Basketball Betting Guide: How-to, Popular Bets, Odds, & FAQ

What kind of basketball betting markets are available?

There are plenty of ways to wager on basketball at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. From picking outright Winners to parlaying player props, here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular options available for basketball betting:

Winners (Moneyline)

Betting the moneyline is one of the simplest wagers in all of sports betting, as it only requires you to pick which team will win the game. No point spreads, no margin of victory – just the winner. At Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, these are also known as Winner bets.

For example, let’s say the Miami Heat are listed at +125 on the moneyline against the Boston Celtics at -150:

• A $100 bet on the Heat (+125) would return $125 in profit if they win, plus your initial $100 stake.
• On the contrary, you’d need to lay down $150 on the Celtics (-150) to win $100 in profit if they take the victory, along with your $150 stake.

Point Spreads

Point spreads are one of the most common ways to bet on basketball, as they even the playing field between teams of different skill levels. Instead of picking the game’s outright winner, you’re betting on whether your team will cover the spread – either by winning by a certain number of points or keeping the game closer than expected.

For example, suppose the New York Knicks are listed as 6.5-point favorites against the underdog Chicago Bulls:

• Wagers on the Knicks (-6.5) will win if New York wins the game by 7 points or more.
• Bets on the Bulls (+6.5) will cash if Chicago either wins the game outright or loses by 6 points or fewer.

While spreads that include a half-point (known as the hook) can’t result in a tie, whole-number spreads can end in what’s called a push. For example, if the Knicks were favored by exactly 6 points in the scenario above and won 122-116, the game would land right on the number – meaning all point spread bets on either side would be refunded.

Totals (Over/Under)

Totals, or Over/Under bets, involve predicting the combined number of points scored by both teams in a basketball game. For example, imagine a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors with the total set at 226.5 points:

• Bets on the Over will cash if the teams combine for 227 points or more.
• Wagers on the Under will win if the teams combine for 226 points or fewer.

It’s that simple – you’re not picking a team, just forecasting how much scoring there will be.

What kind of basketball props are offered?

If you’re looking to go beyond standard bets like point spreads or totals, prop bets open up an entirely new way to play. These wagers focus on specific outcomes within a game, from individual player stats to team achievements. Whether you’re betting on how many points Victor Wembanyama will score or how many assists Caitlin Clark will dish out, basketball props make every play on the hardwood that much more important.

Game props

Game props let you bet on specific moments or outcomes within a basketball game beyond the final score. These wagers might include which team will score the first basket, which quarter will have the highest score, or whether the game will go to overtime.

For instance, if the Milwaukee Bucks are facing the Phoenix Suns, you could wager on which side will reach 50 points first.

Team props

Team props focus on how a single team performs during a game rather than the combination of both sides. For instance, you could back the Oklahoma City Thunder to score over 115.5 points, or take the Cleveland Cavaliers to win all four quarters.

Other popular team props include betting on which team will win a specific quarter or win both halves.

Player props

Due to its high scoring, fast-paced tempo and abundance of star power, modern NBA basketball is the perfect sport for betting on player props. Players at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook can choose from a wide variety of player props such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score 30+ points, LeBron James to record 8+ rebounds, or Trae Young to dish out 12+ assists. Not only are these bets a ton of fun to research and watch play out, but they also keep every game interesting even if the final score is no longer a factor.

In addition to the examples above, here are a few other common player props that you can wager on at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:

• First Basket Scorer: Bet on which player will score the game’s opening basket – a high-risk, high-reward market that often comes with longer odds.
• Player Points (O/U): Wager on how many total points a player will score in a game.
• Player Rebounds (O/U): Predict how many boards a specific player will pull down in a game.
• Player Assists (O/U): Bet on how many dimes a player will dish.
• Points + Assists + Rebounds (O/U): Combine three major stat categories into one line, betting on a player’s overall impact across scoring, playmaking, and rebounding.
• Player to Record a Double-Double: Bet on whether a player will notch double digits in two statistical categories – such as points and rebounds, or points and assists.
• Player to Record a Triple-Double: Another high-risk, high-reward market. You’re betting on a player to post double digits in three separate statistical categories, most commonly points, rebounds, and assists.

Can I bet basketball futures at Hard Rock Bet?

Absolutely. If you’re the type of player who likes to think ahead, basketball futures are available year-round at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook – and the possibilities are endless.

Some of the more notable basketball futures currently up for grabs at Hard Rock Bet include:

• NBA Champion: Pick which team you think will raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy at season’s end.
• WNBA Champion: Bet on which team will capture the WNBA title at the end of the playoffs.
• NBA Conference Winner: Wager on which team you believe will win its respective conference and advance to the NBA Finals.
• NBA Division Winner: Choose the team you believe will finish atop its division after the regular season.
• NBA Regular Season Total Wins: Bet on whether a team will finish over or under its projected number of total wins.
• NBA Team to Make Playoffs: Predict whether a specific team will qualify for the postseason.
• NBA Player Awards: Back your picks for season-long honors such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, or Most Improved Player.
• NCAA Tournament Winner (Men’s or Women’s): Choose which college program you think will cut down the nets at the end of March Madness.

Basketball futures odds at Hard Rock Bet are updated regularly throughout the season based on factors including injuries, trades, team performances and more, meaning timing is everything. Place your bets at the start of the season for larger payouts down the road, or simply wait and monitor the odds as the season unfolds so you have a better idea of which teams or players can come out on top.

Whether you’re backing the Las Vegas Aces to win another WNBA title or SGA to lock down a second NBA MVP award, basketball futures give fans and bettors a reason to stay invested all season long.

FAQ about basketball betting

Have a few more questions about basketball betting? We’ve got you covered.