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How to bet on spread 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.

Copy this into the source of your page where you want the article to appear:

How To Win Bets on Basketball Point Spreads in 2022

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How To Bet On Basketball

Learn NBA moneylines, point spreads, totals, parlays, and more in this comprehensive NBA betting guide.

The NBA is one of the most fun leagues to bet on, with an up-and-down pace and unrivaled intensity on every shot. It's a sport where you can't look away from the TV and is enticing for bettors across the globe.

There's no shortage of basketball betting options during the NBA schedule.

Multiple matchups are on the board, allowing bettors to wager on their favorite teams as well as bet on the big games on TV each night.

Basketball betting lines explained

Like most major sports, there are endless ways to wager on basketball. The most popular forms of basketball betting are the moneyline, point spread, and Over/Under totals.

Moneyline

NBA moneyline odds ask bettors to pick the winner of the game. Based on the strength of the teams and other factors, oddsmakers calculate the implied probability of victory for both sides and set moneyline odds for each team.

Point spread

NBA point spreads level the competition between two teams, with oddsmakers setting a handicap in points. One team is the point spread favorite – and has to win by more than the spread – while the other will be pegged as the point spread underdog – having to win outright or lose by less than the spread.

Over/Under

NBA Over/Under totals are the estimated total number of points scored by both teams in a game. Bettors wager on whether the final score will go Over or Under that expected tally.

Moneylines: Pick the winner of an NBA game

Betting basketball moneylines is the most straightforward and basic betting market available, simply allowing you to bet on which team you think will win the game.

Sportsbooks generate moneyline odds for a game based on each team's implied probability of winning. Basketball teams are not always evenly matched, and the moneyline odds will reflect those chances of victory. You can use our odds converter and moneyline calculator to see a team's implied probability based on their odds.

Sportsbooks most often display moneyline odds in hundreds (American odds). American odds show one team set as the favorite (indicated by a negative value) and one team designated as the underdog (positive value).

For example, the Los Angeles Lakers are -130 moneyline favorites versus the Toronto Raptors, the +110 moneyline underdogs.

Because the Lakers are the stronger team (56.52 percent chance of winning), for every $10 you wish to win betting on Los Angeles, you must risk $13 ($130 bet will win $100). Since the Raptors are the weaker team (47.62 percent implied probability), you can win $11 for every $10 risked ($100 bet will win $110).

Point spread: Betting the spread with basketball

The point spread is the preferred odds market for many basketball bettors because it levels the difference in skill between the two teams. When calculating the perceived point spread between the two sides, oddsmakers analyze both teams and consider the venue, current form, and any critical injuries.

The negative value indicates a point spread favorite, and that team must win the game by more than that spread to win for bettors. The underdog has a positive value in front of its point spread. Underdogs can either win outright or lose by less than that spread to generate winning bets.

For example, the Los Angeles Lakers are -2.5 point spread favorites hosting the +2.5 underdog Toronto Raptors. For the Lakers to cover the spread, they must win the game by three points or more. For the Raptors to cover the spread, they must either win the game outright or lose by two points or less.

Point spreads always have a second set of odds with them, known as the vig or the juice. They are the cost of placing a bet. Most point spreads have a vig of -110; to win $100, you need to risk $110. However, vig can be adjusted depending on current betting action and can vary from book to book.

Over/Under: Betting on basketball point totals or season win totals

Another popular way to wager on basketball is via the Over/Under odds, also known as the total.

Oddsmakers measure the matchup between two teams, looking at both offensive and defensive production, and set an expected total number of points scored by both sides for the game. Once a sportsbook sets that total, bettors can wager if the final score will go Over or Under that number.

For example, the Over/Under total between the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors is 222.5 points.

A bet on the Over requires the game's final score to total 223 points or more to win, while a bet on the Under needs 222 or fewer points.

Like point spreads, both sides of the total – Over and Under – have attached vig, often set at -110. This value can adjust to betting action and may vary from book to book.

Parlays: Combine NBA bets for bigger payouts

Parlays allow you to risk a smaller amount to win a bigger payout but carry a higher risk. NBA parlays require you to tie two or more bets together.

The more bets added to the parlay, the bigger the potential payout and the bigger the risk, as all bets in the parlay must win for the entire parlay to pay out.

