Betting On NBA Online & Best Apps

With a whopping 72-game season, the league provides plenty of NBA betting opportunities each year. Besides that, the premier basketball league comes in a close second to the NFL each year in sports betting handle. If you want best NBA betting sites and their mobile apps to bet on NBA games, there are hundreds of betting options, props, and even live betting options that make you think on your feet. Our NBA betting guide covers the latest odds, the best NBA bets, an analysis oft her different basketball bets, and connections to the best NBA sportsbooks and apps.

There have been significant trades in the NBA this summer. One trade to watch is Lillard ing the Bucks to play with Giannis. Doncic and Irving could improve their chemistry next season after a disappointing ending to the previous one. Grant Williams ing Boston will make their team stronger and increase their playoff chances. If KD and Booker can develop a strong partnership in Phoenix, they will be a strong team in 2024/25. There have been other notable moves too. Now, let’s focus on the Championship odds. Our in-house experts follow the latest NBA betting trends to provide our readers with insight into how to bet on NBA games, maximizing the value in the odds.

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a professional handicapper, here you can find the NBA best bets today. The NBA sports betting odds are now available. Betting on NBA lines is a prevalent market for US players, so ensure you work with the best providers.

Last updated on: May 19, 2025

But how do you bet on the NBA effectively? Here are some NBA betting tips from OnlineSportsBetting. It’s important to understand the game, do plenty of team and player research, and even follow beat writers who specifically cover the NBA. Many people just try to guess when it comes to betting on the NBA, and while some could be successful, it’s important for many sports bettors to have a strategy.

But first, for those who are new to betting on the NBA, we should go over the main NBA gambling options and NBA odds, to prime you for betting on the 2024-2025 NBA season.

NBA Fact Table

Best NBA Bets, May 2025

• The Boston Celtics are now longshots to repeat as NBA champions, with odds drifting to +2600, especially after Jayson Tatum’s significant leg injury in Game 4 against the Knicks, which has left their postseason hopes in jeopardy.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as formidable contenders, currently listed at +600 to win the NBA Championship. Their recent playoff performances have showcased their potential to make a deep run.
• The Denver Nuggets face an uphill battle, with their championship odds adjusting to +1600. Despite Nikola Jokić’s efforts, the team’s path to the title appears challenging.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder are surging, currently listed at +160 odds to win the championship, showcasing their impressive form this season.
• The New York Knicks hold strong at +500, maintaining their status as formidable contenders.

Best Online Sportsbooks for NBA Betting

s can make NBA bets online at these sportsbooks. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best online bookmakers in the United States. We have reviewed them specifically for NBA betting. Take a look!

The first step in learning how to bet on NBA games is to understand NBA betting odds.

NBA Betting Odds

These are those numbers next to a team name, that are either denoted as positive or negative. The positive numbers indicate that the team is less likely to win than their opponent, and would be the underdog in this situation. The negative number represents the favored team and would be more likely to win. Their numbers would represent how likely they are to win.

If you have the Golden State Warriors at +200 and the Toronto Raptors at -200, that means the Raptors are favored to win that game, and the Warriors are the underdogs. A bet on the Raptors wouldn’t pay out as much because the oddsmakers are predicting that they would be the ones to win, but a bet on the Warriors would pay out much more if they did pull off a victory.

The odds represent how much you would need to bet to win a certain amount of money. In the case above, you would need to bet $200 on the Raptors to win $100. You can bet any denomination, but that doesn’t sound like a bet that’s really worthwhile unless you were 100% sure the Raptors would win. If you bet on the Warriors, you would need to bet $100 to win $200.

The more a team is expected to lose, the higher their odds will be, meaning you’d be winning big bucks if a huge upset occurs. This is one of the core principles of placing a bet on NBA games.

 

Popular NBA Betting Options

Now that we’ve covered what the odds look like, let’s look at popular betting types that you will be able to choose from when you place a bet on an NBA game.

Betting on the NBA Moneyline

The easiest betting type you can lay down in of NBA betting is the moneyline. It’s simple and easy to understand and great for new bettors. Your job is to determine which team will win the game – that’s it.

If the Warriors and Raptors are playing and you believe the Warriors will win, you select the Warriors and you’re good to go. Mind you, reviewing the odds and aspects of the game before you place your wager is important to ensure you aren’t throwing your money away.

