Various Ways to Bet on The NBA That Keeps it Fun

It’s the slowest part of the yearly basketball calendar, the period when Summer League has wrapped up, and there’s a little more than a month gap until training camps open for the next season. Sure, general managers are still rounding out rosters with trades, free agent signings, and beefing up rosters ahead of training camp, but it is otherwise a dead period.

NBA picks will soon flood the subscriber inboxes, notifications as a new season nears. One of the reasons the NBA is so fun is that it spans from October to June with games, and there are rarely any days where no games are being played, including holidays.

Here are a few ways to keep betting on the NBA fun.

Vanilla to Start

Especially early in the season before there is chemistry, going for NBA picks today is the way to go. Keeping it very vanilla and basic by betting on the spreads, over/unders, and money lines are probably the best way to go. The reality is there are no trends, and so many players are switching teams during the offseason that it’s hard to have a feel for how they’re going to play together.

There should be easy matchups, though, where the talent gap is so great that it’s easy to pick games. There are also teams who will have more continuity, like the Boston Celtics or Golden State Warriors, with the same core together that will be stronger against teams still figuring out who they are with the new talent on their rosters.

Adding Player Props

Another way, especially early in the season, to keep things fresh is to look at individual players and see what they bring to the table. These sometimes take a keen eye to successfully hit on, though, and in today’s NBA climate, one has to be sure a player is going to play as often as players rest, especially early in the season.

But those who pay attention to injury reports throughout the day can strike and easily improve their bank with which to wager. If a starting guard is out, using their backup to hit an over on points or assists is worth considering. If a starting forward or center is out, points, rebounds, and blocks are worth monitoring as well.

Other times there will be matchups that can be attacked the opposite way. If a key player is out for one team, the star on the other side may be in a better position to hit their overs. Finding the balance early in the season can prove to be lucrative in the long run.

Putting it Together

NBA picks and parlays are something that can be easily put together. Especially later in the season, when teams figure out who they are, reading injury reports and seeing the different strengths and weaknesses of teams can increase the odds and payouts by adding parlays.

Seeing a star sitting out or early on in his injury before the team finds continuity, then adding the opposing team to the bet slip can help odds. Typically betting against the spread is a pick ‘em with the same odds either way, but moneyline odds will vary. Choosing an underdog has more risk but can lead to a higher payout.

Mixing in player props to parlays or even doing just a player prop parlay can increase odds and payouts. It is also much harder to hit unless you’re an injury report fiend and find all of the hidden opportunities that others may miss out on.

Same Game Parlays

Another way to approach betting on the NBA is to focus on one particular game, whether your favorite team, one on television, or two teams with lengthy injury reports. There are opportunities to bet on the basics, add in team props based on quarters, alternate lines, halves, or team-based over/unders. Then the player props can also be added from that specific game. 

It’s something that can hold one person’s attention throughout the duration of a game, even in blowouts due to potential payouts.