- NBA Insights
- NBA Betting Rules
- NBA Betting Guide
General betting rules apply to all NBA betting. In addition, the following rules are specific to betting on NBA basketball.
- Pointspread and moneyline bets on NBA basketball have 'action' after 43 minutes of play in NBA games.
- For over/under bets the game must play to full time for bets to have 'action'.
- Overtime counts in the settlement of all NBA betting on basketball games unless otherwise stated.
- All games must start on the scheduled date for bets to have 'action'.
- Winning Margin: Winning margin betting is from scratch (the start of the game).
NBA betting is one of the most popular choices of betting for Sports Interaction players.
The main action when you bet on NBA basketball games is in pointspread, or line, betting, where the sportsbook decides on a margin of victory for the favorite that will make either team an attractive betting proposition. Consider the example below:
| Los Angeles Lakers | +15.0 | -110 |
| Boston Celtics | -15.0 | -110 |
In the example, the NBA betting spread is set at fifteen points. The +15.0 after the Los Angeles Lakers means that the Lakers are the underdog in this game; the Lakers must either win, or lose by less than fifteen points, for a bet on the Lakers to win. The -15.0 after the Boston Celtics means that the Celtics are the favorite; the Celtics must win by more than fifteen points for a bet on the Celtics to win.
If the Celtics win by exactly fifteen points, then the bet is said to have fallen on the spread and is deemed a push. All bets are voided and the stakes returned in this instance.
The second number, -110, after each team is the price of a winning bet on NBA basketball. A winning bettor will win $100 for every $110 bet.
For an NBA game to have action, the game must be played for at least 43 minutes actual play. Overtime counts if played, and there are a selection of related betting markets to add extra value, choice and excitement, such as totals, moneyline, winning margin NBA betting, and the like. For more information on how to bet on NBA basketball, please visit our Help Center from the navigation above!
