NBA Betting Strategies

Without a doubt, there are probably thousands of NBA betting strategies. Anywhere from the "only bet home underdogs" strategy to the more obscure "chase" strategies you can find just about anywhere.

What we've done here is really narrow it down to some of the best NBA betting strategies that professional handicappers use on a daily basis. Some of them may be new to you while others may be old news, but all are very crucial to your overall basketball betting philosophy.

As with our NBA betting tips, we recommend you file our NBA betting strategies into your basketball betting notebook as a reminder of what to do and what not to do. Of course overtime you'll continue to add more that you pick up on, but these listed here will serve as a great starting point (or at least great additions).

As I've said before (probably to much), the NBA is a tough sport to make money on. This is why it's vital to have some sound and proven strategies in place that you follow on a daily basis.

Now are these NBA betting strategies going to make you rich over night? Of course not. But I guarantee you they'll give you some great guidance and direction as well as help you to capitalize in certain situations and avoid others, thus adding to your bankroll over time.

There's no such thing as a guaranteed system in basketball...as much as some people want you to believe. It's about putting in some hard work and having a proven philosophy in place that you follow, along with making some tweaks to it over time.

We're here to help you become a better NBA handicapper. We're not going to give you some kind of top secret system that never loses because they don't exist. What we will do is give you some ideas that will without a doubt add a few points to your overall win percentage.

Take your time and don't feel you have to jump right in. Even professionals will perform testing before ever placing a wager. With that said, let's take a look at some very important NBA betting strategies.

Pay Attention To Line Movement

Line movement is extremely important to follow with the NBA (as it is with any sport). The best website I use and recommend for watching line movement is Sports Insights, however, there are also some pretty good free ones like Show Me The Odds.

Either way, it's a must to know what's happening with the lines and why they are moving. If a line is moving because the public is pounding it, that's one thing, but if the line is moving because sharp's are pounding it, it's completely different scenario.

Sharp money will move a line much more and much quicker than public money. It's especially important to take note when a higher percentage of money is coming in on one team, but the line is moving the opposite direction. This is what's called reverse line movement and can be a great trigger at finding where the sharp money is being bet.

If you notice a line (side or total) is moving quickly, then it typically means there's a lot of sharp action coming in on it. Essentially you'd want to have your bet in before the line moves (and be on the same side), but even after the lines moves, you still may be able to find a good line at another sportsbook that's not as fast at adjusting.

I can't stress enough how important it is to pay attention to the lines...see which ones are moving and find out why. As I said before, Sports Insights can be a tremendous help in analyzing line movement.

I would also highly recommend you check out the Why Betting Lines Move section of our "Understanding NBA Betting Lines" page within the NBA Betting Guide. Within that section, we get into some more detailed information pertaining to the importance of watching and understanding the lines.

Follow Your Own Research
(not what the talking heads are telling you)

As I've said before with the NFL, it's very important to follow your own research (or at least that of professional handicappers). The reason I include this in our NBA betting strategies section is because the talking heads on radio and television are usually just trying to generate ratings.

There are no guarantees in betting basketball as most talking heads will have you believe. There is never a 100% chance of Team A beating Team B, no matter how much better they are perceived to be.

With all of the great handicapping research on the internet, it's up to you to put in a little time and hard work. At Sports Betting Insights, we have our own game matchups section along with our sports betting stats and sports betting research sections.

I'm certainly not advocating you don't listen to some of the analysts on TV or radio, but sometimes you have to take what they say with a grain of salt. I personally feel it's much more reliable to use your own data and research rather than someone that's simply trying to generate hype.

Don't Be Afraid To Bet Bad Teams

That's right, don't be afraid to bet "bad teams." A lot of the times "bad teams" have great value because of their perceived expectations. I would much rather bet on a "bad team" ATS than one that everybody thinks is great because I guarantee you the oddsmaker is more than happy to put out a bad number just so the public with bet in to it.

