How To Bet On Basketball: NBA Betting Guide For 2024-25 Season

Placing bets on NBA action for the upcoming 2024-25 regular season and beyond will draw in new and seasoned bettors alike, but even for the most experienced wagerers, a lack of research and preparation can lead to significant losses. 

That's why the team at Odds Shark wants to put you in the best position possible to make bank on your basketball wagers, with the following guide setting you up with the tools of the trade you need to maximize your success and fill your bank accounts.

How To Bet On The NBA

There are several ways one can put money down on the sport, and even for the most seasoned bettors, reestablishing the basics can pay dividends in the long run. This guide will run through the specific types of bets you can make, while also presenting NBA betting tips you can use regularly. Find your favorite NBA sportsbook and dive in. 

Moneyline

Betting the moneyline is also referred to as a "straight-up bet," meaning you're simply picking the winner of a specific game. If the team you bet on emerges victorious, then so do you.

In this example, the Oklahoma City Thunder are considered the favorites in their game against the Dallas Mavericks, evident by the minus sign (-) displayed in front of their numerical odds. The Mavericks are the underdogs, which is made apparent by the plus sign (+) next to their respective numerical odds.

If you were to bet on the Thunder to defeat the Mavericks on the moneyline by betting $100 and Philadelphia won, you'd receive your original bet back along with $80 in profit. If Dallas won, the profit would be larger - in this case, your original bet and $150 in profit - because it was the underdog in this matchup. 

Totals (OVER/UNDER)

For a totals bet, the winner and loser of a game plays no part in the result of your wager. All that matters is if the total combined score of the two competing teams is OVER or UNDER a preset number set by oddsmakers. 

In this example, oddsmakers have set the total for a game between the Mavericks and Thunder at 240.5 points. 

To make a totals bet, you can either pick the final score exceeding 240.5 total points (241 or more) as an OVER or pick it falling below 240.5 total points (fewer than 240) as an UNDER.

If the final score was the Mavericks defeating the Thunder 126-122, that would mean the total went OVER, since 248 total points is higher than what the oddsmakers had at 240.5 total points. With -110 odds, which is fairly common in the OVER/UNDER market, a winning bet made with $100 would give the original bet back and $90 in profit.

Point Spreads

A spread bet provides more flexibility beyond simply picking winners of games like one would do with a moneyline bet. The spread is indicative of what the point differential could end up being on the scoreboard.

Using what we learned with moneyline bets and the minus (-, favorites) and plus (+, underdogs) signs, we can see here that the Thunder are favored to beat the Mavericks by at least 4.5 points. 

If one bets the spread for Oklahoma City to cover, that means the Thunder would need to beat Dallas by at least 4.5 points (five or more) for a winning bet. If Oklahoma City won the game but the point differential was by four points or less, that would result in a win for anyone who bet on the the Mavericks because they "covered the spread."

If Dallas won the game outright, that would also equate a winning spread bet for the Mavericks. 

If the spread was a whole number like 4 instead of 4.5 and the final score was separated by exactly that amount, then the result would be a PUSH and the bettor would get their original bet back with no profit or loss.

Player/Team Props

A prop bet is short for "proposition betting," which means betting on specific instances to occur or not occur during a basketball game by a player or a team as a whole. 

Here's a look at some of the more popular player and team props for NBA basketball, especially for those new to sports betting:

Futures

An NBA futures bet tends to revolve around the outcomes of both the regular season and playoffs as opposed to specific games the day of.

Odds are never set in stone either, as they'll constantly fluctuate over time based on performance, change in record, injuries, and numerous other mitigating factors. They're something worth constantly monitoring.

Here are some examples of some of the more popular futures bets:

Advanced NBA Betting Options

Knowledgable sports bettors can take their experience to an entirely different level with more advanced wagers, although newbies should steer clear until they fully grasp the fundamentals. These types of bets have a greater risk-reward factor, but as mentioned, should only be saved for seasoned vets as as they're far more difficult to win as opposed to general spreads, moneyline, and totals.