Let’s look at an example:

• Toronto Raptors -120
• Golden State Warriors +300

We changed the numbers around to give you a different perspective. The Raptors are still the favored team, at -120 vig. A $120 wager, with the Raptors winning, would yield $100 plus your initial wager. The Warriors are the underdog, and if they upset the Raptors and win, a $100 wager would yield $300 plus your initial $100.

In order to make the best NBA moneyline bets, you should reach far and wide for your research. For example, some have shown statistically the need to look at multiple seasons in order to predict the results of NBA games. They use a combination of models and forecasts to improve their betting success.

Betting on NBA Point Spreads

Point spreads are extremely popular in the NBA, and almost any of the main professional sports. Point spreads are intended to give the underdog an imaginary advantage or level the playing field in games that are one-sided. Your oddsmaker or sportsbook will decide who the favored team is, and determine the spread based on how those two teams match up.

The spread is essentially how many points a team must win or lose by, depending on which side you’re betting on. If you choose the favorite, their spread will be a negative number, and they must win the game by that amount. If you choose the underdog, they must lose by less than that number or win the game.

For example, if you have the Bulls at -5.5 and the Pacers at +5.5, the Bulls are favored to win the matchup. The Bulls are expected to win by more than five points, and for your bet to cash, they must win by more than 6 points. The Pacers, on the other hand, need to win the game or lose by less than 5 points. The team must cover their spread for you to win.

The spreads change as the game draws closer, you could get a better value closer to game time, as sportsbooks balance the lines based on the bets that come in early. They try to have equal bets on either side so the Pacers could be even bigger underdogs on game day.

 

Betting on NBA Totals

If you’re looking at the lines and you aren’t leaning toward a particular team, you can always bet the totals or the over/under as it’s commonly referred to as. Totals betting is quite simple, and you don’t have to choose one team over another – you simply have to decide if the total amount of points scored by both teams collectively will be over or under the oddsmaker’s line.

If you have the Celtics versus the Knicks, and the total is set at 190, you will need to decide if you think both teams will score more or less than 190. If both teams easily get over 100 points per game, that should be an easy bet to make, and you’d take the over. If the Celtics defensive play is too much for the Knicks to handle, and you don’t see the Knicks scoring many points, take the under.

The totals will have odds like -110 attached to it, based on the handle coming in on the choice. These are your odds for your bet, and usually don’t venture too far from the -110 and -105 zone due to the unpredictability of the over/under bet.

Betting on NBA Props

Let’s get into the fun side of NBA betting. Prop bets or proposition bets as they’re formally referred to as can be so much fun to wager on. They are unusual or goofy wagers on outcomes within the game that can make betting on the NBA a little more exciting. You could bet on the number of three-pointers a specific player could rack up in a game, or how many blocks a team might have, or who will win the opening tip-off.

NBA Prop bets are just for fun, and most people don’t put a lot of money on them. Many online sportsbooks offer a huge selection of props per game, providing a much greater variety than your average retail sportsbook. Sometimes there can even be too many to choose from, and it does get overwhelming when trying to determine which one to bet on.

Many props are purely luck, and you really don’t have to put a lot of thought or time into them.

Betting on NBA Futures

NBA Futures are extremely popular early in the season, as they provide a huge value with high risk. NBA Futures are exactly as they sound – you are placing a bet on which team will win an outcome month in advance. As soon as the NBA Finals wrap up each year, sportsbooks put out the following year’s futures.

The main NBA Futures are the NBA Finals Futures and the divisional winners. Predicting if a team will win the NBA Finals months before it happens can usher in some fantastic odds.

Let’s use the 2019 season for example. To start the season, the Toronto Raptors were +900 to win the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors were -165. A bet on the Warriors in October 2018 would have barely any value, and your money would be wasted as they lost. A $100 wager on the Raptors would have paid out $1000.

In some instances, you can find the middle of the pack teams sneaking up the standings and inching into the finals or even their divisional finals. It’s important to keep in mind that these NBA bets are highly risky, as you have 30 teams in the NBA, so 30/1 odds of being right.

Additional NBA Betting Types

Here are the explanations of various NBA betting types, along with examples for each:

Over/Under

Definition: An Over/Under bet involves wagering on the total number of points scored in a game by both teams. The sportsbook sets a line, and bettors decide whether the actual score will be over or under that total.

