Basketball Betting Sites – Legal Sportsbooks for Basketball Betting

Legal Basketball Betting

Basketball is essentially a team sport consisting of two teams with five players on either side. Each team tries to score points by shooting a basketball through a hoop that’s elevated 10-feet above the ground.

Basketball is played on a rectangular court with a hoop situated on either end of the court. Basketball is considered one of the most difficult sports to bet on due to its rapid score fluctuation and high scoring nature.

However, NBA betting is the second largest in the sports betting industry.

As a fast-paced game, basketball provides plenty of exciting ways to make a profit for bettors.

BasketballTo assist you in understanding the game of basketball, I included the most popular basketball events you can wager on. I also have undertaken the explanation of the different type of basketball bets you will come across, included valuable basketball betting tips and strategies, and provided the legality of basketball betting to ensure you have what you need to get started. Furthermore, I added some insight as to why I think basketball is one of the best sports to bet on.

If you simply want to view the best online sportsbooks that offer basketball betting, without having to read my entire article, you are more than welcome to choose one of my recommended online sportsbooks listed below:

List of Sports Betting sites accepting players from the USA:

Rank Rooms Expert Score Signup Bonus Licensed Features Play Now
BetOnline

105 user ratings
Read Review

Deposit $25, Get up to $2500

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

mga  
  • Very high betting limits offered to customers
  • All major sporting events covered
  • Betting markets go live very early
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Everygame

93 user ratings
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50% up to $200

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

kgc  
  • Strong promotions available
  • Well-designed website
  • Mobile compatible
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3

SportsandCasino.com

30 user ratings
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300% Casino Match / 50% Sports Match

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

mga  
  • Good choice of games
  • Quick withdrawal process
  • Plenty of assistance for newcomers
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Bovada

107 user ratings
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50% up to $250+$100 Welcome Bet

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

kgc  
  • Full audit trail of all bets placed and settled
  • Three different language option settings
  • One of the most popular US Sportsbooks
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5

GTBets

109 user ratings
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100% up to $500

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

curacao  
  • Long experience in the industry
  • Cool promotions for major sports
  • Quality customer support
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Popular Basketball Events

There is a fantastic variety of basketball events available on the international basketball calendar, providing plenty of betting opportunities for bettors around the world. I included the top basketball events below and offered a brief explanation on each of them.

National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The NBA is a professional basketball league for men held in North America. There are 30 teams in the NBA, of which one is based in Canada, and the remaining teams are U.S based. During a regular season, each team will play 82 games in total, 41 games at home, and 41 games on the road.

NBA G League

The NBA Gatorade League is the official basketball minor league organization. The G league has a total of 27 teams and is considered the true minor league farm system, with every team affiliated with one of the NBA teams.

FIBA World Cup of Basketball

The FIBA World Cup of Basketball was formed in 1932 and brings 214 National Basketball Federations together from across the globe. The Basketball World Cup is held every 4 hours, and there’s a Basketball World Cup for women held on the same year as the men’s World Cup, but on a different continent.

Bettors can also look forward to a host of other basketball events such as college basketball, as well as the NBA All-Stars game that is held once a year where 12 players are picked from a pool of 120 players. Fans count for 50% of the votes, and current players and the media account for 25% of the votes.

Different Baseball Betting Selections

There is a handful of different betting options in basketball that I will discuss below, including moneyline betting, point spreads, and over/under. There are also a few other betting options such as futures, prop bets, and parlays that you will come across when betting on basketball games. Although you don’t necessarily have to use each of these betting options, it is still extremely valuable to understand how they work.

Moneyline

When it comes to basketball betting, Moneylines are not overly popular, but they are quite simple to understand. Bettors simply need to predict which team will win the game. Bettors will basically need to predict an upset of bet on the underdogs as this is primarily the only method in which a moneyline bet will pay off.

For instance, if the moneyline bet has the Chicago Bulls at +140 and the Los Angeles Lakers at -110, the Lakers will be favoured to win the game and bettors are required to bet $110 to win $100. The Chicago Bulls are considered the underdogs in this game, and bettors are only required to bet $100 to see a return of $140 if the Bulls cause an upset and win the game.

Point Spread

Very similar to the NFL, most bettors who place a wager on the NBA will use point spreads. Point Spread betting will give the underdogs of the game an advantage that usually ranges from 3 to 10 points prior to the start of the matchup.

For instance, if a basketball game has a spread of +3.5 for the New York Knicks and -3.5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favourites in the game, and the New York Knicks will be the 3.0 point underdog. The New York Knicks will be awarded 3.0 points before the start of the game. If you are betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are required to win by 3 points or more, and if you are betting on the New York Knicks, they will have to win the game or essentially lose by less than 3 points.

