NBA Betting

NBA Betting Strategy

by Tom Wilkinson

When we look at finding the best NBA betting strategy we need to start by deciding whether or not we want to play sides or totals. Some handicappers adapt their NBA betting strategy to focus on just totals, while others concentrate only on sides. It is rare when you find a handicapper good at both. For this particular discussion we will stick to sides for our NBA betting strategy.

As we look to develop an NBA betting strategy we first want to begin with the basics. NBA betting is a little bit different than football betting because the teams play so many more games. We have to look at schedules, travel, fatigue, etc, in addition to regular things like matchups, power ratings, and line value. Some handicappers base their entire handicapping on the travel factor so you know that it can be important. Some teams will play three games in four nights and that can make going against them very attractive in that fourth game. Some NBA betting strategies concentrate only on this one factor.

NBA betting is a nightly event and that is something we need to remember. The NBA season is a long grueling battle and we need to keep our bets at a certain amount and keep our focus for the long season. On a night where there are 13 games we don’t want to go overboard and bet every game on the board. We want to keep our focus and narrow our plays down to a select few. The best NBA betting strategy is to focus on teams that you have a good handle on. Some people may live on the East Coast and have a good feel for the Eastern Conference. Others of you may live on the West Coast and be familiar with the Lakers, Clippers or other teams out West. It is very often a good idea to focus on teams that you get to watch a great deal, and unless you have the NBA League Pass television package, focusing on teams in your geographic region can be helpful. I know that the more I watch a team play, the better feel for them I have. This NBA betting strategy also will keep your plays to a manageable level. You won’t be playing every game on the board.

There are many other NBA betting strategies out there and for the most part none of them are that successful. The biggest tip in regards to NBA betting surrounds the schedule. Look for those teams in bad travel situations facing teams with rest. I know for many years that taking the Utah Jazz at home when they were facing a team that played the previous night was money in the bank. It does not work as well as previous years, since the Jazz are not as good, but it is an example of focusing on the schedule and the travel to formulate an NBA betting strategy. In this particular discussion about NBA betting strategies I want you to remember the schedule and the travel that NBA teams face, and incorporate it into your nightly NBA handicapping.