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How do point spreads work in basketball


Basketball Point Spread Betting Lines Explained — NBA Spread Bets Guide

Learn to wager on basketball most popular betting line with these point spread tips and strategies.

Andrew Caley

Last Updated: Oct 14, 2022 11:58 AM ET Read Time: 4 min

Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Basketball point spreads level the playing field to make even the most significant mismatches interesting for basketball bettors.

Find out what the spread means in the NBA, how to read basketball spreads, and some tips and strategies for tackling the NBA spreads.

How do point spreads work in basketball?

The point spread is the most popular way to wager when it comes to betting basketball odds. In its simplest form, the point spread levels the playing field in any game, no matter the mismatch.

Oddsmakers analyze both teams and consider the current form, the venue, and critical injuries when calculating how many points separate the two sides.

How to read basketball spreads

Every point spread has a favorite and an underdog.

The negative value (-) indicates the point spread favorite before the point spread, and that team must win the game by more than that number for bettors to win their wager. In this example, the New York Knicks are the favorite at -2.5 against the spread (ATS), meaning they would need to win by at least three points to cover the spread.

Team Spread
Boston Celtics +2.5 (-110)
New York Knicks -2.5 (-110)

The underdog has a positive value (+) in front of its point spread, and that team can either win outright or lose by less than that spread to win the bet. In this example, the Boston Celtics are the point spread underdog at +2. 5, meaning they can lose by two points or less or win the game to cash the bet.

Vig or juice: The cost of placing a bet

Point spread odds include a second set of odds beside them. The odds are known as the vig or the juice and they are the cost of placing the bet. In the example above, the Celtics +2.5 has a vig of -110. This means in order to win $100, a bettor would have to wager $110.

When the vig is a positive number the bettor stands to profit more from the same wager. If the vig was +110, bettors win $110 on a $100 bet.

NBA ATS betting strategies

Now that you know how NBA spreads work, here are some point spread betting tips and strategies to follow.

Beat the closing number

NBA odds are usually posted around 24 hours before tipoff but can be as late as the morning off the game. And as the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. NBA point spread lines see the most movement shortly after sportsbooks post them. 

There isn’t much that gets past NBA oddsmakers these days regarding injuries and current form. Still, the best way to find market inefficiencies is to bet early before the numbers settle in. That said, make sure to shop around and find the best number. Not all books are the same. Use our odds comparison tool to find the best price for your best.

Count on current form on the court

Basketball is a game of runs. It isn’t out of the norm to see 20-point swings in individual games, so hot and cold streaks are commonplace. Before placing a spread bet, check to see how a team has been shooting over a week or so. 

Are they scorching the mesh or shooting bricks? You can sometimes find point spread value with a bad team on a hot shooting streak, or vice versa. Use our NBA teams page to research how a team has done lately.

Know your NBA matchups

Just like in any other sport, basketball teams have strengths and weaknesses. When trying to find the best NBA point spread bets, look closely at how those attributes match up against that day’s opponent by using our scores and matchups page.

If a team struggles to defend on the perimeter and faces an elite three-point shooting team, make sure you account for how that could change the narrative and bet accordingly.

Track Injuries and load management

An 82-game NBA season can be a grind. Like any other major sport, injuries can play a significant role in determining a team’s success when covering a point spread. NBA superstars will carry the most impact on basketball odds whether they’re playing or not. Still, there may be only one or two players (sometimes even none) on a team that will move a line depending on their availability.

Load management has become the trendy phrase around the NBA to help those superstars with the grind. Too many games in a week? Take the day off. Some players, mainly if they are just off an injury, won’t play on back-to-back nights. Make sure to keep a close eye on our injury page to see who might be in or out.

NBA betting tips and strategies

Make smarter NBA bets with Covers. These guides dive into other ways you can bet on NBA action:

NBA Moneyline Betting Tips and Strategies

NBA Over/Under Betting Tips and Strategies

NBA Parlay Betting Tips and Strategies

NBA point spread FAQs

The point spread in basketball means the number of points made by an oddsmaker that separates the two teams in a given matchup to handicap a game.

A push in NBA spread betting is when the final result falls on the exact number of the point spread.

You can place an NBA point spread bet at any regulated sportsbook in person or online. Check our betting sites reviews for the best legal online sportsbook options in your region.

