NBA Odds, Lines and Spreads

NBA odds move regularly due to betting action, injuries, and other factors, but monitoring the NBA odds board is one way to make the best basketball bets possible. Here are several NBA sports betting terms to know:

Alternate lines

Every NBA game has alternate lines, as sportsbooks post different spreads and totals with adjusted odds. For example, if a team is favored by 3.5 points, many sportsbooks will offer odds on the team to win by 2.5 or 4.5 instead.

American odds

American odds are the most common odds used in the NBA. The money line indicates the amount of money needed to win $100 (favorite) or the amount that a $100 wager would pay (underdog). This is one of the three main types of betting odds.

Closing line

The final odds posted when the game begins is the closing line. The live odds will then shift after the game starts and generally continue until the game is over.

Consensus

The consensus line is a combination of odds from the top sportsbooks. If a team is a 5-point consensus favorite, it means that most oddsmakers have the team favored by five points.

Decimal odds

Decimal odds, also called European odds, are another format used to present betting odds. They represent how much someone would win for every $1 wagered.

Favorite

The favorite is the team expected to win the game outright. Before their spread and money line odds, favorites have a negative sign.

Fractional odds

British (fractional) odds are the final type used in sports betting. They are the ratio of the profit won to the stake, as a 6-1 underdog would pay $6 for every $1 wagered.

Futures

These can be some of the most interesting odds to monitor, as they relate to things such as the NBA Finals winner or conference winner. Most sportsbooks update their futures odds regularly, allowing fans to see how their team stacks up in the eyes of the oddsmakers.

Home-court advantage

Home-court advantage is a factor in every NBA game, and the odds are affected by which team plays at home. Some teams have a bigger advantage than others, as their crowd noise or location can significantly adjust the odds.

Hook

If the betting odds have a half-point attached, that is called the hook. The hook makes it impossible for the betting result to end in a tie, as NBA games do not have half-points.

Juice

Also known as vigorish or vig, the juice is the amount factored into the odds by oddsmakers. An American odds bet of -110 contains $10 of juice for every $100 wagered.

Line movement

NBA odds feature line movement for various reasons, including injuries or wagers made by professional bettors.

Money line

The money line is the odds related to the winner of the game with no point spread involved. Favorites have negative odds, while underdogs have positive odds in an American odds format.

Oddsmaker

Someone who sets betting odds and lines is an oddsmaker. Some oddsmakers create their own betting odds (originators), while others copy odds already in the market.

Over/Under

This is one of the primary sets of odds used for NBA betting, with the number representing the expected points scored in the game. These are also used for future odds, such as how many games a team will win in a season.

Pick ‘em

If neither team is favored, the game is called a pick ‘em. The betting odds have not determined a favorite or an underdog, so they are usually good games to watch.

Props

Aside from the traditional point spread, money line and total markets, NBA prop betting refers to wagers placed on different aspects of an NBA game. Player props are the main NBA prop betting markets available, which allow bettors to take positions on statistical categories like points scored, rebounds, assists, some combination of the three and other areas of a player’s performance.

Spread

The point spread levels the playing field between two teams, as it is the number of points the favorite is expected to win by. The favorite is designated by a negative spread (-7), while the underdog has a positive spread (+7).

Underdog

Unless a game is a pick ‘em, every NBA matchup has an underdog, which is the team that is expected to lose. They are denoted by a positive number in the betting odds.

What are the types of NBA betting odds?

The three primary types of betting odds are American (money line), fractional (British) and decimal (European). They are alternate ways of presenting the same odds, offering the same payout in each scenario. The percentage probability of an event occurring can be converted and presented in any of the odds offered.

How do I know which team is favored?

Favorites are always priced with a negative sign in front of their spread or money line, while underdogs have a positive sign in front of theirs. If both teams have negative money lines, the team with the larger negative number is favored. If a team is -6.5 on the spread, they are the favorite and would need to win by at least seven points to cover the spread. Their opponent would be +6.5, needing to lose by six points or fewer (or win outright) to cover as an underdog.

Who sets the NBA odds?

Odds are originally set by oddsmakers, who are also called sports traders or bookmakers. They usually adjust their odds once bettors start wagering money. The odds can also be moved due to injuries, trades or other factors.

Why can I not find basketball odds for a game?

Sportsbooks take games off the board when a star player suffers an injury or is traded, or another factor occurs. Oddsmakers usually re-post the updated line within a few hours, depending on the severity of the news. The odds are frozen so the sportsbook avoids taking large wagers on odds that are likely to change.

What is the total?

This is another way to reference the over/under, which is the number of points expected to be scored in a game. If a game has an over/under of 225.5 points, it will go over the total with 226 or more points and under the total with 225 or fewer points. Over/under odds are also used for prop odds, such as a player’s total rebounds in a game.