Online Basketball Betting
If you're looking to get into online basketball betting, internet sports betting sites tend to come in several different flavors, which can be loosely broken down according to focus and the level of specialization. The bigger sports books all offer basketball betting, both NBA and college, along with all the other major sports.
Types Of Basketball Betting Sites
When it comes to sites devoted specifically to basketball betting, though, there are two basic varieties: those that incorporate both college hoops and the NBA, and those that focus more on one than the other. Choosing a site depends on what kind of experience you want -- if you're after ease of use and you want to bet on the entire wide world of sports, the big sites are the way to go. If you're a college hoops freak or you adore the NBA and want those same options in a single sport, check out the hoop specialty sites.
Signing Up For A Online Basketball Betting Sites
Signing up is easy -- for the most part its register, log in and go. So is getting a basketball betting bonus. But there is one big decision to make: whether you want to bet immediately or try the "sample" option most sites offer, which stakes you to a small amount of "imaginary" money to make safe, harmless bets that let you check out the odds and get a feel for how the site works.
Online Basketball Betting Deposit Bonuses
If you're eager to jump into the action, you should still take some time to evaluate the bonus options. Most sites offer a bonus that's laid out as either a specific amount of cash, a percentage of your initial deposit, or both. For instance, if the bonus plan is described as "50 percent of the amount you deposit, up to $500," that means if you deposit $400, you get a $200 bonus, meaning you have $600 with which to make your initial bets.
Another bonus format is called "reduced juice" betting, which reduces the small charge that's always included to make the bet itself. But sites that do this also tend to offer lower bonuses, so you're trading the possibility of cash up front for lower costs incorporated into the daily lines.
Depositing money is also simple. If you don't live within driving distance of a casino, deposits can be made via wire transfer, by credit card or by using on line sites like Paypal, and virtually every site these days offers secure betting.
One angle you can play to analyze possible bonus formats is to do a simple search for sites that specialize in showing basketball bonuses. These sites provide graphics showing a side-by-side comparison of all the different bonus levels and systems to help you hone in on the best choice.
How Online Basketball Odds Work
As for the odds themselves, for the most part they're fairly simple. Most bets are made against the point spread, which means you're getting X number of points if you're betting the underdog, and forfeiting that same number of points if you're going with the favorite.
If you don't want to bet the spread, you can try out "money line" betting, where you simply pick a winner. The downside of this is that the money line is formatted in -110 style pricing, which means that if you want to bet $100 on the winner, you actually have to bet $110, with $10 going to the betting site to cover their expenses and risk.
Beyond that, you have to put up extra to bet a favorite, e.g., if the money line is -170, you have to risk $170 to win $100 on your team. Conversely, a plus money line of, say, +160 on an underdog means that your $100 will get you $160 if the dog comes through for you. On most formats, a tie essentially nullifies the bet, with no money changing hands, although there are still betting sites out there where a tie goes to the house.
Like NFL betting sites, basketball sites almost always offer betting on point totals, which means you're taking the over/under on the aggregate amount that both teams will score. This allows you to capitalize on teams you know play a faster or slower pace and weigh the offensive output (or lack thereof) of both teams.
One Last Thing To Consider About Basketball Betting
Finally, most of these sites also offer an array of specialty bets, including prop bets, teasers and parlays. Prop bets are exactly what they sound like, bets based on a proposition offered by the sports book (e.g., Kobe Bryant will continue to torch the Raptors for 40+ points during their two contests this year).
Parlays are basically combination bets where you win by calling the outcome of at least two different games. The "teaser" is usually a multi-game bet that gives you points to improve the odds in exchange for a lower return, and larger teasers allow you to spread those points over multiple teams if more than two clubs are involved in the wager. You can also double up on sports and find a baseball betting line that you like and parlay it with your best basketball pick.
| Sportsbook Name | Bonus Offer | Accepts USA |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | Up To $1000 | YES |
| Bovada | Up To $250 | YES |
| Bet DSI | Up To $500 | YES |
| 5 Dimes | Up To $520 | YES |