The majority of parlays will end up with a line at plus money. Each fixture within a parlay is considered a "leg. " Most books will allow anywhere from 2-12 games in an NBA parlay.

If you're solely betting the Milwaukee Bucks, you're getting them at -120. By parlaying the Bucks with the Warriors at +140, the bet turns into plus money. Now the parlay is listed at +340 odds.

Two-team Parlay
Moneyline: Milwaukee Bucks (-120)
Moneyline: Golden State Warriors (+140)
Parlay	+340
Stake	$100
Total return	$440

Prop bets: Betting on player performance and more

Prop bets are a rapidly growing way to bet on basketball, allowing you to wager on different aspects of the game – not just the final score.

NBA prop bets can focus on game events as well as a team's performance and individual player performances. Examples of game and NBA player props odds include betting on the first team to 15 points, a team's total three-pointers made, or a player's combined points, rebounds, and assists.

Listed below are Kevin Durant's and James Harden's over/under for total points scored in a single game. You must pick whether or not either player scores more than or less than the designated number set by the sportsbook. In this case, the Over/Under are both listed at -120, meaning the sportsbook favors neither scenario.

Player	Over	Under
Kevin Durant	30.5 points (-120)	30.5 points (-120)
James Harden	25.5 points (-120)	25.5 points (-120)

There's no way this bet can be a push because of the half-point. If the game goes into overtime, the prop still counts as well.

Futures: Win totals, MVP, and NBA Championship Odds

Futures odds are long-running betting markets focused on overall results for a team or player, such as odds to win the NBA Finals and the player to be named NBA MVP. Another popular form of futures is season win totals, in which you can bet on whether a team will go Over or Under their set total of wins for the year.

These odds often open before a season begins and will take bets throughout the schedule, adjusting to results and injuries, until the market is decided.

Below are the odds of winning the NBA Finals. Odds will come out as early as the end of the season prior, and can usually be wagered on into the final round of the postseason. In this example, you can see that Brooklyn is favored to win the Finals at +250, with the Lakers having the second-best odds at +400. These types of lines will fluctuate and change throughout the NBA season depending on team performance, injuries, and roster transactions.

Team	Odds to win NBA Finals
Brooklyn Nets	+250
Los Angeles Lakers	+400
Milwaukee Bucks	+650
Golden State Warriors	+1,200
Utah Jazz	+1,400
Phoenix Suns	+1,500

Basketball betting tips and strategies

Keep these basketball betting strategies in mind when looking to handicap NBA odds.

Shop for the best odds

When betting, it's always good to get the best bang for your buck. Line shopping is something all the experts do and takes very little time. If you want to bet the Lakers at -140 at one book, but they're -125 elsewhere, there is a ton of value on the latter. Missing out on the best lines long-term will affect your bankroll, especially if you're betting larger sums of money.

You can use our odds comparison tool to find the best lines for each game and a huge variety of online sportsbooks.

Count on current form

Don't get caught up looking at the standings when betting on the NBA. Pay more attention to current form, weighing the past three games more attentively.

Even the best teams can go through slumps, and losing teams can suddenly find their form. Find out what's behind those recent results and if they'll carry over into the game you want to bet.

Mind the matchups

Every team has its strengths and weaknesses. When searching for the best NBA bets, look closely at how those attributes match up against that day's opponent using our NBA scores and matchups page.

If a team struggles to rebound and takes on a foe with a bigger, more potent frontcourt that dominates the glass, make sure you account for that and bet accordingly.

Basketball is a game of runs, and these matchups and mismatches often fuel those deciding swings.

Injuries and off nights

The NBA schedule is a grind, and injuries will play a huge role in a team's success along the way. If you're looking to bet on a side, comb through the injury report and see which key contributors are out of action. Also, try and find out which players could be resting – a recent wrinkle to betting the NBA, particularly on back-to-backs.

Big-name stars' status will carry the most impact on the NBA odds. Still, there is an edge in finding undervalued injuries and how those could impact a team's performance. A missing backup point guard or a sidelined wing defender may not move the odds but will have a say in the final score.

Follow the line movement

As with all sports wagering, NBA betting is often not about betting the best team but rather the best number.

Point spreads, moneylines, and totals will constantly adjust to action and injury news. Make sure you monitor the opening NBA odds and where they're moving to pinpoint the best time to place your bet.

