How To Bet On NBA

September 18, 2010  
Filed under NBA News

200x150cdBetting on the NBA is one of the biggest appeals to sports bettors across the nation. NBA betting online and in person comes in three ways, point spreads, money line and totals. Here is a look at each type of wager.

  • Point Spread – The point spread is the difference between how much a favorite is expected to defeat an underdog by. In basketball similar to football, the point spread is conveyed with a low denomination of usually three points. It occasionally maxes out at 10 points as some sportsbooks give the poor teams no chance to cover the spread.

Fans taking the underdog on the point spread can win a game if the dog wins the game outright, or loses by less than the point spread. Conversely, the favorite can only win if they win by at least a point more than the point spread.

  • Money Lines – Also known as the straight bet, the money line requires bettors to simply lay their money with the team they think will win the game. Here is how it appears.

Los Angeles Clippers + 150
Los Angeles Lakers – 200

In this example, the underdog is represented by a plus sign in front of the odds, while the minus sign takes the favorite. For fans betting on a Clippers win, they are required to lay $100 to get back $150. Yet fans taking the Lakers need to risk more money to get back less, because the favorite actually winning is seen as obvious. In the Lakers case, fans must put down $200 to get back $100.
Totals – As the name suggests, totals take into account the combined points of each team in a game. As a bettor you can wager on the game going over the predicted total, meaning more points are scored than predicted. Or you can take the under, which sees the total be less than what was predicted.

Can Anyone Stop The Heat In 2010-11?

September 4, 2010  
Filed under NBA News

mia_dance07_305x350_finThe 2010 NBA free agency period, when Free NBA Picks are allowed, was one of the most highly anticipated in online sports betting history, with some of the biggest names in the game available to the highest bidder on the open market. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were among the names available, and several teams went all out for their chance to attain one of the superstar prizes in hope that they would help turn their losing franchises around. In the end, the big three of James, Wade, and Bosh all signed with the Miami Heat, who used their more than $45 million to establish the foundation for a potential dynasty. Still, there are at least a couple of teams that can stop Miami from achieving their sports betting goal and all these information will be useful NBA betting tips for the new comers to this field of action.

The three biggest teams in the way of the Heat achieving their goals are the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and of course, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics kept their betting on sports core together in the offseason, retaining Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen on top of the emerging Rajon Rondo at the point. Boston also added some big men in both Jermaine and Shaq O’Neal, whose experience should help in their quest for a third finals’ appearance in four years. Two years removed from an NBA finals’ appearance, the Orlando Magic are hoping that consistency will be the key to them getting back to the big stage. Little has changed in California, where the Los Angeles Lakers are still the class of the league. The two-time defending NBA champions kept their 2010 championship team intact in the offseason, and will be the team to beat this year. The common theme with all three teams is at the five-spot, as all boast centers that rank among the best in the league. Signing three big names limited the Heat’s ability to add more of a supporting cast, and it isn’t a guarantee that their big three can get the job done on their own, especially if one goes down with an injury.