How to Bet on Basketball
Placing a bet on basketball is simple. I’ll provide the step-by-step process below:
- Find a Good Basketball Betting Site
Start by joining a trusted sportsbook. Each of the bookies I’ve recommended here are good picks, as they’re licensed, reliable, and cover everything from the NBA and EuroLeague to local leagues.
After logging in, head over to the section for Sports. You’ll usually find basketball listed near the top, alongside sports like football and tennis. You can also use the search bar if it’s quicker.
Now, choose the competition you want to bet on. Most sites offer NBA, NCAA, and the local ZA leagues. Each one comes with loads of betting options.
Once you’ve picked a match and market, enter the amount you want to bet. The site will show what you stand to win right away.
Give your slip a quick check to make sure the pick and stake look right. Then hit “Place Bet.” That’s it. You’ll be able to follow your stake from your account.
Popular Basketball Betting Markets
You’ll usually find many markets for basketball at ZA betting sites. Below are the most popular ones:
- Match Winner (Moneylines): This option is as simple as it gets. You’re just betting on which team will win the game.
- Point Spread (Handicap): Instead of just picking a winner, you bet on a team to win with a points advantage or disadvantage. As an example, Team A is given -6.5. This means for you to win, the team must claim victory by 7 points. This evens things out a bit in situations where one team is heavily favored to win.
- Over/under ( Total Points): Here, you’ll predict if the combined points scored by both teams will go over or under a set number. It’s great if you expect a high or low-scoring game.
- Quarter or Half Betting: This option allows you to wager on just one quarter or half of the game. You can choose who wins that segment or how many points will be scored.
- Player Props: Betting on individual player performance, like how many points, assists, or rebounds a player will get.
- Winning Margin: Here, you predict not just who will win but by how many points. For example, “Team A to win by 6 to 10 points.” It’s tougher, but the odds are usually better.
- Outrights and Futures: These are long-term bets, like who will win the NBA Championship or be named MVP.