Basketball betting continues to steadily rise in popularity among punters. In this basketball betting guide we will take a look at the best basketball betting sites and provide you with all the insight you need to bet on this thrilling sport.
Geo-restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours
Best Betting Sites for Basketball Betting
- Brilliant Bet Builder function
- Live streaming available
- Massive range of basketball competitions supported
- Informative betting calendar offered
- A range of betting markets offered on many matches
- Basketball stat packs on offer
- 100+ markets offered on some matches#
- Competitive odds
- Live streaming offered for basketball
- Big range of NBA markets offered
- Extensive offering of payment methods
- Customer support offered via phone, email and live chat
- Basketball markets for competitions in China, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and more
- Informative in game graphics provided
- In-depth stats and figures
- Excellent Euroleague betting options
- Nearly 100 markets available for major basketball events
- Outright betting options available early
- An array of points betting markets on offer
- Bet builder function offered
- Competitions covered include NCAAB, Chinese CBA and more
- Live streaming available for some sports
- Excellent virtuals section
- Good range of points and team betting
Best Basketball Betting Sites Reviewed
Wondering which basketball betting site is for you? Here’s a detailed look at 3 of the best:
bet365
*Odds correct at 15:43 GMT on 22/3/2021
bet365 do not do things by half. Whether it is their offering for soccer, cricket or basketball, they are able to provide some of the most in-depth betting options available to bettors.
The basketball section can be found on the left-hand menu on the homepage under ‘basketball’. Clicking on this will bring up all of the available competitions that you can bet on. These include the NCAAB, the Basketball Champions League Americas, Euroleague, Euro Cup and many more for a total of over 40 different competitions.
The markets that you can bet on have been listed in a slightly different way to what you may be used to. Instead of clicking on your game of choice, you will instead click on the market itself once you have chosen your preferred league. This will then bring up all of the odds for this market in the available matches.
Markets include game lines, 3-way betting, alternative point spread, alternative game total, race to 20 points, result and both teams to score ‘X’ points, tied at end of regulation?, winning margin 3-way, team totals, game props and many more. You can also split your betting options even further by selecting the lines, props and futures tabs too.
Sportsbet.io
Sportsbet.io have made a name for themselves as a bookie that does a lot of things very well. Unlike other betting sites that look to focus solely on the biggest sports, Sportsbet.io have been able to integrate a very good sportsbook alongside a range of markets for all of the sports they offer. This is true of their basketball section too.
To find this section you simply need to click on the basketball option at the top of the homepage. This will bring up all of the available basketball betting options which includes the relevant leagues and competitions along with options for in play, next 24 hours, future, outrights, leagues and news.
Most other bookmakers will only look to show the closest matches in which you can bet on. Sportsbet.io meanwhile have created a section that caters to all of your basketball needs, splitting basketball betting into smaller and more digestible sections.
Clicking on one of the available matches will show a slew of options. You will be looking at markets such as winner, handicaps, totals, 3rd quarter, 2nd half, odd/even, winning margin, will there be overtime, race to 60 points and draw no bet among others.
These markets come alongside different graphics that show the statistics of the encounter.
These options may seem excessive to a casual basketball bettor, but those that want to become more serious when betting on the sport will find these very helpful in helping them to make more informed bets.
Unibet
Unibet’s excellent sportsbook has seen the bookmaker go from strength to strength as it continues to grow. The basketball section is one we were very impressed with and it is easily located. On Unibet’s homepage you need to scroll down on the left-hand menu and click on the basketball option. This will bring you to their dedicated section, with the options extensive.
The Euroleague took pride of place when we visited the site, but this was not the only option. Indeed, the NCAAB sat just below it while the ABA League and competitions from Argentina, Australia, Germany and more were all readily available to bet on. All in all, there were 16 different sections here.
Certain matches will have over 100 available betting options, and you will be able to wager on markets such as including overtime, total points, total points from a certain team, result at the end of the fourth quarter, total points odd/even, 1st half, handicaps and many more. All in all, Unibet probably offer the most well-rounded basketball betting markets around, which is something they also boast as one of the best cricket betting sites too.
