdog. If you fancy an upset it can pay handsomely to bet on the moneyline, but if you think the favorite will win it is often best to bet on the spread and hope they win comfortably, in order to increase the odds.

Basketball player taking a shot

Additional Basketball Betting Markets

Beyond the typical markets, many bookmakers offer a variety of different betting opportunities, including the above three markets for the first and second halves, and for each of the four quarters. Other exotic and prop bets include:

Alternative Game Totals

Alternative Game Totals

This is effectively the same bet as total betting listed above but the bookmakers offer different lines so that punters have a choice of larger odds. If you think there will be a high-scoring game, for example, you might find very juicy odds on over 200 points.

Double Result

Double Result

The double result give you the chance to select which team will be winning at halftime and at fulltime. This is a good way to boost the odds of a selection but it does come with greater risk attached. For the bet to win, you have to correctly predict the result of both halves of the match.

Winning Margin

Winning Margin

As stated, this is a bet on the winning margin of your selected team. Your chosen side must win for the bet to land and you generally have options to back a winning margin of 1-2 points, 3-6 points, 7-9 points, and so on, up to 21+ points. There are some huge odds in this market, but clearly, the risks of losing are far higher.

Exotics and Futures

Exotics and Futures

After those extra markets, bookies also offer other exotic bets such as the alternative points spread, the race to 20 points, the team with the highest-scoring quarter, and odd or even points totals. In addition, most betting sites offer futures, or long-term, markets whereby you can back a team to win the league, or championship outright.

Basketball falling through net

Major Basketball Leagues and Tournaments

The NBA attracts most basketball betting attention. It is by far the most famous league in the world and its stars are some of the best-paid athletes out there. However, there is also a big following of the sports in almost every corner of the globe, and most countries have their own leagues – of various standing.

In Europe, the EuroLeague is the premier club competition, while the Americas League is considered the most important basketball club championship in South America. Asia has a long history of basketball, and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is widely considered the next best league in the world after the NBA.

Below are some of the best tournaments and competitions worldwide for basketball betting, although this is by no means an exhaustive list:

NBA

NBA

The NBA is the premier basketball league in the world. Originally founded in New York in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), it adopted the name of National Basketball Associaton after merging with its competitor, the National Basketball League (NBL), in 1949. You can find a wealth of information in our NBA section.

PBA

PBA

The next most popular league in the world is the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It’s the second-longest running basketball league after the NBA and was established in 1975, being also quite usual to place bets on the PBA. The history of the sport in the Philippines dates back much further than that after it was introduced (along with baseball) by American teachers through the YMCA and school system.

EuroLeague

EuroLeague

Also known as the Turkish Airline EuroLeague for sponsorship reasons, the EuroLeague was inaugurated in the year 2000. It is a European-wide professional basketball league for top-tier club sides throughout the continent. Real Madrid is the most successful side in the history of the competition, with nine titles to their name.

Basketball Champions League

Basketball Champions League

The BCL is an annual basketball club competition organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) for club sides which excel in their national leagues. However, the tournament has been the source of controversy as FIBA and EuroLeague basketball wrestle for control of top-level European competitions.

FIBA Basketball World Cup

FIBA Basketball World Cup

The Basketball World Cup is considered the pinnacle of international basketball, alongside the Olympics. It has been running, in one format or another, since 1950 and is the flagship event of FIBA. The most recent winner of the World Cup is the USA, which is also the most successful nation with five titles to its name. The tournament is held once every four years.

EuroBasket

EuroBasket

Also known as the European Basketball Championship, is held every two years for national sides in Europe. Slovenia won its first title in 2017, but historically, the competition was dominated by the former Soviet Union which won the crown 14 times.

Worm's-eye view of basketball falling through net

Basketball Betting Tips

Such is the popularity of basketball, there are matches being played on a daily basis throughout the world. Betting on basketball is thus big business and that puts us punters in a good position as bookmakers compete for our bets.

Most bookmakers offer sign-up bonuses or welcome promotions for new customers and these are always worth taking advantage of to bag yourself a free bet.

Other things to look out for when betting on basketball are the bookies with the best odds and the biggest range of markets. Take a look through our strategy section to find tips and advice on maximizing your profits and minimizing your losses.

If you’ve started betting on basketball it is almost certainly because you enjoy watching the game. You can use this to your advantage to beat the bookies. If you are up to speed on the teams and players that are in form or any other factors that might affect a result, you should have an edge over the bookie and can find generous odds if the layers aren’t paying attention.

Finally, be sure to stick to a disciplined betting bank and enjoy betting on basketball!

Join Our Top-Rated Basketball Betting Site

From the NBA and PBA to the EuroLeague and Basketball World Cup, our top-rated basketball betting site offers competitive odds and a wide range of betting markets. Open an account and bet on the latest games.

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