What to Consider When Making Your Basketball Bets
Now you know the basics regarding odds formats and basketball bet types, we’ll discuss the many variables that you need to consider when making your basketball bets.
After all, there’s no point in choosing the best basketball betting app for you if you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to betting on basketball. So here are a few things to keep in mind:
Ability
This is the most obvious and usually (but not always) the easiest thing to consider: which team is better than the other?
You will sometimes find that teams are evenly matched (or at least so closely matched it’s hard to decide who will win), or due to injury or suspension, they may be using a few different players than usual. So the ability of the team on the court may not be as easy to determine as you may first think.
You can usually determine which team is the favorite by checking the bookmakers’ odds.
This is the next most obvious and simple factor to take into consideration. How have the teams performed in their last few games? Has a team been over or underperforming?
But don’t just focus on the team’s overall performance. Also, think about individual players too - has anyone been playing well, anyone had a bad run of games? These are all pieces to the puzzle.
The Home Advantage
Playing in front of their own fans gives the home team a clear advantage. But it doesn’t stop there. Perhaps the home crowd has turned on their team after a bad run of games. Or the home crowd may be notoriously quiet, while the away team’s fans are famous for being very loud.
The home team’s coach may be loved or hated, or maybe one of the players; the same goes for the away team’s coach and players.
Team Chemistry
This is probably one of the most important factors in determining a team’s performance, though unless you have your ear to the ground (or court), it can be one of the most difficult to know about. The dynamics between a team of players are constantly changing, especially when player morale is low (but we’ll get to that next).
A good locker room atmosphere can be essential to good performances - a cohesive team is harder to beat, yet a team full of strife may lose before they even hit the court.
The chemistry of the team can be affected by a number of reasons. Do all of the players get along, or do some of their personalities clash? Is there a good relationship with the coach? Do they respect the General Manager and vice versa?
Also, remember that new signings can greatly affect a team’s chemistry. Maybe a new addition to the roster doesn’t gel well with the team; or perhaps a veteran has retired, or the star player, or one that everyone got along with, has moved on.
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Player Morale
This is whether an individual player is happy or not, and is closely linked to team chemistry.
A player’s morale, and therefore performance, can be affected by a number of things, such as team and personal performance, the number of games played, squad status, contract, how they are treated in the dressing room, if they are respected by the coach and/or GM, whether any new players have been signed that could threaten their standing in the team, or if a rival player has recently been sold. And that’s just to name a few.
Injured Players
Check if any of the team’s players are injured. If so, which ones and how many? If a team’s top offensive player is out, they may not score as many points as usual; or if the top defensive player is out, more points may be scored against them. If multiple players are injured, the team may be weaker overall.
The Stakes of the Game
A team on the verge of making the playoffs, or one close to losing their place in the playoffs, is going to step up its game. Similarly, every team competing in the Finals is going to be desperate to win the coveted Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
How will the stakes of such matches affect the players? Some teams strive under pressure while others crumble.
So now you know what you need to keep in mind when betting on basketball. If what you’ve read so far has made you feel like basketball betting is just not for you, then you may want to consider other types of betting. Why not take a look at our reviews on eSports betting apps and/or online bingo apps.
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Brief Guide Explaining Odds and Bet Types
You can see our list of the best basketball betting apps currently on the market, but some of them will be more beneficial to your specific requirements than others. It’s important that you do your research by taking a look at the different features of each of those listed in order to figure out which app or apps are best for you.
We will get to how you can choose the basketball betting apps to use later on in this review. But first, we will go through exactly how to bet on basketball to make a profit, including understanding the best basketball odds and bet types, and anything you need to keep in mind before you make your bets. We’ll start with odds and bet types:
Odds
There are three main odds formats: fractional, aka British; decimal, aka European; and moneyline, aka American odds. Let’s take a look at each.
Fractional Odds
Example: 2/1
The second number (1) represents your stake, while the first number (2) is your possible return. So, with odds at 2/1, you get a $2 profit for every $1 wagered (which makes your return $3 overall). So if you bet $10, your total return will be $30 ($20 winnings and your $10 stake).
Decimal Odds
Example: 3.00 (which is the same as 2/1)
These odds include your stake and return within the same number. So again, if you bet $10 on odds of 3.00, you get $30 in returns (your $10 stake plus your $20 winnings).
Moneyline Odds
Example: +200, (which is the same as 2/1 and 3.00)
Positive moneyline odds indicate how much profit you’ll win on a $100 wager. So betting $100 on odds of +200 will earn you $200 in profit. Therefore, your return including your stake will be $300. Negative moneyline odds indicate how much you’ll need to stake in order to win $100.
