How To Bet On NBA 2K League Games

The National Basketball Association (NBA) boasts a massive betting handle and is one of the most popular leagues to bet on. Translating to its digital adaptation, it makes sense that gambling on NBA 2K would make for a smooth transition.

Whether you want to gamble on NBA 2K or just learn more about it, we’ll cover all the key information surrounding it.

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What is NBA 2K?

NBA 2K is a popular basketball simulation video game series that was first released in 1999. Since then, the franchise has seen a total of 21 installments, typically releasing one each year. As with most games, the latest edition claims the fame and the majority player base. In this case, NBA 2K20, released on September 6, 2019, has been occupying digital ballers around the world.

In its most common form, NBA 2K is played just like traditional basketball. There are two teams consisting of five players each competing against each other over four quarters. It’s safe to say that if you’ve ever watched an NBA game, you’ll be able to understand how NBA 2K works.

When it comes to its competitive district, the game features the NBA 2K League, a franchised league for NBA 2K that has brought forth a bounty of betting opportunities. The NBA 2K League features a total of 23 teams, with 22 of them linked directly to NBA franchises.

Who Plays in the NBA 2K League?

There are currently 23 teams in the 2K League, all but one owned and associated with teams in the NBA. The 23rd team is owned and operated by esports organization Gen.G and is based in Shanghai. 

Here is a full list of teams in the NBA 2K League:

How the NBA 2K League Works

Before placing your first stake on NBA 2K League, you’ll probably want to better understand the competitive format and nature of the game.

For its third season in 2020, the NBA 2K League hosted qualifiers that started in October 2019. The top 85 players from those qualifications were invited to try out privately in February with the NBA 2K League draft held in March. The official NBA 2K League 2020 season is set to commence on May 5, 2020. 

Betting on NBA 2K League

The NBA 2K League launched officially in May 2018, and it quickly lined the esports sections of a number of sportsbooks, big and small. The similarities between the game and the NBA itself from its structure and markets made for a relatively easy sell for bookies to get involved in. As with the NBA, you’ll find a wide range of NBA 2K League betting markets to wager on.

Match Outcomes

Any NBA 2K punter will tell you betting on a match Sportsbook is the most popular type of bet, and it’s generally the easiest to understand and work with. When wagering on an NBA 2K League game’s match Sportsbook, you’ll bet on one of the two teams competing during a season match.

Player Props

A prop bet is a stake made on the occurrence or non-occurrence of certain happenings in the game. In the case of the NBA 2K League, player propositions can range from an individual’s blocks, steals, points, assists, turnovers and so on. Bettors won’t find a shortage of entertaining ways to bet on the NBA 2K League in this category!

Quarter Props

NBA 2K League quarter props are bets that focus on each quarter of a match. When gambling on NBA 2K League games, you’ll find a number of markets available in each quarter, including winning margins, odd/even totals and race to points.

As with the NBA, 2K League betting markets are quite extensive, and perhaps too exhaustive to go through entirely. All in all, the NBA 2K League offers a wide array of markets for punters to stake on; you won’t find yourself very limited betting here.

Where to bet on NBA 2K League

You will be able to find betting odds on the NBA 2K League at most online sportsbooks. Deciding which book is best for you for placing a wager can be overwhelming, but we did the work for you at Odds Shark. You can find our comprehensive review of the biggest books around, so you can decide which is the best for you. 

Since the NBA 2K League has become so popular, the number of sportsbooks offering odds has skyrocketed.

For those who are new to the space, it’s recommended visiting Twitch and watching past broadcasts to understand how the game is played and who are the teams to keep an eye on. Many of the top Sportsbooks who will accept bets on NBA 2K League have already cemented themselves in much older and matured markets such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike and Overwatch. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get ahead of the curve and start familiarizing yourself ahead of next season!

NBA 2K League betting odds

Feeling ready to place your first bet yet? Well, don’t get too far ahead of yourself! While the game’s relativity to the NBA might make bettors feel at ease, it’s worthwhile to understand NBA 2K League odds thoroughly before going out and placing a wager.

There are all different types of odds, from fractional and decimal to American, that might be overwhelming to the untrained eye. So how do all these work and what do they mean? Let’s talk about it.

American Odds

As you’d imagine, American odds are popular in the United States and the choice display of odds for sportsbooks in the region. American odds will feature a plus (+) or minus (-) sign, which indicates the underdog and favorite, respectively.

When betting on an underdog, the amount shown is what would be won for each $100 wagered. For example, a +225 line would profit $225 for a successful $100 bet.

For the favorite, the number indicates the amount needed to be bet to win $100. For example, a -300 line would require a $300 bet to return $100.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds are one of the most common odds displays in the world, and as the name suggests, they deal with decimals. The lower number will always indicate the better odds of winning or favorite – thus, in gambling principle, the lower return.

A simple way to calculate return on decimal odds is to multiply your stake by the odds. So betting $10 on a 1.85 line, a winning bet would profit $18.50 in addition to receiving your wager back.

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds are odds that are represented with a slash (/) sign. Occasionally, fractional odds may be displayed with a hyphen (-) instead of a slash. This display of betting lines is popular among U.K.-based Sportsbooks and select European bookies.

As with decimal odds, these are fairly easy to understand and work with. At 5/1 odds (five-to-one), a punter would win $5 for every $1 bet as well as the initial stake being returned.

Placing your first bet on NBA 2K20

With its 2020 season slated to begin in the spring, now’s the time to prepare yourself for your first NBA 2K League bet!

To summarize what we’ve gone over, make sure first that you know the game. Betting on NBA 2K can be more successful with proper understanding and knowledge of the game. So get on Twitch and YouTube and start learning about the league’s best players today! From there, start surfing around sportsbooks to see which platforms provide NBA 2K League gambling and which markets might interest you. Most every sportsbook will offer enticing welcoming bonuses, but it’s important to read the fine print to make sure you’re getting the best offer for you.