Geo-restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours
How To Bet On Basketball
Basketball betting provides all of the intense action that we have come to expect to see on the court along with the thrill of putting money on it. While the game itself is played all over the world, the very pinnacle of the game is seen as the NBA, also known as the National Basketball Association in the USA. In Europe, the biggest competition is known as the Euro League, which is played right across the continent.
Basketball has become such a mainstay of elite sport that even the Olympics has a place for it, with this seen as the highest level of the sport, alongside the World Cup, which is held every four years.
With so much choice when it comes to basketball betting, how do you actually bet on the sport? Below we have listed a number of key factors that you should try to adhere to when using the best basketball betting sites.
Where to find basketball betting markets
Register or sign into your bookmaker of choice and navigate yourself to the homepage. The best basketball betting sites will usually have a menu on the left-hand side of the screen with all of their available sports. Here, you will need to either click on the ‘basketball’ option or select the image of the basketball itself, depending on the site you are using.
From here, you will have the opportunity to select any of the bookmaker’s available basketball betting options. The best sites will offer a wide range of competitions and tournaments, although some do lag behind, only choosing to offer the NBA and one or two others.
Which basketball markets can you bet on?
With basketball betting proving to be very popular with sportsbooks, the available betting options have increased. Of course, the types of betting markets you may be able to use often depend on the type of game and competition you are betting on. However, as standard, you will be looking at markets like total points, match winner, handicap markets, specific player specials, player points and match parlays such as match winner and total points or handicap and total points.
Basketball betting is much like football betting in a sense, with a huge array of player and team betting options available. The only downside to this is that it can be difficult to work your way through all of the markets to find the one that provides the best value.
Can you live stream basketball matches?
The short answer is yes. Many bookmakers will offer their customers the ability to watch live matches from the NBA or the US NCAA. To do so, you simply need to sign into a bookie that offers the ability to live stream and go to their live streaming section to check to see if basketball is included. If it is, you will usually have to have a positive balance, have placed a bet in the last 24 hours or have a bet on the game you want to watch.
Watching a game live can quite often make a huge difference to your basketball betting as you will be able to see the subtle changes in the game that a text commentary simply cannot deliver to you. This can be the difference between nailing a big in play bet and missing out completely.
Why Bet On Basketball?
Getting involved with basketball betting only adds to what is an already exciting sport. The fast-paced nature of the game coupled with the high scoring matches will keep fans on the edge of their seats whether they have a wager on the match or not. With this in mind, why should you bet on basketball?
High scoring matches
Basketball is renowned for being a very exciting game to watch and bet on and this is partially down to the high scoring nature of the game. With teams consistently attacking and looking to outscore the other, this often leads to games where winning margins are very slim despite a lot of points being scored.
This means that point betting is very popular as the scores do often go to dizzying heights.
Live streaming matches
Having the ability to watch any type of sport is always far more exciting than following a live text commentary. For betting, it can allow you to see subtle changes in the flow of a match thus allowing you to make a shrewd wager.
Many bookmakers offer the ability to live stream sports but be aware of the fact that just because they show certain games does not mean they will definitely have basketball streams on site.
Good value
With so many top quality basketball teams adorning the best leagues in the world, it means that there can sometimes be good value in backing one of the bigger teams. This is quite unlike many other sports where a single team dominates in the betting. For example, New Zealand have dominated the world in rugby union for years and are always the favourites to win whoever they play. This means that the teams they play against will offer good value but they will rarely have a real chance of winning.
In basketball, with a number of the big boys all regularly trading blows, it allows the biggest contests to provide some value when you back a side. With so many points scored in a game along with the all-action nature of the game, if the favourites do not hit the ground running, an upset really could be on the cards.
Depth of markets
The depth in the available basketball betting markets makes it a dream for those that do not confine themselves to one type of bet. Basketball betting markets include overtime, handicap including overtime, total points, match winner and total points, next team to score, total points and more give bettors a real breadth of betting opportunities.
