Did you know the NBA first began as an organization in 1946? Back then, it was called the Basketball Association of America before eventually becoming the NBA three years later. Since then, the organization has gone from strength to strength, becoming the premier basketball association not only in America but also arguably in the world. As the NBA’s star has ascended, so too has the star of sports betting, particularly online sports betting; it’s become a multi-billion dollar industry and shows no signs of slowing any time soon. If you’re a big NBA fan, you might be wondering how you can get in on betting in this popular industry. Here’s how to become a pro NBA betting expert.
1. Learn the game
You won’t be able to make it very far in the world of professional NBA betting if you don’t learn the game of basketball inside and out. By having a thorough understanding of the sport, you’ll be able to predict plays more effectively. In turn, that means you’ll make fewer poor decisions in betting, which will increase your yield exponentially. It is possible to bet on sports without a complete understanding of the technicalities, but we don’t recommend it. Do your basketball research before you begin.
2. Go online
Trust us when we say that the best rates, beginner bonuses, and payout statistics for NBA betting are all online. In this regard, NBA betting is much like the online casino industry; sites like CasinoHEX offer vastly preferable experiences to any brick-and-mortar establishment, and the same is true of sports betting. Find yourself a reputable, well-regarded sports betting site with good payouts and customer retention schemes and you’ll go far.
3. Play for free first
If you’re looking for a consequence-free way to hone your craft as you get started with sports betting, there are plenty of sites out there that will offer demo accounts and the opportunity to play without real money stakes. Making a profit is much harder if you allow yourself to lose money through rookie mistakes early on, so we strongly recommend setting up a demo account and playing some sports bets for free first. You could even try making some predictions without betting at all and see if it takes.
4. Keep a bankroll
One of the most important aspects of NBA betting is bankroll management. In this, it shares DNA with casino gaming and other forms of sports betting. Always have an amount of money set aside for betting and don’t try to bet beyond your means. It’s important to consider your bankroll as a cardinal rule, the one thing you’ll always have in place and never contravene or overlook. Betting can be a risky, slippery slope if you don’t have careful checks in place, so don’t neglect your bankroll setup.
5. Develop a strategy
Betting strategies are the lifeblood of NBA betting. They’re how you’ll set yourself apart from amateurs who simply make sports bets every now and then. Everyone is always looking for the perfect foolproof strategy that will consistently return a profit. The truth is that this strategy doesn’t exist, or rather, that it changes based on a number of external factors. In the NBA, your strategy should revolve around which teams are playing well, which players are reliable, and where teams are in the rankings.
6. Track betting lines
Often, betting lines – odds on certain outcomes and aspects of games – are released around a day before the actual event begins. Keep an eye on those odds, because they will enable you to see what the reaction is to the numbers. If a match looks like a bookmaker is offering significantly better odds than they should be, then that’s a bet you need to aim for. Conversely, if the buzz is negative, stay away from that bet. It’s important to integrate into the sports betting community so you can get insider info.
7. Bet more often on home court games
Just like in other sports, basketball games tend to favour teams that are playing on their home court. This isn’t a cast-iron strategy; it doesn’t always follow that a team will play better if they’re at home. However, statistically, it’s more likely that the home team will win. That means the best way to develop a strategy for NBA betting is to take what you’ve already created and adapt it to include more home team advantages if you can. These aren’t eternal trends, so make sure to jump on them while you can.
8. Look for fatigue patterns
No matter how good an NBA team is, eventually, that team will need to rest. The NBA schedule can be grueling, and often teams will be playing multiple games despite players being fatigued and needing to rest. It sounds callous, but as a sports bettor, you can make serious money on those teams. Bet against teams with a run of fatigue, even if they are generally considered to be excellent teams. You can almost guarantee that a fatigued team will play worse than one that’s well-rested.
9. Don’t get lost amid the weeds
There are myriad statistics and numbers to learn when it comes to NBA betting. Don’t force yourself to try and become an expert in everything. Instead, focus on the stats that matter for the strategy you’ve developed. If you’re looking to incorporate home-court advantage into your strategy, for example, then it doesn’t matter how well the team plays when they’re away. Similarly, if you’re banking on a certain player who “carries” games, you can afford to relegate some other players in a team to the back burner.
10. Don’t “keep going“
This is a general tip for all sports betting, but it applies to the NBA as well. If you’re suffering from a particularly egregious losing streak, don’t force yourself to continue. Instead, take a step back and re-evaluate your performance. Is it something in your strategy that isn’t working? Have you just had a bad run of luck? Whatever it may be, “keep going” is a toxic philosophy that will result in more losses than wins in the long run. Don’t be afraid to take a break and re-assess.