Dive into derivatives

NBA betting odds can be chopped up into halves and quarters, setting sides and totals for different segments of the game. These derivative odds can hold added value not found in the full-game lines as teams present tendencies and trends that fly under the radar of oddsmakers.

Some teams are slow starters and find their form in the second half, making them an excellent bet to fade with the first-half spreads. Others come out firing quickly on offense in the first quarter, adding value to the Over in the opening frame. Dive into the analytic splits to uncover the best derivative bets on the board.

Scout the schedule

The calendar can sometimes dictate a team's performance on the court, depending on rest spots, travel, and motivation. Situational betting – also known as spot bets – is a valuable tool to find underlying value betting on or against a team.

Chunks of the schedule could have a team playing multiple games in a short window, leaving them running on empty for the final outings of that stretch. The schedule can also allot an extended break from the action, allowing players and coaches to adjust their game plan and get injured bodies back. And as always, be mindful of "letdown" and "lookahead" spots around important matchups and big wins.

Handicapping refs

An underutilized method of handicapping basketball odds is to dissect the guys blowing the whistle. Referees significantly impact games' outcomes, specifically the Over/Under totals. Covers is one of the rare sources of unique betting data for every NBA referee assignment.

You can use this data to measure a team's recent betting results when a particular ref is part of the officiating crew. Or, you can follow referees with one-sided tendencies to the Over and Under, as some refs will call more fouls than others. Those whistles result in foul shots, which means teams are scoring points with the clock stopped – a big boost for Over backers.

How to make an NBA bet

Research available games matchups on our scores and matchups page.

Our NBA scores and matchup page lists the day's games and upcoming days, but you can also sort by spread, total size, and line movement.

Each game gives a snapshot of the opening odds, current odds, team records straight up and against the spread, as well as the percentage of picks calculated by our Covers Consensus.

From there, you can dive deep into our detailed matchup pages for each game. Track line history, view the most popular spread and total picks and analyze unique betting trends for every team.

Find the best NBA odds using our odds comparison tool.

Making intelligent bets on NBA basketball isn't always about betting the best team, but betting the best odds.

Find current spreads, totals, and moneylines for every NBA game from the top legal sportsbooks in your area using our odds comparison tool. Compare across the industry and shop for the best odds for your NBA bets.

Login/Sign up for a sportsbook in your area.

Signing up for a new sportsbook is simply a few clicks away. Once you find a legal book in your area, sign up for an account and quickly deposit using various banking methods, such as credit cards and e-transfers. Most sportsbooks also offer great bonuses and sign-up promotions to new users.

Make your bet

After researching your best NBA picks on Covers.com, you can place those bets at the sportsbook by selecting NBA basketball from their menu and searching for the game or market you want to bet.

From there, select the wager to add it to your bet card and enter the amount of money you wish to risk. After that, click submit, and you'll get a receipt or e-ticket for that bet, showing you the odds you bet and the amount you can win.

Today's NBA odds

Here are the current NBA odds for today's biggest games:

Best basketball sportsbooks for beginners

Covers’ team of betting experts have thoroughly researched the internet’s vast collection of online sportsbooks so you don’t have to. Here are the best basketball betting sites so you can get your NBA betting underway.

These sportsbooks are licensed and trusted sites and offer great sign-up bonuses, plenty of convenient and quick banking options, and great odds for rookie bettors.

NBA betting forum

Want to learn more about NBA betting and meet a large, knowledgeable community? Check out Covers’ NBA betting forum to get picks, ask questions, and learn from experienced sports bettors.

Smart NBA betting strategies

10 Winning Tips for Betting NBA Basketball Odds

Strategies to Help You Handicap NBA Betting Odds

Basketball betting FAQs

There are a number of online sportsbooks where you can bet on the NBA. Check our betting sites reviews for the best legal online sportsbook options in your region.

One team will be set as the point spread favorite and must win the game by more than the designated number of points. The other is the point spread underdog and must win outright or lose by less than that number of points.

All sportsbooks in Las Vegas will offer markets for NBA, college basketball, and WNBA. So simply find a sportsbook near you, head to the counter, and make your bet.

Yes. Almost all sportsbooks offer WNBA odds.