The sheer amount of betting markets just adds to the immersion of basketball betting and, while sometimes overwhelming, means that there is real value to be found if you choose the right market.
Basketball Betting Tips
Basketball betting, like any other type of betting, is something that will take you a lot of time to become truly comfortable with. Below, we have compiled a number of the most important factors you must adhere to when betting with the best basketball betting sites.
- Find value – This is often far easier said than done but it is always important to find bets that offer value. Backing a big odds-on bet may provide you the most likely winner, but you will receive very little back if your bet comes off. This means you will have to wager a lot to get anything of value back from your bet. You then run the risk of the risk of your bet outweighing the potential reward.
Finding value in your bet will mean that there is a chance you will lose your money, but it also means that you will not need to wager as much to make your bet worthwhile.
- Don’t bet on emotions – This is incredibly important and can be the difference between you stopping when the time is right and betting far more than you are comfortable with. If your bet loses and you are upset then your judgement may be clouded if you immediately try to place another bet.
This type of betting can cause players to fall into a downward spiral where they are consistently chasing their losses, and this can be dangerous and lead to big financial debt. Always bet with a clear mind. If you are to lose your bet, take a step back from betting before coming back when you have calmed down.
- Check form – While the form of a team will not always dictate how the result will go, it is a good barometer of what you can expect. If a side goes into the game on a 10-match winning run and they take on a side that have not won once all season, then the smart money would be on the side in form. While the form will not definitively show who will win, it will at least show you why the odds have swung the way they are and why people are backing certain sides.
- Do your research – Like any other sport, you should always try to be armed with as much knowledge as possible before you start betting. Wagering on the biggest names in the game may be the way many people bet, but this is not the best betting strategy.
If you are to research the historic results between sides, how they play at certain venues or how they perform in a semi-final for example, then you may find reason enough to back against the favourite.
Best Markets For Basketball Betting
Basketball betting best markets: Money Line/Winner
Depending on your location, this one will either be called the money line market or the match winner market. The latter is far more self-explanatory, and it reveals that this market allows you to wager on the team you think will win the match. This type of market will not always offer a huge amount of value but, like the total points market, it is easy to understand.
A word of warning though as if you solely bet on the biggest names as you have not done your research then you will struggle to find any value. Doing your research can often result in you finding a team or competition that fewer people bet on, meaning that the odds could offer more value due to a lack of backing on certain teams by bettors.
Best Basketball Betting Site For Money Line/Winner: bet365
Basketball betting best markets: Total points
The total points market is exactly what it says on the tin. Here, you will be looking to wager on the amount of points that are scored in the match. As previously mentioned, basketball is an exceptionally high scoring game, meaning that the total points market is very popular. You will often be looking at options like ‘total points – over/under 157.5. This market may not always offer the most value, but it is really quite easy to understand making it very accessible to newer bettors.
Best Basketball Betting Site For Total Points Betting: Unibet
Basketball betting best markets: Half-Time/Full-Time
This market will see bettors wagering on what the result will look like at half-time and full-time in the game. Unlike the standard match winner market which simply asks you to predict the winner at the end of the game, you are required to choose the result halfway through the contest, meaning both parts of your bet
must be correct for you to win any money.
Best Betting Site For Half-Time/Full-Time Betting: 888sport
Popular Basketball Tournaments
Just like any of the other biggest sports, basketball provides a huge number of tournaments and competitions to bet on and enjoy. Below, we have listed some of those tournaments and what you to expect if you bet on them.
NBA
While the Olympics and the World Cup may seem like the biggest competitions in the sport, many see the NBA as the very top competition in the sport. An 82 game season sees incredibly fierce playoffs contested with the winner usually seen as the ‘world champion’ in America and Canada.
While the rest of the world may not see the winning side as the rightful champion of the world, it shows how highly thought of the competition itself is in America and Canada. Many of the greatest players ever to grace a basketball court have made their names in the NBA, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant all writing their names in the annals of basketball greatness.
