Whoever said there are no shortcuts to happiness must have not heard of betting. Also known as the means of making millions with minimal effort, betting has turned people’s lives upside down. With all the stories we hear and the success we see, it is luring in more and more people every day. Gambling has made a believer out of each and every one of us, right? One form of betting that is becoming increasingly popular is basketball betting. The sport that houses powerhouse athlete names is perhaps one of the fastest paced games, which means that anything can happen.
However, for those looking to get on the basketball betting bandwagon, and make a fortune from betting on players like LeBron James, learning all the betting terms is important. So, here is what you need to know.
Basketball Betting Terms
The lucrative sport of betting has brought mountains of profit to people from all walks of life. You will often hear these people, who have been long engaged in this activity, throw words such as parlays, money line, and spread among other things as well. Not knowing what these terms mean can cost you your confidence.
In basketball betting, learning your terms and understanding what each means is important for your betting game. With time and practice, and of course watching a lot of games, you will begin to know when to bet, on who to bet and the type of bet that best suits the match you are betting on. Always remember to check the team’s odds and if they are favored to win, as these numbers act as helpful indicators that may end up being true. For example, Doc’s Sports Service provides free NBA picks for every game.
Money Line
The representation of a money line wager will indicate the favorite and the underdog by employing a + or – sign. The + shows the underdog, while the – shows the favorite. The sign will then be followed by a number, which entails, how much money you can make. For example, a – sign followed by 165 means that you have to bet $165 to win $100, whereas a +140 means you will receive $140 for every $100 you bet.
You can determine the winner by reviewing betting odds and the favorites-to-win. This also works with tournaments. The betting wizards at BoydsBets explain the odds for the 2020 NCAA basketball tournament, one of the biggest sports tournaments, by showing the current odds and implied probability. Currently, the Gonzaga team stands as the favorite, with its implied probability standing at 14.60%.
Spread
The most popular type of bet is a spread bet. This bet does not just care about who wins, but instead focuses on the difference in the points of the team. To put it simply, a bookie will determine the points by which a team will win or lose. So, if a bookie writes -5 for the Knicks vs the Celtics, then they think that the Knicks will win by 5 points or less. If you place a wager on these odds and the Knicks end up winning by 6 points or more then you win. However, if they win by 5 points or less, then you lose. The team you pick has to outperform the spread.
However, if the Celtics have the odds of +5, they do not have to win for you to win the bet. They can lose, but they must lose by less than 5 points for you to win. Also, if the Celtics win, then you win.
Over/Under Bets
An over/under bet is very straightforward as it only deals with the total points scored in a match. It does not matter which team scores as long as the total points scored is either, as the term implies, over or under the predicted amount. It will be represented with either an “o” or “u” placed before a number, which stands for over or under. For example, the number could be 186. In such a case, if you bet that the teams will score over 186, you will win if they score about the number. However, if they do not, you lose and vice versa.
Halftime Lines
Halftime lines treat the 2nd half as an entirely separate game on its own. The advantage of this bet, because of its nature, is that bettors can anticipate the results based on the performance of the 1st half. So if The Celtics have scored 58 points while the Knicks scored 53 in the 1st half, the halftime line can be -4 for the Celtics and +4 for the Knicks. The total score for the Celtics can be 102 and 90 for the Knicks. This means the Celtics have to score 44 points in the second half, which they have exceeded in the first half, giving you a clearer vision of the end result.
Parlay
A parlay bet combines a number of bets together to increase your wins, which make for better payouts. However, for you to win a parlay, all of your bets must win. For instance, you can combine a spread bet with a money line bet, and add an over/under bet. Parlays can offer you as much as $16,000 for the modest bet of $25. However, they are rather complicated.
In basketball betting, learning your terms and understanding what each means is important for your betting game. With time and practice, and of course watching a lot of games, you will begin to know when to bet, on who to bet and the type of bet that best suits the match you are betting on. Always remember to check the team’s odds and if they are favored to win, as these numbers act as helpful indicators that may end up being true.
