Basketball Betting Strategy – 8 Tips to Increase your Odds of Winning

While there is a number of highly popular sports out there, basketball is one of the biggest ones in the world. It has been for a long time, and it likely will be for a long time to come. Exciting as it is on its own, it can be made even more exciting through bets, which is something that sports enthusiasts discovered a long time ago. Betting on popular sports like this one has grown to be extremely big all over the world, especially when it comes to NBA matches.

Now, the game itself is fairly simple, and the same is true for betting on it. However, in order to be a successful bettor, you cannot just randomly place bets on some aspect of any individual match and hope to win. That is, you can — but your odds of winning the bet that way is left to random chance. No, if you wish to be a professional basketball bettor and to win more often than not, you need to employ some of the basketball betting strategies, which is where things start to get a bit more complex.

Of course, this is nothing that cannot be learned by any bettor, and over time, as you become more experienced, you might even develop your own unique strategy that will help you beat the sportsbooks at their own game. For the moment, however, while you are still new in the basketball betting world, it is recommended that you get familiar with some of the most common, existing strategies and use them as your guide — not only to victory but also to a deeper understanding of how it all works.

Also, note that when we say “guide,” we mean that. In other words, these should be a part of your overall strategy and not the entire strategy. Yes, they were meant to be taken literally, and you are meant to follow them to the letter when making bets. However, every bettor is different, with their own thoughts, expectations, and instincts, so if some aspect of these strategies doesn’t agree with you, you are free to improvise. Of course, keep in mind that this might lead to a loss, but there are no certainties in gambling anyway, so you must be prepared to take that risk if you wish to bet on basketball or any other spot.

With that said, here are our top 8 tips to increase your odds of winning while betting on basketball, and we recommend that you use one or more of them to design your own strategy and make your sports betting experience more exciting than ever before.

Top 8 tips to increase your odds of winning basketball bets

3-pointers are unreliable

As you know, scoring in basketball can be done in two ways — either the players would drive the ball all the way to the basket, or they will try to score from beyond the arc, which would make the successful score a 3-pointer. Some teams prefer to give 3-pointers a shot whenever they get an opportunity, and while these are some of the most exciting shots — they are not a reliable way to win the game.

As such, betting on such teams is extremely risky. Whether we are talking about the NBA, NCAA tournament, or even one of the regular games not tied to any league — there are always teams that are willing to risk it, and those who would rather play it safe by focusing on points in the paint. It is recommended that you, as a bettor, rely more on the latter, as it is a lot easier to miss a 3-pointer than to make it, and the winning team (especially in the NCAA) is almost never the one that focuses on 3-pointers.

Don’t bet on fatigued players

Another good idea before picking a team to bet on is to check their schedule. In basketball, teams that have plenty of games scheduled close together — often several of them in a single week — can easily get fatigued. This can have a massive impact on their performance, which means that they are more likely to lose. To avoid betting on such teams, you would do well to check their schedule and see how many games they had recently.

The team might be on a long road trip, or they might be playing the fourth game in five or six days, and if that is the case — you can be sure that they will be exhausted, with slower movements and dulled reflexes.

The location of the games is also important, as the team’s energy is likely to be even lower if they had to play a game in one location, and then travel far for the next game, and then travel again for their third match, and so on. Going cross-country back and forth for each game would be exhausting even for spectators who follow the team, let alone the players themselves.

Finally, check where they are in their season, as the team will likely handle fatigue a lot better at the start of the season than they will near its end or even halfway through. The later in the season they are, the bigger the toll that constant games and long trips will take on the players, so keep that in mind.

Talented players after suffering a major loss

There are many talented players out there, but for reasons such as fatigue and other similar reasons, they could still suffer a major loss. Usually, after something like this, the confidence in the team might fall. Do not let this happen to you. Remember that they are still extremely talented individuals and that the team itself is strong. Not only that, but you can be sure that their next away game will be their opportunity to prove themselves, hopefully after a good long rest.

If the team is favored while on the road, even after suffering a great loss, that means that they are probably the safer option to bet on. Plus, they will have a strong incentive to be the best that they can be now, and the oddsmakers know this, which is why you should definitely consider them if they are favored.

Betting on underdogs at their home

It can sometimes happen that when the two teams play, the one that is playing on the home field can still be considered an underdog. Despite being underdogs, even obvious underdogs sometimes, you can be sure that these teams will fight with everything they have. After all, this is their home, and they will want to prove themselves to the fans and impress everyone at home.

Meanwhile, the favored team in this situation is a visiting one, and they do not have the same incentive to win. They are likely to relax after taking the lead, and they can easily lose that lead as a result. To them, there is no emotion involved in the need to win — all they care about is the points.

Keep an eye on the expert bettors

One of the best ways to win money at sports betting, even as a novice, is to keep an eye on what the experts are doing. There are plenty of experts out there with years of sports betting experience, and they know how to take advantage of each bet. If you see that the public has placed bets on one side, and then the line started moving heavily to the other side, that probably means that the experts are making their move and taking advantage of naive, uneducated bettors.

Unfortunately for the general public, many of the bettors in this group are not making good moves when it comes to betting. They bet on their favorite teams instead of the ones that are more likely to win. They jump on trends set up by other, equally uneducated bettors and end up losing their money.