The Olympics
While many sports are not involved at the Olympics, basketball has been one that has featured prominently, first appearing in the Olympics in 1904, although it would not be until 1936 that it was contested as a medal event. Meanwhile, women’s basketball made its debut 40 years later at the 1976 games in Munich in Germany.
The USA are the most successful side in the history of the Olympics, with 15 gold medals, while they hold the incredible record of remaining unbeaten between 1936-1968. The USA women’s team has won the gold medal eight times, while they boast an enviable unbeaten record that dates back to 1996.
FIBA Basketball World Cup
Originally known as the FIBA World Championship between 1950-2010, the FIBA Basketball World Cup is the biggest event in international basketball. Currently contested by 32 teams as of 2019, the World Cup has seen Yugoslavia and the USA dominate proceedings, winning five times, while the Soviet Union has three titles, with Brazil and Spain taking home the trophy on two occasions.
The competition has seen some of the great names in the game come together to do battle and, while the NBA may still be the household name in basketball betting for many, the World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport.
UBA Pro Basketball League
The United Basketball Alliance is the top men’s professional basketball league in India. With eight teams competing for the title, the competition has been running since 2015, and this marked the first time a professional basketball league had started in India.
The league is split into two divisions, with the North Division contested by Haryana Gold, Punjab Steelers, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Challengers, while the South Division is battled out between Pune Peshwas, Bengaluru Beast, Chennai Slam and Hyderabad Sky.
With just a handful of seasons taking place, there have only been four seasons so far. Chennai Slam won the first and second iteration of the competition, while Pune and Mumbai Challengers have won once apiece, with Mumbai currently holding the coveted crown.
Super Basketball League
The Super Basketball League (SBL) is the top tier semi-professional men’s league in Taiwan. Founded back in 2003, it is seen by many as the successor to the Chinese Basketball Alliance.
The Bank of Taiwan, Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology, Taiwan Beer, Taoyuan Pauian Archiland and Yulon Luxgen Dinos are the five sides in the league at the time of writing, while the Dacin Tigers and the Taipei Fubon Braves were former clubs of the league.
The Yulon Dinos were the winners of the first iteration of the competition and they made it three in a row as they dominated the competition. While they were the team to beat in the opening years of the competition, they have only been able to add one more title to their haul in that time. Taiwan Beer currently hold the trophy after beating the Yulon Dinos in the 2019/20 iteration of the competition.
Basketball Betting FAQs
Which are the best betting sites for basketball betting?
Any of the 10 basketball betting sites mentioned above will provide you with the features that you need when it comes to wagering on the sport.
However, if you are looking for the very best experience then we recommend utilising one of bet365, Sportsbet.io or Unibet. The trio have shown their pedigree in sports betting in India, as well as worldwide, and have now carried this into their basketball betting offering.
Providing competitive odds, a range of markets and coverage of an array of leagues and competitions alongside great features like live streaming, bet builders and a selection of payment methods means that customers have just about everything they need when it comes to enjoying basketball betting.
The trio also features highly when it comes to many other types of sports betting such as the best football betting sites.
Can I watch and bet on basketball at the same time?
Yes, you can watch and bet on basketball. Certain bookmakers will offer a live streaming function on site and you can couple this function with the best in play betting sites too. To utilise this you will need to sign in and the bookie will often ask you to have a positive account balance, have made a bet in the last 24 hours or have made a bet on the event in question.
Which are the best markets for basketball betting?
There is no simple answer to this question as each bettor that utilities the array of options when sports betting in India is different in what they are looking for in their ideal markets. Some will be after a market that provides a fairly good chance that their bet will come in (when a market only has two results possible for example), while others will want to find a market with excellent value in any of the available results.
Geo-restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours
CricketBettingAdvice Final Say
Basketball betting is proving to be one of the fastest growing and most popular sports to bet on. The prevalence of the NBA in America along with big leagues across the world have only helped to increase the fanbase. Betting on the sport may seem confusing at first, but if you do your research and take note of the different markets then there is a lot of value to be found regardless of the bookmaker you sign up with.
The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online betting content on the web.