Totals (Over/Under)

Betting on basketball totals is second to point spread betting, and considered another extremely popular form of betting in basketball. The bookmaker will select a total number based on how the game should pan out. The overall totals, when betting in basketball, can vary from 180 up to 220 on average, and will vary widely on every game. When betting on the totals in a basketball game, you will need to predict if the total number of points will be higher (over), or lower (Under) thank the bookmakers selected number.

Parlays

Parlay bets might be a risky choice, but they are quite popular when it comes to basketball betting. To place a parlay bet, bettors are required to select a minimum of two point spreads, moneylines, or totals and combine them into a single bet. All parlay selections must win for a better to be awarded a payout.

Props

Basketball props will allow you to place a bet on outcomes that aren’t directly linked to the outcome of the match. Prop bets are extremely popular thanks to their creative nature and could turn out to be enormously profitable at times. For example, you can bet on the total number of rebounds per team or the total number of points scored for a specific player.

Futures

Future bets are basically based on the outcome of what will occur at a later stage. A great example would be to predict which basketball team will win the Conference Championships or NBA title.

Basketball Betting Tips and Strategies

Now that you have a better understanding of the different betting types in basketball, you can turn your attention to betting tips and strategies. Although my list only includes a few tips, it will still provide some basic guidelines to get you started.

Watch for Winning Streaks

Both players and teams in basketball tend to get cold and hot throughout the season. If you can classify a winning streak and get yourself ahead of it, you will give yourself an edge that can lead to some extraordinary winning potential.

Keep an Eye on the Injury Report

You should always be aware of serious injuries that occur in any basketball team through the season, especially players that can have a drastic effect on the outcome of a game. Basketball games are also known for their fast-paced, high scoring action. So, you need to be aware of who scores the most points and if that player is playing in the game that might cause an upset towards to end.

Be Selective with your Bets

Be careful which team you choose to place your bet on, and avoid betting on too many betting options during a game. You will firstly need to do some homework on the two teams playing in a game. The more statistical information you have at your disposal, the better your prediction will be. Once you have a better understanding on each team, avoid placing wagers on every single betting option available. This will simply cause you to lose a significant amount of money when your prediction is wrong. Keep things simple and rather bet on more games as opposed to placing all your money on a single game.

Home Games vs Away Games

With 41 games played at home and another 41 games played on the road, it will be extremely beneficial to get the latest information on how each team performs when playing at home against how they play on the road. You will also need to consider the flight duration of every team and the amount of time they have to prepare for their next game. These aspects can play a huge factor in how they will perform.

Legality of Basketball Betting

Basketball betting is immensely popular in Canada and the United States, and players in the U.S are still confused on which sports betting sites can be accessed and which of them are legal. The U.S Wire Act is, for the most part, focused on sports betting sites that accept money transactions from U.S players. While it is legal to wager on sports, it is the transfer of monies to offshore operators that fall under the jurisdiction of the wire act, and as such, becomes illegal for those residing in the U.S.

Fortunately, the same laws do not apply for offshore sports betting sites, giving U.S players access to basketball betting while residing in the United States. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and the Wire Act can only be enforced within the United States. Several leading online sports betting sites operate out of other countries and offer online bettors in the U.S the option to bet on basketball.

At the same time, you will also come across plenty of sports betting sites that are not legal and simply want to steal your money or refuse to pay out your winnings when a withdrawal request is made. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you only consider the sports betting sites I listed in my article as each of these sportsbooks have been tested for reliability and trustworthiness. Each of them also offers some of the best odds in the business when it comes to betting on basketball, and always pay their players promptly. In addition, they are licensed and regulated by governing bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Alderney Gaming Authority to mention a few.

Conclusion

Basketball betting might be one of the more difficult proposition in the online sports betting world, but it still offers large dividends for smart bettors that know the sport. It will also be beneficial to locate an online sports betting site with superior service and competitive odds, but the ultimate success or failure will lie with the bettor, and their ability to transform game analysis and statistics into long-term profits.

Basketball FAQ Section

Can basketball betting be profitable?

How Do I Get Started with Basketball betting?

Why I Recommend Basketball Betting

Who are the best basketball players of all times?

Biggest winning margin in basketball history?

Who holds the record for the most free throws?

Who is the tallest in basketball?

David Nugent Editor

First off, I want to say hi and wish a warm welcome to all gambling aficionados out there! My name is David Nugent and I am editor-in-chief of LegitGambling.com. I have always enjoyed various sports, primarily soccer, as I am a die-hard Everton fan.

Over time, I learned more about sports betting and discovered the fascinating online gambling industry. Eventually,...

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