For hundreds of years, people have been placing bets and staking their hopes and dreams on every kind of sport. Basketball is no different either, as there is a thriving free betting tips revolving around the NBA and the game of Basketball.
If you are a newbie at sports or basketball betting, keep reading! We will highlight the history of basketball and betting on it, as well as explain how to bet on Basketball and some of the best tips and tricks for it. If you are an experienced bettor, then this article might not be too useful, but you can always get a refresher or fill the gaps in your knowledge.
So, let’s get started with a quick look at the history of Basketball betting.
- The History of Basketball Betting
Basketball originated in the late 1800s. It started out as an indoor alternative for exercising when the weather outside was too cold or wet for playing football. Basketball could be played indoors, and since it involves less running and more jumping, it could be played on a smaller field.
Today, Basketball is one of the biggest sports in the world. More than 200 countries around the world play it to some professional degree. It also happens to be the highest paid sport in the world, averaging salaries of $5.0 million at the highest levels of the game.
Basketball also happens to be one of those sports where the prestige of the US National Basketball Association, the NBA, eclipses global organizations. The NBA League is closely followed by the FIBA World Cups.
With so much prestige and money involved, it is no wonder that Basketball betting is also extremely popular. No one quite knows when exactly Basketball betting got widespread. The US did not have much of a betting scene until the mid-1900s.
Fortunately, over the last 60-70 years, the American betting scene has expanded massively and bought us to today, when there are dozens of online bookmakers offering Basketball Betting for a lot of different markets and leagues.
- How to bet on Basketball
If you are eager to get started with Basketball betting, at least check out this section. It is important to know the ins and outs of How to bet on Basketball so that you don’t get caught by surprise whenever something unexpected or unordinary happens while making real money bets. Fortunately, the process of basketball betting is simple.
Back in the day, you would have to visit a local bookmaker to place your basketball bet. They would have guided through how to bet on Basketball. Local bookmakers usually have their own establishments or are found at stadiums or event venues. However, not everyone has a local bookmaker nearby to place bets with, or can afford to visit the venue for every game.
That’s why online bookmakers are now so popular. Online Bookmakers bypass all the hassle of having to find and deal with a local bookie. With an online bookie for sports betting, you get all the advantages that other forms online betting enjoy.
You can browse a large number of different bookmakers to pick out the best betting odds. Each bookmaker offers a much wider range of betting markets. There are bonuses, promotions and other rewards waiting for players who use online sports betting. You can make real money bets without having to leave the safety and comfort of your own home.
- Common Basketball Betting Markets
Basketball is a complex game with plenty of intense action. Betting Markets in Basketball take advantage of this fact. Basketball bets include wagers like Money Line, 3-Way, Point Spread, Total Points and more.
Each bet focuses on an aspect of the game. For example, both Money Line and 3-Way bets involve predicting the winner. The former only has wins, while the latter allows you to bet on a tie as well.
Similarly, the Total Points bet involves predicting the total number of points at the end of a match. Usually, players can select from between higher than or lower than an average value determined ahead of time.
Handicap bets are also common. Basically, in a Handicap bet, one team is considered stronger than the other team. To even out the odds, the stronger team is assigned a handicap like (-5). That team must win by a margin of 5 points or more in order for it to count as their win.
- Live Basketball Betting
Live betting lets you bet in real time while a match is ongoing. It is also known as in-play betting. Live betting is made possible by online sportsbooks and casinos. All modern online sportsbooks have features to keep track of a match in real time. The scoreboard, odds and players’ status are constantly updated.
On top of that, the best sports betting operators also offer live streaming a match. So, you don’t even have to switch to a different device or app. You can watch the match and make in-play bets from the same device.
Plus, you can watch Basketball matches live from any device, including a phone. So, if you are stuck in traffic while a hotly anticipated match is coming up, don’t worry! Just take out your phone, connect to a nearby Wifi or Data, and watch that match without missing anything!
Basketball Matches are actually fairly long compared to other games. While the playing time is 40-48 minutes, there are a lot of stops in Basketball that can extend the game to over 2 hours. You have plenty of time to catch a Basketball match live.
- Final Words
Basketball is America’s favourite game. It is one of the most competitive games in the world, so it is no surprise that there is a thriving online betting scene for this game. If you have always been curious about it but never worked up the courage to join, why not start making real money bets? You now have a good idea of what Basketball betting is like, so put that knowledge to action!