This is one of those NBA betting strategies where the exact opposite is true as well. Don't feel that you have bet on "good teams" because the public loves to bet these teams and, trust me, the oddsmakers know this and, as I said, there more than happy to give out a line that looks to good to be true (we'll cover more on these types of lines below).

I could care less how bad a team is perceived to be, all I care is if they can cover the spread. And if I can get an extra 1-2 points based on this perception, then I'm more than happy to take advantage of the +EV the sportsbook is giving me.

This certainly isn't a hard rule to follow every time, but it's something that always should be in the back of your head. Trust me, the public is always thinking of reasons why a good team will cover, when in reality they should be thinking of why a bad team won't cover. I can assure you this is how every professional handicapper thinks and I highly recommend you do the same.

If The Spread Looks To Good To Be True,
Then It Probably Is

As I just said, if a line looks to good to be true, then it probably is. Believe me, sportsbooks and oddsmakers don't put out lines to lose money. If anything, your best bet is to lay off the game entirely or take the other side.

There's a reason the line looks to good to be true...because it is (I know from experience). As a beginning handicapper, everybody falls for this and it takes losing some money to finally realize that you're not a genius.

These types of lines will always catch your eye at first glance. Once you look into it a little deeper (unlike 99% of other bettors), you'll soon find that it's been set to entice the public and square bettors to bet into it. The sharp handicapper will notice this type of line, see if there is positive value to be had (or wait for it to adjust), and jump on the other side.

You'll know when you find one of these lines if you follow the NBA enough. Usually it's involving a perceived good team (popular team) that's playing on television. Fantastic opportunities can be found by betting against these types of teams.

Just ask any professional and I promise you this is one of the top NBA betting strategies they look for on a daily basis.

Know Who The Public Is Betting

I think I've probably beat this into the ground enough if you've read anything here at sports Betting Insights, but I'll go ahead and say it again. Just know who the public is betting...sometimes it may be the right side, but probably a little more often than not, it's the wrong side.

This certainly doesn't mean to bet against the public on everyone game. However, in televised games, I believe this to be even more important. Most of the time the public will love the favorite in a big game ( the oddsmakers know this) which means great value can be found in betting the underdog...but this can also work the other way as well.

Again though, I'm certainly not advocating you bet against the public on every game. I'm simply telling you to know who the public money is coming in on. My favorite website for this information is Sports Insights, however, Show Me The Odds is also a very good one as well.

As with most of these NBA betting strategies, this certainly isn't ground breaking information. However, it is extremely important data to know if you are going to be a successful handicapper.

Bet The Favorites Early And The Underdogs Late (especially on public teams)

I know, I know, you've heard me say this before, but it's so important that I wanted to include it in our NBA betting strategies section. The public loves to bet the favorite and the over and it's a proven fact that these lines move up during the day because of the action coming in on them (at least the majority of the time).

So, if you like a favorite or an over, it's best to bet them early in the morning. While if you like an underdog or an under, a lot of the times the lines will adjust in your favor throughout the day.

Again though, it all comes back to watching and understanding line movement. You must take advantage of the best lines available and this is a good general rule of thumb to follow.

Conclusion

As I've tried to tell you throughout, none of these NBA betting strategies should just be followed blindly. This is a game being played by human beings. There is nothing absolute about betting on the NBA...no matter what any tout is telling you.

Anyone that talks in absolutes when betting sports is a liar and should not be trusted. I will not name names but there are a lot of "so called professional handicappers" that fall into this category...stay far far away from them.

These NBA betting strategies are here to give you direction on an everyday basis. Like I said though, I give these to you as a starting point or an addition to the NBA betting strategies you already follow.

Overtime you'll pick up on many more while others will fall by the waste side. What's important is you stick to your philosphy and strategy. Now that we have a few NBA betting strategies in place, let's take a look at one of the best value bets available, betting basketball totals.

As always, best of luck in all your sports betting endeavors.

Have A Question or Want to Add Your Own Thoughts ?

Have A Question or Want to Add Your Own Thoughts? Well let's hear it so we can all help each other become better handicappers.

Return to Top of the NBA Betting Strategies Page

Back to the NBA Betting Guide