Basketball is the second most watched sport in America and the third most popular sport in the world. It’s also one of the most popular sports to bet on globally. And whether you’re new to NBA betting or an expert of the game, you’ll find everything you need to bet on the NBA with Parimatch.
The sport was first played in America as far back as 1891 but was mostly a college sport until the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1946. The first season of the NBA featured 11 teams and the finals were won by the Philadelphia Warriors.
Today, 30 teams play in the NBA and sadly the Philadelphia Warriors have long since folded. The 30 teams of the NBA are split into two conferences (the Eastern Conference and Western Conference), which are each then split into three divisions of five teams.
During the NBA season, usually running from October to April the following year, each team plays every other team for a total of 82 games per season. Teams play the other four teams in their division four times (16 games), the other 10 teams in the same conference four to six times (36 games), and the 15 teams in the other conference twice (30 games).
At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams from each conference are entered into the NBA playoffs. The eight teams play each other in a three round knockout tournament, with each round played as a best-of-seven series. The winning team from each conference then face off in a final best-of-seven series in the NBA Finals, held each year in June.
With 82 games played per team each season, and with the playoff and NBA Finals on top, that’s a huge array of opportunities to bet. With Parimatch’s wide range of NBA betting markets and competitive NBA odds, you’ll find everything you need to bet on the NBA, from outright positions, to markets by match, to In-Play betting.
What are NBA Betting Markets?
Ahead of and throughout the NBA season, there are many ways to bet on NBA, including the following popular markets:
Championship winner
This is a bet on the team you think will win the NBA championship at the end of the season. You can bet on the winner before the season starts or wait to see how your chosen team begins the campaign before backing them.
Conference winner
Rather than picking the NBA championship winner, you can bet on the teams you think will win the Eastern and Western conferences.
Match winner
As NBA game weeks come around, you can pick the team you think will win an upcoming match.
Point spread
Point spread betting is popular with NBA fans, as it’s a form of handicap betting that levels the playing field somewhat. For instance, you might see an NBA spread of 2.5 points, meaning that the favourites would have to win by at least three points for your bet to be successful.
Under/over (total)
Another popular NBA betting option is the total bet, sometimes known as the over/under. Here, you can bet on whether you think over or under a specific number of points will be scored in a match.
For instance, the total line might be set at 220.5, and your job is to decide if both teams will score more or fewer than this number of points during the match.
Accumulator
Rather than betting on just one NBA team each week, you can back multiple NBA teams to win their respective fixtures during a game week. This is known as an accumulator bet, and every team in your selection must win for your bet to be successful.
Always gamble responsibly if putting together an accumulator or any other basketball bet. Our Safer Gambling Portal contains interesting information about setting deposit limits, taking time out and much more.
Propositions
There are two types of proposition bets in basketball – player and team. These are performance-related bets and aren’t concerned with the match’s outcome. For instance, you might bet on the player to be the top point scorer or the over/under point total of a particular team.