Basketball Betting

Since basketball is such a new sport, we can assume that betting on the game came alongside its invention. There isn’t an exact date as to when people started betting on basketball, but the sport has been a staple at sports books all over the world. With the increase in legalization of sports betting in the United States, the popularity of betting on the NBA will only rise.

Today, March Madness is one of the premier American sporting events on the calendar, alongside the Triple Crown of horse racing, the World Series, and of course, the Super Bowl. The NBA hasn’t shied away from sports betting as other leagues have, and was one of the first to introduce corporate sponsors like DraftKings.

The NBA has come out and stated that it wants to partner with every sports book in the United States, so the league is definitely serious about embracing online sports betting.

The odds for the actual game are based on many things, but are also set by the actual betting market. Team record and performance are obviously keys in determining a favorite, while recent schedule and player injuries are also major parts in handicapping basketball odds. Big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks will always take money as they have large public followings.

Player prop bet odds can be based on the individual player matchup against the defender on the opposing team, as well as that player’s recent statistical performances. Game total odds are determined by how each team has performed recently, as well as things like team pace and team defensive strength. Finally, for futures markets, these can fluctuate based on how well a team or player is performing.

An injury can knock a player’s odds for the MVP way down, while a ten-game winning streak by a team can bump up the odds for it to win its division or even the championship.