Bet Types
Basketball is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the world, especially in the US. So there are loads of possible bet types that you can make. Here we’ll list the most common:
Moneyline Bets
Otherwise known as game result or outcome. This is the most simple and most common type of bet. All you need to do is pick the winning team. Unlike some sports (such as soccer), there are only two possible outcomes: the home team to win or the away team to win. This is because in the unlikely case that the score is level after regulation time, the game goes into overtime.
Spread Bets
In spread betting, the bookmaker will decide how many points they believe each team is going to win or lose by. You can then bet on which team you think will perform better than the bookmaker predicted.
For example, if the 76ers are playing the Pistons, the bookmaker may decide that the 76ers are going to win by 12 points. This will be shown as 76ers (-12) and Pistons (+12). If you believe that the 76ers will win by more than 12 points, you place your spread bet on them; but if you think that they will win by less than 12 points, you place your spread bet on the Pistons.
Totals Bets
Otherwise known as over/under. Again, the bookmaker will make a prediction; this time they will decide how much of a certain thing will happen. This could be anything from a number of free-throws missed to a number of fouls, though it is most commonly the number of points scored.
For example, in the game between the 76ers and the Pistons, the bookmaker may believe that there will be a total of 164 points scored in the game. If you think more than 164 points will be scored, you bet over; if you think that less than 164 points will be scored, you bet under.
Prop Bets
These are essentially bets on specific outcomes within a game. They range from whether or not there will be a technical foul during the game to how many blocks, rebounds, assists, turnovers, etc. a certain player or team gets to the shooting percentage.
Futures Bets
These are wagers where the outcome is decided over an extended period of time. The most common futures bet in basketball is the winner of the NBA Championship. And you can also bet on who will win the various Player of the Year Awards or the MVP Award. You can make these bets before the season even starts.
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The Benefits of Using Apps
The main benefit of using basketball betting apps rather than using a desktop website or traveling to a physical location is convenience. You literally have a bookmaker in your pocket.
This means that no matter where you are - as long as you have Wi-Fi or cell service, at least - you can place your wagers and cash out on in-play bets. You don’t have to be pinned to your desktop or travel to your nearest casino/bookmaker.
Imagine you’re stuck in traffic and you want to make a bet before the markets close, or you’re out with friends, and one of them gives you a great tip. With the use of an app, there’s no more rushing and panicking to get your bets on in time. You can also check odds and in-play statistics at any time. Easy!
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Consider these things before choosing the best basketball betting app
What Are the Market Prices and Odds Margins?
Betting with the bookmaker that offers the best odds has its clear advantages - the better the odds, the higher your profit if you win. Imagine if your winning bet was at odds of +320, and then you realise that another bookmaker was offering odds of +360 for the same outcome. You’ll feel as if you’ve lost out on the extra winnings.
It’s also worth researching the bookmakers’ average odds margins. Basically, bookmakers offer odds that are lower than the actual probability of an outcome. This is what’s called the juice (or vig), and it’s how bookmakers make a profit on a bet regardless of the outcome. The higher a bookmaker’s average odds margins, the more they profit, but the less you win.
What Bonus Offers Are Available?
Pretty much every online bookmaker offers one or more enticing sports promotions for you to take advantage of, and most if not all can be activated via the app. As one of the most popular sports to bet on, you will also find a good deal of bonus offers specific to basketball, so make sure you shop around the best basketball betting apps first.
Is the Operator’s Betting Coverage Extensive?
Some bookmakers have a more extensive betting coverage than others. Even when it comes to basketball betting, which is one of the most popular betting sports worldwide. You may find that some bookmakers have less coverage of college basketball like the NCAA, or the EuroLeague. Who knows, maybe you enjoy betting on games in Spain’s Liga ACB or the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL). You need to make sure that your favourite leagues are covered by any prospective bookmaker.
You’ll also want to double-check that all of a bookmaker’s betting markets are also available on the app, as this sometimes isn’t the case.
Is In-Play Betting and Live Streaming Available?
What’s more exciting than betting on a game as it happens? In-play betting has become extremely popular in recent years, and it’s no surprise why. Most bookmakers allow in-play betting these days, and it’s usually also available on the app - but still, not all do.
Live streaming is the pinnacle of in-play betting. Not only can you bet and cash out during the game, but you can also watch it! This feature is still quite rare, but there are basketball betting apps out there that have it, so keep an eye out. One of the popular US-based bookmakers that live streams basketball is FanDuel.
Which Payment Methods Does the Operator Accept?
We all have our own preferences when it comes to payment methods. You may prefer debit cards, eWallets, prepaid cards, etc. Whatever your preference, you’ll want to confirm that the bookmaker you’re looking into accepts it.
