7 Ways to Win Money on the NBA

The NBA season is something many bettors look forward to each year. And as the seeding games draw to a close, gamblers start to finally get a feel for which teams came to play and which teams will be returning home.

Betting on the rest of the seeding games and the playoffs provides sports bettors an opportunity to continue to make profitable bets. If you’re down on your luck and haven’t capitalized on the return of basketball, there is plenty of NBA action remaining. Here are seven tips to start winning money on basketball before the playoffs start.

1 ‒ Follow the Line Movement

After lines for games are released, and you feel comfortable with a potential bet, don’t rush to place a wager. The lines released give you an idea of what oddsmakers believe to be the most likely outcome for a game. However, after the public begins betting, the lines are subject to change based on which side the public bets.

Most sports gamblers are under-informed and bet with their heart on their sleeve. This means they’re liable to bet on their hometown team or favorite players, regardless of the bet’s value. Once the public starts placing these bets, bookies and online sports betting websites will move the line. If this movement favors your bet, then make sure to place your wager at the optimal time.

Following the line movement is challenging because there isn’t a golden hour when the line will magically move to the best point. Because of this, you need to be diligent and continuously check the movement throughout the day before the game tips off.

2 ‒ Check the Schedules

During a typical 82-game season, teams will go through stretches when they’re playing a ton of basketball at a time. The pace of a schedule varies over the course of the NBA season, which means teams can play several back-to-backs over a short period of time or be well-rested.

Occasionally, the variance in schedules between two teams leads to a team that’s well-rested facing off against a team that’s fatigued. Additionally, teams will go on long road trips throughout the season, which only adds to the level of fatigue. Traveling all across the nation to play basketball drains a team, providing you an opportunity to place a smart bet.

Once again, this requires you to pay close attention to the variables surrounding matchups so you can place the best wager with the most value. Sportsbooks and betting sites are aware of these fluctuations and will make odds accordingly. However, the public may not pay attention to these factors, resulting in line movement.

3 ‒ Pay Attention to the Starters

In the age of load management in the NBA, it seems coaches are changing the starting lineups more than ever before. When you’re zeroing in on a bet, make sure to double-check the projected starters. Like most aspects of sports gambling, finding out which players will be playing and which players will be resting requires you to do a little bit of groundwork.

With all the star power in the league, the absence of one player can drastically swing the results of a game. Along this line of thinking, injuries happen all the time in the league, which means that it’s your responsibility to monitor the health of the teams you plan to bet on as well as their opponents.

This is a simple tip that’s very easy to overlook when placing wagers. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re getting great value on a pick only to realize a team’s start is on the bench. Don’t be lazy! Check the starting lineup before placing a bet on a basketball game.

4 ‒ Find a Strategy That Works for You

There are several different betting systems and strategies around the world of basketball gambling. Each one has its pros and cons. That’s all well and good, but a betting strategy is of no value to you if it doesn’t work. The best way to develop a strong, winning strategy is to start betting small and consistently, to develop a routine.

Once you are in a rhythm and start to understand the ebbs and flows of the NBA season and figure out the best way to bet on it, it’s easier to make profitable bets.

5 ‒ Focus on Pertinent Stats

One of the best parts of being a basketball fanatic is monitoring your favorite players and teams’ statistics. Analyzing points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game is an excellent way to understand the value a player brings to a team. However, as a sports bettor, some statistics are more important than others.

When determining what wagers to place, it’s essential to focus on gambling-related statistics that offer empirical evidence of a team’s productivity. If you’re contemplating betting on the spread, check how frequently a team covers the spread. This shows you a team’s value and will help you decide if it’s worth betting on them.

If you prefer to bet on the over/under, then pay attention to the team’s point totals and recent trends. As a gambler, you can actually find out how often the team hits the over or the under, which sheds light on which side to bet. The traditional stats are important, but make sure you’re not bogging yourself down with stats.

6 ‒ Monitor Your Record

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. That resonates with me as a gambler. During my time betting on sports, I’ve gone through several cold streaks and couldn’t figure out why. After looking through my betting history, I realized I was making the same types of bets expecting different results.

An aspiring gambler must track results. When you force yourself to keep track of the way you bet and the outcome of your wagers, you can figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Keeping a record will also enable you to understand trends and develop a base of information you can rely on.

I always tell anyone who asks that you have to treat gambling like a small business. Every profitable business tracks results, and so should you if you want to make money gambling on basketball. You might consider this a way to decompress and explore a different side of basketball. But if you put in some work, you can turn this hobby into a way to make a little extra cash.

7 ‒ Don’t Bet With Your Heart

Basketball is a game. Being a fan of the game comes with its emotional highs and lows. If you’re like me, then you’ve watched basketball a lot longer than you’ve gambled on it and developed a liking for specific teams and players. But when you’re gambling, you need to shut off that side of your brain and make bets based on logic and information.

Betting with emotions is ill-advised for several reasons. Many gamblers, especially the bad ones, will use what they call a gut instinct based on how they feel about certain matchups. When you bet without any facts and stats to back it up, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Stick to bets that are well-researched and avoid those that are based on a fan’s point of view. I advise against betting on hometown teams or your favorite players because you want them to succeed, even if they aren’t projected to win. Finally, avoid desperation betting after tough losses. If you’ve had a bad night, try again tomorrow and don’t make a small loss into a major issue.

Conclusion

Betting on basketball can be extremely profitable for gamblers who take the industry seriously and utilize a consistent, logically-based approach to gambling. If you’ve been struggling with betting on the NBA online, consider changing your strategy by following some of the tips above.

Be vigilant when it comes to the schedule, fluctuating lineups, and shifting lines. The best basketball bettors devote time and energy to making sure their bets are as crisp and well-informed as possible. Focus on the important statistics, and make sure to keep a record of your wins and losses.

Before anything else, you might consider yourself a fan of the game, and who can blame you? But when it comes to betting on the NBA, treat it like a small business and take it seriously. It’s fine to be a fan of the game, but it’s always more fun to win money while watching basketball, so put yourself in the best position to do so! Good luck.