Experts are taking advantage of this, which is why they end up winning the money. If your goal is to earn, you should consider following their lead. Of course, with a bit of research, you could learn how to jump on opportunities created by the public even without experts, which would, technically, make you an expert as well. Simply put, if you see a line moving one way and you believe that the reason for this is an excessive amount of the public making bets based on sentiment, definitely bet in the other direction — especially if your research and logic suggest so, as well.

All that remains is to master the timing and to learn when exactly to make your move. There are no shortcuts here, and you will have to learn as you go. You might make mistakes along the way, but one big lesson to learn is that there are no certainties with betting, and sometimes, you will lose. Your goal, however, should be to ensure that these losses happen as rarely as possible and that your winnings can make up for it.

Don’t bet on your favorites if their chance of winning is low

Every sports bettor is also a sports enthusiast. This is how most people got into sports betting — with the idea of betting on their favorite team, and even if you are only in it for the money, you likely got a favorite while researching teams and players. However, this is where one of the biggest pitfalls of sports betting lies — allowing your emotions to overrule your logic and predictions and placing a bet on your favorite team only because they are your favorite team.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that betting on your favorite is wrong 100% of the time and that you should avoid it completely. If you truly expect them to win based on facts rather than sentiment, then by all means — go ahead and place your bet. However, you need to be extra careful when doing your research, as it is very easy to allow yourself to be persuaded into betting on your favorite, even when their chances are extremely slim.

This is understandable — everyone wants their personal favorite to win, no matter who they are or how good they are compared to the competitors. And, when you take on a role of a fan, you should support them no matter the situation. But, as a bettor, you need to learn to make that distinction between betting on a team because you like them and betting on them because they can win.

So, if you are sure in your strategy, you can bet on them as well. If you believe that your emotions are influencing your decision, however, it might be best to avoid their matches as a bettor and simply watch them as a fan.

Pick your games carefully

There is an old saying that claims that you should “choose your battles carefully,” and while this expression means to only fight for something when it is truly important, in sports betting, you should take it quite literally. When you bet on sports, you are alone against everyone, including the oddsmakers, other bettors, and the team against which “your” team is playing.

Now, the game will go the way it will go, there is not much that you can do about that. However, when it comes to the oddsmakers, you need to remember that they are very good at what they do. And that their lines are usually spot on. What this means for you is that finding value in games will be quite a challenge. Your best option is to seek out opportunities during the times when there are plenty of games taking place. The oddsmakers are good, but even they can make mistakes and be less accurate if they have to focus on multiple games at once.

The same is true when it comes to smaller games, as the oddsmakers will not dedicate much time to studying them. However, when it comes to single, major matches, you can be sure that they will invest all the time and energy into ensuring that they will be the ones to rise to the top.

But, let’s say that you still wish to bet on matches like that. After all, there is a lot of money in such games, so there is a very good reason for you to participate. The way to go about it is to try and come up with your own system and your own predictions and make them as accurate as possible. The trick lies in doing it BEFORE you look at the lines and see the oddsmakers’ predictions. That way, you will be sure that you are betting on a game that has value to you and that your decision is not influenced by the oddsmakers or the general public.

Check who is playing

You probably think that this is painfully obvious and not much of a tip. However, you would be surprised by how many times people simply skip this step. The simple truth is that changing even a single player can seriously disrupt teamwork in any sport, basketball included. Players might get injured right before the game, and no matter which player got replaced, the impact can be quite serious. If it is a star player, the consequences can be severe.

So, the thing to do here is to check for injury reports and rosters before making a wager. If there was a change in the lineup and you are no longer confident about the bet, it is better to skip it than to lose your money.

Where to bet on basketball?

Finally, let’s check out some of the places where you can go to place your bet. In order to make this as convenient as possible for as many people as possible, we recommend the following three online sportsbooks, which are accessible in numerous countries around the world.

1. Everygame Sportsbook

Established in 1996, Everygame is among the leading sportsbooks that accept US bettors. It offers odds for a variety of sports, including the major leagues as well as college sports. That, of course, includes basketball, as well. It offers competitive odds, plenty of payment methods, and great customer support, and it is a safe, licensed, and reliable sportsbook that you can trust.

Read our Everygame Review or visit Everygame.

2. Bovada Sportsbook

Bovada has been around since 2011, and while it is currently not licensed, that is because it dropped the license voluntarily after the regulators made a policy change that it did not agree with. These days, it has well over a decade worth of experience, and it is a trusted platform that never lost its credibility and quality of service. It offers basketball bets with competitive odds and multiple major payment methods like credit cards, PayPal, and even Bitcoin.

Read our Bovada Review or visit Bovada.

3. BetUS Sportsbook

BetUS is, as the name suggests, a sportsbook that targets the US and the North American market in general. It is one of the oldest and most trusted sportsbooks in the game, licensed in Curacao, and it has excellent reviews. It offers a plethora of sports, including basketball, as well as multiple popular payment methods. For any questions or issues, contact its customer support, which you can do via email, live chat, or phone call.

Read our BetUS Review or visit BetUS.

To find more sportsbooks visit our top NBA Betting Sites or our Canadian Sports Betting Sites.