Parlays

Parlays incorporate numerous wagers into the same bet, but all of the wagers need to be successful in order for the parlay to be a winner. 

Here's an example of a same-game parlay, meaning all of the wagers are being made for one specific game (Thunder vs. Mavericks):

In this example, the same-game parlay is picking the Thunder to defeat the Mavericks as a moneyline bet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score OVER 26.5 points, and Lu Dort to hit more than two 3-pointers. If all of those scenarios happen, then the same-game parlay would be a winner.

However, if even one wager falls short, then the entire parlay crumbles and it results in loss. Oklahoma City could win the game, and Gilgeous-Alexander could drop 30 points on Dallas to hit the OVER, but if Dort fails to connect on a 3-pointer, then that ruins the entire parlay.

In short, it's basically all or nothing, which elevates the risk factor exponentially. 

Live Betting

As the name would indicate, live bets are made once the game in question has gotten underway and is still ongoing at the time of the bet.

The odds will fluctuate based on the ebb and flow of the game. The Thunder, for example, may have been a heavy favorite against Dallas prior to tip-off, but the Mavericks could have a massive lead at halftime which changes the odds entirely. 

You're essentially at the mercy of momentum, but making a bet at the perfect time during a game can be far more rewarding than if it were done earlier in the day.

Race to 10 Bets

A Race to 10 bet doesn't take a great deal of time to determine, as wagers are made on which team will get to 10 points first on the scoreboard. 

There's no usually no rhyme or reason as far as which side can get off to a hot start and reach that mark, as even the worst teams are capable of finding success in this market. For example, despite finishing with the worst overall record in 2023-24 at 14-68, the Detroit Pistons were a respectable 40-42 in the Race to 10 department which generated much more profit than betting on the team SU. 

First Quarter/First Half Betting

Another bet for those who prefer quicker results would be wagering on which team will possess the lead after either the first quarter or the first half. 

These types of bet cover the spectrum of basketball bets, as well, as wagerers can go SU, ATS, or OVER/UNDER for these stretches of games. There's a lot of due diligence involved to decipher trends which may assist in generating gains, but if they can be found, the first quarter/half market can be a massive plus.

NBA Betting Tips & Strategies 

There's no set rules or blueprint for how to find consistent and sustained success when betting on the NBA, and that's part of the fun. Being great requires a ton of digging and due diligence, but what works for some may not work for others.

Regardless of how you choose to bet on the league, here are some helpful tips and strategies to consider prior to locking in any wager.

Strategy No. 1: Recent performance

If the Thunder are riding a five-game winning streak heading into their game against the Mavericks, who've won just a single game over their last five outings, that's going to play a major part in how you bet on that matchup. 

The tricky thing about professional sports in general is that any team can beat any other team on any given night. Even so, it's important to find patterns in performance to help you lean one way or the other. Streaks end, and every dog has its day, but you'll ultimately feel better knowing you did your homework and followed those patterns. 

Strategy No. 2: Matchup history

If Oklahoma City had won 10 of their last 11 games against Dallas, how confident would you be in betting on the Mavericks to pull off the upset?

Not that confident, of course, because history is telling you that the Dallas rarely beats the Thunder when going head-to-head. There's more money to be made should an upset occur, of course, but how likely is that to happen based on what you know?

Never go too far back into a matchup history, though, because Oklahoma City sweeping a season series in 2016 doesn't mean a great deal in 2025 because the teams and circumstances are entirely fresh. 

Strategy No. 3: injury reports

In today's day and age, injury reports can drastically change at a moment's notice and completely shift odds in favor of one side hours before tip-off. 

The Thunder may be heavy favorites to knock off Dallas, but if Gilgeous-Alexander was hypothetically yanked out of the starting lineup for rest on a nagging ailment, the Maverick's odds would dramatically improve since it wouldn't have a former MVP finalist to contend with. 

Never assume that every player for any team will be available to play when you need them to most. Checking injury reports throughout the course of the day is an absolute must. 

Creating An NBA Betting Account