NBA Odds and Betting Lines

How To Read NBA Betting Odds

Basketball has a wealth of options to choose from for any sports bettor. We'll examine a few different methods and explain how to read the corresponding NBA odds.

Moneyline Bets

An NBA moneyline bet means you pick one of two teams to win the game -- no catch, no angle, just the right or wrong answer by the time the buzzer hits 0:00 in the 4th. Moneylines are a great way to start exploring live betting, thanks to their simplicity.

Each team is given a separate numerical value for bettors to wager on -- these are the NBA odds for moneyline betting. Oddsmakers and NBA sportsbooks determine these game lines based on how the two opponents match up. Each number is displayed with either a minus sign (-) or a plus sign (+) in front of it, indicating the favorite and underdog respectively.

Spread Bets

NBA spreads offer another way to bet on basketball beyond picking an outright winner. In spread bets, favorites are given a minus (-) sign beside their total, while underdogs receive a plus (+) sign.

Let's say the Golden State Warriors are favored over the Chicago Bulls. The spread might be 4.5 points, meaning the Warriors are favored at -4.5 (-110) and the Bulls are underdogs at +4.5 (-110). If Golden State defeats Chicago by five or more points, then it "covers the spread" resulting in a winning bet. If the Warriors win by four or fewer points, though, then the Bulls cover the spread. That's also the case if Chicago simply wins the game.

OVER / UNDER (Total) Bets

NBA over/under bets require you to make an accurate prediction about the combined score of both teams. It revolves around deciding whether the total score will surpass or fall below the number that was determined by oddsmakers.

For example, let’s take a Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat game with the total set at 224.5 points. As a bettor, you would select the OVER if you believe the game’s final combined score will be 225 points or more. You would select the UNDER if you believe it will be 224 points or less.