The National Basketball Association, NBA, is made up of 30 teams that play in the Eastern and Western Conferences, with each of these comprised of 15 teams each. These Conferences are then once again subdivided into three divisions each:
The Eastern Conference:
- Atlantic Division
- Central Division
- Southeast Division
The Western Conference:
- Northwest Division
- Pacific Division
- Southwest Division
NBA Playoffs and Finals
The Playoffs for the NBA start up at the end of April, with eight teams from each Conference competing for the Championship.
Playoffs take place between the winners of each of the three Divisions and the team with the next-best Conference record.
These four teams are then given the top four seeds, and the four teams with the next-best records are given the lower four.
The Playoffs follow a Knockout Tournament format, with each team playing an opponent in a best-of-seven setup in each Conference. The winners of these Conferences then take part in the Finals, and the champion is decided in that game.
The Markets for Basketball
Now that we’ve got the format for the games out of the way, let’s have a look at the many markets available for punters all over the world to enjoy. While not as popular yet as playing pokies online is, betting on basketball gets close!
Moneyline
This is an outright market, and you will be staking on a team at the odds set by the bookmaker you’ve selected.
First Half Moneyline
This is another outright market, and you will need to predict which team will be leading at halftime.
First Quarter Moneyline
An outright market, with you wagering on who will be in the lead at the end of the first quarter of the game.
Handicap or Spread Betting
In this market, the favourite-to-win will be allocated a certain amount of points with
a minus, -, sign. For example, if the Boston Celtics have been assigned -10.5, they will
need to win by more than 10.5 points in order for you to receive a payout.
First-Half Point Spread
This market ends at halftime, and has Handicap rules applied to it.
First Quarter Point Spread
This market ends when the first quarter of the game does, and Handicap rules apply.
Total Points Over/Under
The total amount of points scored by both of the teams taking part in the match will determine the winner of this wager.
First Half Total Points
The total amount of points scored by both of the teams when halftime arrives
determines the winner of this bet.
First Quarter Total Points
This is the total amount of points scored by both of the teams when the first quarter
ends.
Sort Out Your Strategy
There is nothing more important than having a solid wagering strategy in place before you start betting on basketball games. Being able to spot trends can be very profitable, but unless you have rules in place to govern how, when, and where you wager, these will not be able to do you much good!