The National Basketball Association (NBA) is by far the strongest basketball league in the world. Legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird have also ensured their unparalleled popularity outside the United States.
If you want to bet on the NBA, there is an impressive range of sports betting options available
from all major bookmakers.
Anyone watching NBA today can hardly believe that the sport was invented more than 100 years ago as a winter alternative to football.
In this article, we have compiled all the essential information about the National Basketball Association. By the end of reading it, you will know everything about the rules of the NBA and which betting markets are available.
NBA Rules for Beginners
In basketball, two teams compete against each other and the team that scores the most points by the end of the game wins.
There are many ways how players can score the ball – more precisely: by throwing (shooting), putting in (layup), or stuffing in (dunking).
Depending on the distance to the basket, either one, two, or three points are counted for this. The ball may only be played with the hands.
The relatively small playing field leads to short attack phases and generally a very high speed in the course of the game (which you can use to your advantage in sports betting).
In the NBA, a game lasts 48 minutes, divided into four quarters of 12 minutes each. If the score is even after this time, an extension (overtime) of five minutes will be given. This is repeated until there is a winner. In other words, a basketball game can never end in a draw.
An NBA team can have a maximum of 15 players on the roster, 12 of which can be used per match. However, only five players are allowed on the field at a time. Substitutions can be made according to the rules. The typical setup looks like this:
● Two guards: point guard (playmaker) and shooting guard;
● Two wingers: small forward and power forward;
● A center (the big man under the basket).
The NBA currently consists of 30 teams, one of which is based in Canada, the Toronto Raptors. The teams are divided into Eastern and Western Conference, with each Conference consisting of three divisions.
Similar to ice hockey, the regular season teams play an impressive total of 82 games, which are played across divisions and conferences. The eight best teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs and fight for the NBA championship in three rounds (in best-of-seven mode).
Basketball Sports Betting Lines
Users can choose from a large number of possible basketball betting options. This is especially true for bets on the NBA, as bookmakers offer the widest range of bets here compared to other leagues. The following markets are usually available:
● Two-way betting: Since there are no ties in the NBA, this sports betting format is used to predict the outcome of the game (home win/away win), including any overtime.
● Spread betting: In basketball, handicaps are commonly referred to as spreads. Each team has an artificial advantage or disadvantage (the spread), which is set by the bookmaker.
● The number of points per team: You bet on the total points scored by a team per game. Bookmakers set certain limits that are exceeded or fallen below (over/under bets).
● The number of total points: The points scored jointly by both teams.
● Half-time betting: This option is extremely popular with NBA tipsters. For example, you can bet on which team will lead at half-time or how many points will be scored.
● Long-term bets: You can also bet on the outcome of the season. Who will win each conference? Which team will secure the championship? With long-term bets, you can venture a prediction before the start of the season. There are usually extremely lucrative odds, especially for supposed outsiders.