A 3x2 bet in basketball means a three-bet parlay in which at least two of the picks must be correct for you to get a payout. If you get all three correct, the amount of the winnings would be larger.

In the NBA, +/- or Plus/Minus often refers to the point differential when a player or team is on the floor. Don't confuse Plus/Minus with American odds, which use positive and negative numbers to display betting odds. Positive numbers indicate underdogs (+110). The lower the number, the bigger the betting favorite, indicating a negative number (-110).

A draw in basketball betting is an option when wagering on the three-way line. You have three choices: Home, Draw, or Away. If you're betting a draw, you're betting on a tie at the end of regulation.

You can bet on the NBA at nearly any online sportsbook across the globe. It is among the most popular sports leagues for bettors.

Spread betting | How it works?

Spread bets are essentially bets on a range of outcomes, usually below or above the offered spread.

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In sports betting This type of betting, also known as spread betting, has grown a lot in recent years. It is especially popular in the US and UK, where it is commonly used to bet on basketball, cricket and football matches, as well as horse racing.

Spread betting is a type of betting where you can bet on several possible outcomes. By comparison, fixed odds betting only gives you the option to bet on a win or lose outcome. Money line betting does not go beyond that line, which is why spread betting has become so popular. For example, with spread betting you can predict the total number of goals in a match or the number of points scored, giving players the unique opportunity to bet on the accuracy of a bet rather than the final result.

Excitement when you win a bet

Spread pips are especially popular these days. During the NBA season, players can predict if a match will go over a certain point limit, which is relatively easy to determine by looking at the statistics. Individual markets for players are also available and the odds are pretty attractive too. The distribution of points can be easily predicted, especially in the NBA league, where a large number of points are scored every night.

The purpose of spread betting

The purpose of spread betting is to give players more chances to win and to create an active market where the chances of one team are significantly higher against the opponent. For example, if one team has a historically flawless record against another, it will be the favorite, but at a fairly low odds. You definitely won't bet on a team with low odds. This is where spread betting comes in handy.

By announcing the spread for a match, bookmakers try to force players to bet on the favorite. The spread is not much different from the handicap in relation to the loser. In this case, the favorite still has a good chance of winning, but the question of whether they win is not worth it. Will the favorite win by more or less margin than the stated spread? This is the question that players are looking for an answer to, and sometimes it is easier to understand than to predict the winner.

The bookmaker accepts bets on both sides of the spread. So he acts like a market maker and takes a small commission (vigorous) which is also his profit. The bookmaker doesn't really care about the outcome of the match as the profit comes from winning it. The more players join, the greater the profit will be.

How can I bet on spreads?

The distribution of points allows the bookmaker to level the field between two teams that are not close in quality. Your goal is to predict if the final result will be higher or lower than the announced spread. The bookmaker will pay you the same amount for both sides as long as the loser is scoring.

Let's use the NBA example to see how spreads work. For example, suppose the Lakers play the Warriors tonight. The distribution of points will be displayed with a + and - sign (Lakers +7 Warriors - 7 is just an example). By betting on each option, you are betting on how many points the team will win or lose.

To cover the spread, the Lakers need to win the game by 8 points or lose by less than 7. At the same time, the Warriors must win by more than 8 points. Now things can get a little more complicated when the spread covers the decimal (+7.5 and -7.5). Spread pips often use decimals - they eliminate the need for a draw. Ties always go to the house unless otherwise noted.

Point payouts

Points spreads are quite popular in the US where they are offered at NBA and NFL games. As for the odds, they are usually -110. This means that you need to bet $100 to make $110 in profit, which depends on the vigor of the bookmaker. The wig is 10% and is inevitable - this is how the bookmaker makes money. Some bookmakers will go even further, so you should pay attention to the odds and pick the best one.

Point spreads always have equal chances for both sides. You may see different ratios from time to time, but this is not a standard. Sometimes you don't see any chances at all - this means that the standard payout is -110. Whenever you plan to bet on spreads, check the odds and payouts to avoid confusion.

Why choose spreads over money lines?

Once you master them, the scatter of points will become larger because their odds are constant. They are usually -110, so it will be easier for you to keep your bankroll under control. They give you the opportunity to bet on the favorite with good odds, which is not the case with moneyline bets. Instead of picking a winner, you bet on the favorite to win by a point margin at excellent odds, which is much better than betting on odds that will give you nothing in return.