Example: If the Over/Under line for a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors is set at 220.5 points, and you bet on the “Over,” you win if the combined score is 221 points or higher.

Parlay

Definition: A parlay bet combines two or more individual bets into one wager, increasing the potential payout but also the risk, as all bets must win for the parlay to be successful.

Example: You place a parlay bet on three NBA games: the Lakers to beat the Celtics, the Mavericks to defeat the Heat, and the Bucks to win against the Bulls. If all three teams win, your parlay pays out at a higher rate than if you had bet on each game separately.

Teasers

Definition: A teaser is a type of bet that allows you to adjust the point spreads or totals in your favor across multiple games. This typically results in a lower payout but increases the chances of winning.

Example: If you are betting on two games with point spreads of -5 and +3, you might create a 6-point teaser. This would change your bets to -1 for the first game and +9 for the second game. You need both adjusted bets to win to collect your payout.

Round-Robin

Definition: A round-robin bet is a way to create multiple parlays from a set of selected games. This strategy allows for more flexibility, as you can win money even if not all selections are correct.

Example: If you choose three teams—Lakers, Mavericks, and Warriors—you could create three 2-team parlays: Lakers & Mavericks, Lakers & Warriors, and Mavericks & Warriors. If two out of three teams win, you still have the potential to profit from the winning parlays.

 

Top Online Sportsbooks for Betting on the NBA

Now that you have a good idea of how to bet on the NBA games, let’s take a look at where to place the best NBA bets today.

While your state may have legalized sports betting, many haven’t ed laws or updated legislation yet, so offshore sportsbooks are still a great option for NBA betting.

Finding an online sportsbook that offers the best NBA odds, NBA bonuses and a variety of deposit options should be your main priority. All sportsbooks and apps are different, so you want to ensure you do plenty of research and read sportsbook reviews before g up.

How to Sign Up to NBA Betting Sites

g up for an NBA betting site is quick and straightforward, usually taking just a few minutes. First, choose a reputable sportsbook like BetOnline, Bovada, or MyBookie. Once on the site, click the “Sign Up” or “” button, and fill out the required personal information such as your name, email address, and age verification. You may also need to your identity through an email confirmation or document , depending on the sportsbook.

After creation, you’ll need to fund your . Most sites offer multiple deposit options, including credit cards, Bitcoin, and other e-wallets. Many sportsbooks also provide a bonus when you make your first deposit, so be sure to check for any promo codes. Once your is funded, navigate to the NBA section to start betting on games, props, or futures like the MVP race.

Which NBA Betting Site Has the Best Promotions?

Different sportsbooks excel in promotions, and finding the best one depends on what you’re looking for. BetUS stands out with its generous 125% sports welcome bonus of up to $2,500, making it one of the top choices for new bettors. BetOnline frequently offers a 50% welcome bonus up to $1,000, and its 100% bonus for Bitcoin deposits is another excellent option for crypto s.

Bovada also offers competitive promotions, including a 75% Bitcoin bonus up to $750, which can be used for NBA betting. Additionally, MyBookie is known for offering unique, event-specific bonuses, such as NBA-related promos during the playoffs or marquee games. Always check the promotions section of each site for the latest deals before making a deposit, as seasonal offers can provide extra value.

NBA Betting Tips

There are a wealth of ways to find revealing NBA betting tips, many of which can be found on sites dedicated to basketball and often also offer handicapping advice. See our top 5 NBA betting tips below:

1. Don’t chase losses: Losing can be a hard thing to stomach. But it happens. Don’t spend your money chasing losses and quickly trying to recoup financial losses.
2. Line Shopping: You’ll see this term used quickly and often. It entails g up with a variety of bookmakers and checking the betting line you’re interested in across a variety of providers rather than just one, allowing you to find the best value in the market.
3. Do Your Homework: Don’t just wager on the first odds you see. Check to see what has happened in the past; check performance, and head-to-head statistics, to ensure you get the best value out of the odds.
4. Don’t just follow your favorite team: It can be challenging to avoid wagering on your team, especially when there is such rivalry between the top teams. But, sometimes, you must concede and bet on a team you hate. Bet on value in the market, not on names and emotions. Follow the NBA betting advice you find online over your own personal hunches.
5. Utilize live betting markets: Live betting has completely changed the sports betting landscape. Being able to wager on the action as it unfolds is of great value and opens up new doors and opportunities for sports bettors.