Photo by Edgar Chaparro

NBA Handicapping Tips You Should Know About

An NBA regular season is a source of excitement for players, coaches, fans, bettors, and odds makers – everyone who enjoys or participates directly or indirectly in the league. Every season, there are 30 teams to play 82 regular season games each and about two months long post-season games.

After a long wait, the new NBA season is just around the corner. For punters, it’s finally time to do some online sports betting. However, like any other sport, it can be challenging to predict the outcome of NBA games.

There are many betting markets to explore, including the handicap option. The handicap market is a great option to consider to make some good money. It’s usually deployed by the most experienced bettors, but even beginners can use it to their advantage with the right information.

While handicap betting is a great way to make some cool cash, winning through it requires much research and some luck. This article will focus on some handicapping betting tips you should know about as an NBA bettor.

1. Pay Close Attention to Matchups and Game Pace

Matchups and game pace are essential factors in handicapping. Some teams use the fast-paced style to play games and constantly push the game speed. Others are content with the slow-paced style of play and primarily comfortable with a half-court setting.

So, in a situation where teams with opposite play styles meet, if the slow-paced team is the underdog, their fast-paced opponent will most likely want to push the game pace as they will be uncomfortable in a half-court game setting.

If you are finding it challenging to figure out which team is slow-paced in a matchup, their possessions per game is an area you can consider. Offensive and defensive points per possession are a fantastic way of comparing teams’ paces rather than looking at their points. For instance, a team with a fast pace will likely score and allow more points against them than a slow-paced team that will be more defensive.

2. Make Value a Priority

In a single NBA season, there are many games. Trying to bet on all these games can be very overwhelming. In the same way, finding values among these games can also be very tricky. But then, how do you find value?

The truth is that finding value Can be pretty simple yet complicated. Value is the percentage you will gain on a bet concerning the odds given. Therefore, to find value, you can access the different bookies to see the one with the best unique points spread from others.

For example, bookie #1 has the Celtics -7.5 over the Warriors, and bookie #2 has the Celtics on a -8. Betting on bookie #2 is the more favorable option in this scenario because of the half-point. The half-point alone can make the difference between winning your bet or getting a push. So, in essence, the half-point has made its value.

3. Pay Attention to the Teams’ Current Form

An NBA regular season is long – about 82 games. Within this time, a lot of things can happen. A team can pick up a good form, lose their form, etcetera. As you know, basketball is a unique sport where just a single player can be responsible for about 30-40% of a team’s work. The team will likely feel his absence if such a player gets injured or out for a couple of games.

When a team loses its form or has a key player missing, it can be worth several points on the betting line. For instance, an injury to a key player like a sixth man or a top defender can create an opportunity for more robust betting opportunities. Oddsmakers adjust the line only slightly when key players miss games, even when their absence will impact the game’s result. 

4. Home Advantage Can be a Factor

Home advantage is a trivial factor for some people, but in reality, most teams perform better at home than on the road. There are also teams whose players perform better on the road than on their home courts.

Maybe it’s because they are playing in front of their home crowd with a multitude of fans or the fact that they have to travel less for their home games, so they’ll be more refreshed than their away counterparts who may be weary from long journeys. Since handicapping requires a bit of domination from a particular team, you may need to look out for this stat.

Final Notes

The tips above are good when considering NBA handicap betting. You must always consider them to give you a better chance of winning your bets.

You should, however, note that these tips do not guarantee a win every time, but adhering to them will ensure you win more than you lose.