Bear in mind that not every app allows for deposits and withdrawals, so if you are reluctant to use the desktop site at all, this may severely limit your options regarding the best betting apps for basketball.
Ways to Take Advantage of the Bonus Offers
Shop Around Before You Commit to Anything
As previously mentioned, there are loads of different promotions out there. For example, the Australia-based PointsBet, which is available in certain US states, including Illinois and New Jersey, is offering a welcome bonus of up to $2000 in risk-free bets.
You’ll find that every promotion is slightly unique, some better than others. So don’t just settle for the first bonus offer you come across; do some shopping around, as it’s likely that you’ll find many other promotions that are just as good if not better.
Stay focus on your expertise
So you’re a fan of betting on basketball.
Perhaps basketball is the sport you know best, or maybe you dabble in sports betting in general. Well, either way, let’s say that you come across a very enticing bonus offer that is for casino games only.
Enticing as it may be, if you don’t have experience or knowledge in casino betting, you’re only going to end up hurting your account balance. Instead, follow our first piece of advice and shop around for promotions that are equally enticing but better suited to your expertise.
Read the Terms & Conditions
It’s important that you read the terms & conditions of any and all bonus offers you’re thinking of activating because that’s where all of the bonus requirements are stated. These include wagering requirements, minimum eligible deposits, time limits, minimum qualifying odds, bonus codes, valid payment methods and more.
Wagering requirements are the most common and the most important. The term ‘wagering requirements’ refers to the amount of your own funds you have to invest before you are able to withdraw any winnings you made from the bonus.
Wagering requirements are usually a multiple of the bonus amount, or the bonus plus your deposit amount. The lower the wagering requirements, the less you have to spend, and therefore the better the bonus. Average wagering requirements are 35x, though they can be as much as 75x! It’s rare, but we’ve also seen wagering requirements as low as 1x.
Make Sure You Fulfil All of the Bonus Requirements
If you don’t fulfill all of the bonus requirements, the bonus money you received as well as any subsequent winnings you earned will be forfeited. Then all you’ve done by activating the bonus is waste your time, effort and money.
Don’t Rush Your Bets
You may find yourself a long way off fulfilling the wagering requirements, and only a short time before your bonus runs out and all of your bonus-related funds are lost. It may feel like your only chance of success is to place a lot of high stakes wagers without wasting any more time on research or planning. But doing this will only lead to unnecessary losses.
And think about it: if by the time the promotion runs out, you’ve lost more money than you’ve won, what was the point in the first place? You may as well have not bothered. It’s important that you take your time, do your research, and never, ever rush your bets.
Also, keep in mind that the time limit is from the moment you activate the bonus - usually by making your first eligible deposit or bet, or opting in. So before you activate the bonus, you should spend some time working out a betting strategy.
Now You’re Ready to Choose the Basketball Betting Apps For You!
You should now understand the essentials of betting on basketball, from the various odds formats and bet types you may come across to the things you need to consider before making your basketball bets. You should also have a good idea of how to go about researching our choices for the best betting apps for basketball and deciding which best suits your needs, as well as how to take advantage of the bonus offers available on your chosen basketball betting apps. All that’s left is for you to download the app(s) and start betting!
Unless, of course, reading our review has helped you realize that basketball betting isn’t your cup of tea. If that’s the case, you may be better off reading through our review on the best casino mobile apps.
Basketball Betting Apps FAQ
🌟 Which is the best basketball betting app on the market?
Basketball is one of the most popular sports to bet on worldwide, especially in the US. And there are many online bookmakers out there that have apps for you to download onto your iOS or Android device and easily bet on the go. So it’s not just a case of which app is best on the market, but which is best for you. For help deciding which app, or apps, suit your needs more closely than the others, you should read our review on the best betting apps for basketball.
🏀 What should I consider when making my basketball bets?
There are quite a few factors that you need to keep in mind when it comes to betting on basketball. These include everything from the different odds formats and bet types to the ability and recent form of the teams, and even the morale and chemistry of the players. You can find all of the info you need by checking out our dedicated basketball betting apps review.
💲How can I best take advantage of the bonus offers available on my chosen basketball betting apps?
Pretty much every online bookmaker offers one or more enticing sports promotions for you to take advantage of, and most if not all can be activated via the app. As one of the most popular sports to bet on, you will also find a good deal of bonus offers specific to basketball, so make sure you shop around the best basketball betting apps first. For a list of our top picks, as well as some tips and tricks for making the most of your chosen bonus offers, take a look at our review. We'll even share our choices for the best daily fantasy NBA apps!