The odds for the point spread show a favorite and an underdog. The point spread favorite is indicated by the negative value (-) in front of the number, while the underdog has a positive value (+).

Sure, you can. You can bet point spreads for individual quarters and halves. You can even live bet point spreads during the game.

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How To Win Bets on Basketball Point Spreads in 2022

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What is Basketball Spread Betting – Learn to Bet with TopBet sportsbook


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LEARN TO BET    Previous: Football Point Spread Betting      Next: Baseball Point Spread Betting

Basketball spread betting is the most popular way to bet on both college and NBA basketball. In the simplest terms possible, basketball spread betting allows bettors to bet on teams that are not evenly matched, by handicapping the favorite and making it possible to pick either side without ever losing much value on your bet.

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Three Keys to Basketball Spread Betting

Understand What a Point Spread Is

A point spread is the amount of points, set by a sportsbook, that a team must win by, or stay within, for the bet on that team to pay out.

The team generally believed to be more likely to win in this game, the favorite, is assigned a number of points, written with a “-“ in front of it. If they win the game in question by more than that many points, they have covered the spread, and bets on that team’s point spread win.

The underdog—the team considered less likely to win—‘s point spread is expressed with a “+” in front of it. If the underdog can either win or lose by less than their point spread number, bets on that team’s point spread win.

For example, if the Knicks are struggling (as they tend to) and they play the Miami Heat, the point spread might look like this:

New York Knicks (+8) at Miami Heat (-8)

In this case, the Heat would have to win by at least 9 for bettors on the Miami Heat at -8 to be paid out. This situation is commonly referred to as covering the spread.

For the New York Knicks to cover the spread at +8, the team would have to either win the game outright, or lose by 7 or less.

A Push

If the teams were to play to a final score that separated them by the exact number of the spread, the bet would be graded as a push, and wagers on both sides of that point spread would be refunded. To avoid this situation, point spreads will often be set with half points, for example -8.5. In those cases, there can be no pushes, as either the favorite or underdog will always cover.

Other Bets

Point spreads are a useful starting point for other types of bets. With teaser bets, for example, bettors can bet on multiple games at the same time while accessing juicier lines. Point spreads can also be added to parlays to increase the payout while betting on multiple outcomes.

All told, basketball spread betting is a great way to open up a game that can be tough to wager on using just the moneyline, as some teams can be so unevenly matched. Try a spread bet or two today and get into the action!

NEXT > Baseball Point Spread Betting

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NBA Basketball Points Spread Explained

Check out this NBA Points Spread Betting Guide.

Every time the new NBA season officially starts at the end of October , fans from all over the world are looking forward to seeing the best and biggest stars win the tournament. Acrobatic performances are shown early and often throughout the campaign. And you'd better believe there are countless bets on teams.

Whether it is NBA points distribution by size or less than , parlay or straight bet, betting on your team can be quite fun. So, , how do point spreads work in the NBA? We will break it all down for you in this article.

Our page NBA points spread betting is part of our sports betting guide, which also contains information about betting on the NFL Points Spread.

Point Spread NBA Meaning

Each time a pair of organizations go into battle, you can place an infinite number of bets. But when it comes to point spread, it's really quite easy to break it.

What is it like when odds compilers expect an NBA team to win by points. At the same time, there will also be NBA chances of an underdog team getting points that they are expected to lose, which they also need to cover.

An example of this would be a postseason or regular season match between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors with a point spread in the NBA -4 and +4 . Entering this game, let's say that Los Angeles has -4 in the list (that is, they are favorites), and the loser warriors have +4.

This means the Lakers have a point spread of four, so if they win by three, you lose your 1 win club bet. If they win by four, you go. If they win by five or more, you win your bet.

Here for the Warriors, if they lose three, two or one, you win your bet. A defeat by four is a push, and a defeat by more than four is a defeat.

NBA Point 9 spread betting strategies0021

Whenever you are preparing to look at the scatter in a game, it is always important to keep in mind how the team played against the scatter. So if the Mavericks are starting the year 0-8 against the spread and the Clippers are 6-2, in that case it would make sense to go with Los Angeles.

