Want to get into sports betting a bit? Based on the numbers, the odds of basketball being the sport you bet on are pretty good. Bookies have the numbers to back up the claim that basketball is second only to soccer in the United States when it comes to the amount of money wagered each year. In fact, each year’s premier March Madness amateur tournament is the second-highest-grossing sporting event for bookies in all of sports (the Super Bowl is first).

There is a lot of money to be made betting on basketball, whether college or professional, but to have a chance of breaking even, you first need to know what you’re doing. This article is a guide for beginners in the world of basketball betting.

basketball betting

Just like soccer, basketball scores are usually very high due to the scoring system. This means that betting the edge on basketball is the most popular form of betting.

In a spread bet, the person placing the bet wins if their team “covers” the spread. This means that the team either wins by the specified number of points or loses by less than the specified number of points. Here’s a look.

San Antonio Spurs-8
New York Knicks +8

Betting on Spurs to cover the spread means they have to win by more than eight points to collect. If you win by exactly 8 points, it’s a “push.” Your stake will be returned, but you won’t win any extra money. If the Spurs win by just 7 points, they win the game but fail to cover the spread. In that case, you lose the money wagered and those who bet on the Knicks get paid.

Betting on point spreads can be a bit tricky, so those new to sports betting might prefer the money line. This is a bet on one team to win the game, and it doesn’t matter how many points they win by.

In a money line bet, more money must be placed on the favorite team. For example, to win $100 on a favorite, you would have to bet $120. On the other hand, if you wanted to bet on the underdog, you can win more money. For every $100 you bet on a loser, you could win $130. Let’s take a look at how this would appear in “the books”:

San Antonio Spurs-120
New York Knicks +130

The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign, whether betting the edge or the line.

find a good value

As we mentioned at the beginning, both professional and college hoops are popular with those who like sports betting. To come out the winner of the season or the tournament, it is important to find bets that have a good value.

Good value bets are those that require you to bet the least amount of money to get the highest returns. Therefore, many people prefer to bet on college hoops over professional hoops. Professional leagues often have teams that are very different in terms of skill level, and that is reflected in the odds.

On the other hand, college teams are generally closer in terms of ability. That means bookmakers will set closer lines and spreads, and that’s an advantage to the person betting on the game.

Also, keep in mind that the more knowledge you have, the better your chances of winning. Before placing a bet, see what’s going on in the game in terms of line-ups and even referees by checking the internet and various sports channels.