Sportsbooks create moneyline odds for a game based on each team’s expected probability of winning. Bettors bet on whether the final score will exceed or fall below this expected result.īetting on basketball moneylines is the simplest and easiest betting market available, allowing you to simply bet on which team you think will win the game. The NBA Over/Under total is the estimated total points scored by both teams in the game. One team is the favorite in the points division – and must win by more than the margin – while the other team is at the bottom of the points division – it must win outright or lose by less than the margin. NBA point spreads even out the competition between two teams, with the odds determining the points handicap.

Based on the strength of the teams and other factors, the oddsmakers calculate the expected win probability for each side and determine the moneyline odds for each team. NBA moneyline odds ask bettors to pick the winner of the game. The most popular basketball betting methods are money line, point spread and over/under total. Like most major sports, there are endless ways to bet on basketball.