You also want to pay close attention to meetings. For example, the Miami Heat could play the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, and the Celtics beat the Miami four games in a row by at least seven points. If the spread comes up and Miami is listed with -3 (3 point favorites to win), you'll want to jump into this action.

It really comes down to every match and research before the game. Luckily, Canada Sports Betting offers free NBA bets throughout the season to help you better prepare for your betting.

NBA 1st Half Spread

Although NBA Spread Betting are the most popular for the final outcome of the game, this is not the only thing that bettors can do. Another intriguing option is to think about what a count of 9 could be.0005 halftime .

That's right, you can bet the same spread bet for the NBA game based on first 24 minutes games. In some places, you can even bet on what you think the score will be after the first quarter. The same is true for the spread on the first half point. You could have the Jazz by showing -4 in the first half against the Bucks.

If Utah leads 43-38 at halftime and you pick the Jazz with a score of -4, your bet wins. But if the score is 43-30, you will lose.

NBA Points Spread Formula

When It's Time for Bettors to Reveal Points Spread NBA Showdown , several things come into play before the numbers for the points spread are posted. You should always take into account the results of the two teams that are the home team and more.

For example, if the 40-15 Houston Rockets take on the 20-35 New Orleans Pelicans, you can expect the Rockets to be big favorites due to their impressive showings and the fact that the struggling Pelicans team will be playing on the road.

NBA pick vs point spread

If you look at the spread and decide to go against the favorite , it's not always a bad move. The 76ers could have played the Bulls on the road as six-point underdogs, but enter this game by covering the away scatter in their last four games. If they play well on the road, why not take a chance?

NBA scatter selection depends on which teams are playing hot and where the match is being played. Once you lock in the NBA points spread prediction, start betting and see if you become a winner. 9Popular slots

  • Main
  • sports terms
  • Danila Chezhin

    The object of a basketball game is to score more points than the opponent. What are the rules for scoring points? How many points can be scored in one attack? What are the most common results in basketball? The answers to these and other questions in our article.

    Points for basketball shots

    The only way to replenish your personal account in basketball is to shoot the ball into the basket. Each accurate hit increases the balance. Only the value of hits from different positions differs. The key to explaining this difference is the three-point arc - a basketball court marking, located in the region of seven meters from the ring. Any accurate shot from behind the 3-point arc is worth 3 points. Each hit on the target from its limits is worth 2 points.

    It's important to mention here that three-point shots didn't appear all at once. Prior to 1980, there was no arc and two points in basketball was the only form of scoring from the field.

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    Free Throw Points

    Field goals are not the only things that add points in basketball. Basketball players get the right to take free kicks several times per match. This happens as a result of a violation of the rules - for example, for hitting the hand on a throw, or when a player allows an opponent to be pushed or blocked. Penalty point in basketball - an accurate hit from the free throw line. The attempt is executed from a static position. Each accurate throw is worth one point.

    Depending on the situation, the player may be entitled to one, two or three attempts from the penalty line. For example, for a foul when throwing from a three-point arc, it assigns 3 attempts, and for a technical foul - one.

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    How many points are given at the end of the match

    Points in basketball in the whole volume are expressed in the score on the scoreboard. A basketball match consists of 4 quarters - match periods. In the NBA, each such segment lasts 12 minutes. In FIBA ​​European basketball - 10. After the completion of each segment, a pause follows, after which the teams change sides of the court and continue the match. The result of the quarter is intermediate. The main goal is to beat the opponent at the end of the whole match. So even if the team lost in all the initial three quarters, it has a chance to win the match by making a winning spurt in the fourth segment. The final score is the number of points scored by the teams for the entire game.

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    A record number of points in a basketball game

    In modern NBA basketball, the average score in matches is about 210 points, that is, each club scores about 105. The average score in FIBA ​​basketball is around 160 points. 80 from both teams.

    The average reflects the overall trend in scoring. But, as always and everywhere, there are exceptions. And the exceptions are insane and seemingly unbelievable. The absolute record for the number of points scored among all ages and leagues belongs to 13-year-old Swede Max Vermelin. At 19In the 74th year, he scored 272 points!

    Similar achievements happen at higher level competitions. The biggest scoring in the NBA happened on March 2, 1962. The great basketball player Wilt Chamberlain, who played as a center, scored 100 points! Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors, and in that game his team defeated the New York Knicks 162-147.

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