Betting the NBA at Your Own Risk
Bettors like the NBA despite the risk and major scoring throughout the game. Teams can look great one night and lousy the next night. Bettors like the action with games every night. A long 82 game season is hard on a player`s body and a team`s performance.
Teams have an up and down performance during seasonal play with back to back games and long road trips. Bettors have an advantage or edge when they correctly judge a tired team or a key player lacking the stamina to play at their best.
There are many variables in the NBA game to consider. Home court advantage is the first handicapping step. How many points is the home team worth in a particular match up between certain teams. Who has the edge and by how many points.
NBA bettors look hard at the totals bet as a real strategy. They dismiss picking a team versus team point spread match up. Over or under is a popular bet for bettors who feel the teams playing have the style of play to produce points or low scoring defensive game. Smart bettors will track shooting percentages to analyze the total number. It is not about which team wins but the total score. Their only fear is overtime if they have bet the under.
NBA betting is a fast track meet. A lot of movement and scoring opportunities. Leads can change at will and the scoring differences each quarter and half-times are not consistent. A 20 point lead can evaporate in the third or fourth quarter to give you ulcers. This volatility is part of the game. Key players get hot or cold and defensive schemes cause teams to lose their focus from the first half. A 38 point scoring quarter can drop to 18 points drought in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Much to unpredictable for bettors to calculate whether their bet is a winner or loser. This wait and see battle down to the wire happens more in basketball due to the 3-point shot and fast break dunks.
An NBA bettor can usually speculate with some degree of certainty on his total bet by the middle of the third quarter score. He knows his under or over bet looks good if teams do not have a complete breakdown in the fourth quarter. But teams do go into a scoring funk and score only 14 points in the final quarter. This kills your over bet by a few points under the total. Another killer scenario happens when your under bet looks great until a final spurt of scoring causes overtime and your bet goes from winner to loser. Such is the betting risks of the NBA.
Betting on basketball has its share of easy winners and can be profitable with a very disciplined selection process. You do not have to be concerned about weather changes or the basketball taking a funny bounce like a football.
Turnovers are part of the game along with steals and blocks. A turnover in football can be a game changer. Not in basketball. Turnover average is 10 plus per game by each team and is not a significant play in the game. Time of possession in basketball is under the 24 second play clock.
There are some NBA betting systems that are productive but there is no consistent winning formula throughout the season. Just more homework to find some edge.