While they may seem confusing at first, spot spreads are easy to understand. You just need to place your first bet and you will be in the know. Once you master the ability to cover the spread, you will probably never go back to betting on the money line. Pay close attention to the stats and you'll soon get even better at point spreads, which means you'll end up winning more than a few bets.

What is the line?

When betting on point spreads, you will almost certainly come across the term "line". It's just cool jargon that refers to the spread of dots. You may have heard someone ask what the line is for the aforementioned Lakers Warriors game, and they get the answer "Warriors minus seven."

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Basketball betting tips

Author Anatolij Read 5 min. Posted by 09/19/2020

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. . Millions of people around the world admire the beauty of this sport in numerous leagues and tournaments. Every season, the gyms fill up with the public wanting to have a good sporting event. It is worth noting that this sport is popular not only in large cities, but also in small ones that live by the games of their favorite team. When it comes to bookmaking, basketball allows you to place many types of bets that can help you win money. This is not only the choice of the winner of the match, but also bets on more or less a given number of points, individual performances of 9 players0072 (this type of hint is very popular among users who watch matches). You can find free basketball predictions here https://aboutbetting.ru/forecasts/prognozy-na-basketbol. AboutBetting.ru has a very wide range of tips, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding opportunities to place a valuable bet.

Contents

How to bet on basketball
Spread betting
Betting on weaker teams
Total Points Betting
Withdrawal

How to Bet on Basketball

Spread Betting

Spread Betting is the most popular form of basketball betting. This is one of the names of the handicap bet. If you visit one of the bookmakers, you will definitely find NBA matches that look something like this:

Los Angeles Lakers -5.5 VS Boston Celtics +5.5.

This means that if you bet on the Lakers with this spread, they should win by more than 5.5 points, which in practice is at least a 6 point advantage. However, if you place a bet on the Celtics, you will win the bet if the Boston team either wins or loses by a maximum of 5 points.

Interesting fact! The most popular league in the world is the US National Basketball Association. In 1946, there were only 11 teams in the NBA. Over the past 70 years, the league has grown to 30 teams, attracting the best players not only from America but also from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Betting on weaker teams

As with many other leagues and sports, the average bettor likes to bet on the favorites. This, in turn, often means that the market is skewed in favor of the weaker teams, especially since the "weaker" ones get a high handicap. To demonstrate this, let's take a closer look at the statistics.

In the last 10 seasons in the NBA, teams that played with a handicap of +12 or higher covered the handicap 53% of the time. A similar trend can be traced in academic basketball, where "outsiders" with a handicap of +17 or more beat the player in 53% of cases. While it's true that hitting like this won't help you get rich quick, it does show that there is a trend in the market in favor of teams that are considered weak. Keep this in mind every time you evaluate your bet. When a team is considered to have no chance of winning, the spread is often set in its favor.

Total points betting

Match total betting is a very popular form of basketball betting. Depending on the league or tournament, the number of points can vary greatly. In the NBA, games typically end in the 180 to 220 points per game range, with an average of around 190. However, in academic and European basketball, expect 120 to 160 points per game.

Please note! Each NBA team plays 82 games a season, 41 at home and 41 on the road. Such a large number of matches in 7 months creates many opportunities for profit, especially since matches are played every day. However, if the NBA doesn't provide the right opportunities for you, you can always try academic basketball, which plays thousands of games every season - at least a dozen a day.

Conclusion

So how do you succeed in betting on total points? First, you should not pay attention to the short-term averages of the team. These numbers are unlikely to help you. You must be interested in events. For example, games involving the NY Knicks some time ago averaged 195 points in their last 10 games. However, there was also overtime, in which the teams scored 245 points. Such a result will greatly distort the calculated means.

Instead of relying on averages, consider how often team matches went over or under a given total. For example, if the score for the next Knicks game was set to 195 points, see how often the score was over or under that number in New York's recent games. If you see a visible trend in both over and under bets, you should consider placing that bet.

It is also worth considering the recent meetings between the two opposing teams. This will give you a good idea of what to expect during the match. Also consider how teams play at home and away. These results are often very different. Finally, think about the situation within the team. A team may prefer to play fast with more points, but it may play the last game of a series of away games, which can slow down the pace of the game and lower the score.