Sports betting in Missouri has been live for exactly one week and many new bettors are getting in on the betting action. But there are certainly those who still haven’t entered the sports betting landscape.
Maybe you’ve been really interested in betting on the NBA in Missouri, but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you were locked in on the Kansas City Chiefs and are turning now that their season is in jeopardy.
Well, this is the best place to learn about the basics of betting for NBA gamblers. Right now, the biggest story in the league is the absolute dominance the Oklahoma City Thunder have shown to open the season. They will attract a lot of attention from punters, as will the bigger market teams as the season progresses.
To understand how to bet on the NBA, you need to know the basics of sports betting in general. Consider this your sports betting lesson and use the glossary terms with examples from the upcoming NBA Cup games.
Moneyline
This is the easiest way to bet on any game. You bet on the winner of the two teams, and the sportsbooks base the odds on the percentage chance that one team is expected to win.
The favorite has a minus sign next to its number and the underdog has a plus sign, which also tells you how much you would win.
For example, the Thunder are -1650 and the Suns are +950 in their NBA Cup game.
If you want to win $100 from the sportsbook with your bet on the Thunder, you need to wager $1,650. Conversely, if you bet $100 on the Suns at odds of +950, you would win $950.
Point spread
Also called the “line” for a game, this is the margin of victory between the two teams that sportsbooks allow bettors to bet on.
Normally the odds for these bets are -110, which is standard for most double-sided bets on the market. However, you may notice different odds as a team becomes an increasingly popular bet, such as -115 to -105 or -120 to +100.
Like the moneyline, the spread favorite has a minus sign and the underdog has a plus sign. For example, the Knicks vs. Raptors spread is 4.5, so the Knicks, who are favored, are -4.5 and the Raptors are +4.5.
If you had bet on the Knicks to cover the spread, they would have to win by at least five points for you to win your bet. If you had bet on the Raptors, you would win your bet if the Raptors win the game outright, or lose by four points or less.
Top/Bottom
Also called the total, this is the number that sportsbooks say both teams will combine to score in the game.
The total of Thunder vs. Suns is 224.5, so you can bet this game will end with a combined score of at least 225 points (Over), or 224 or fewer points (Under).
Most sportsbooks will offer you better odds if you think the game will end up well above or below that total.
Bet on the NBA?
Player Prop
This is any bet related to the player’s performance. It has become quite popular to bet player props because it is honestly easier to understand the outcome for new bettors. Sometimes you can bet on player props the way you would bet on totals, choosing an upper or lower value for a particular number and stat category.
De’Aaron Fox has an Over/Under of 24.5 points. A bet on the ‘over’ means you’re betting on him to score more than 24 points, and a bet on the ‘under’ means you’re betting on him to score 24 points or less.
Parlay
This is when you add multiple choices to your slip as one bet. A parlay combines the odds of each bet into one, increasing the total payout. Most sportsbooks allow you to combine bets from one event (also called a same-game parlay) using a variety of available bets.
Let’s say you wanted to counter a series of things surrounding the Thunder in their NBA Cup game: the spread, the total, and OKC winning both halves.
The odds for the Thunder to cover the 15.5-point spread are -115. The odds of the game falling below the total are 224.5 and -110. The odds of the Thunder winning both halves are -150.
A bet of €10 on each of these individual bets ($30 total) would give you a profit of €24.44. A $10 parlay with these three bets would give you a profit of $29.80, because all three of these bets together change the odds to +298.
Futures
A bet on an event that will take place in the future, such as the winner of the championship in a particular sport, a team’s projected winning total, or the chances of a team making the postseason.
The Thunder are the favorites to win the NBA Championship for the second straight season with +145 odds.
How to Sign Up for Sports Betting Apps in Missouri
If you haven’t signed up for sports betting apps in Missouri yet, there’s no better time than now. Here’s a look at the current welcome offers for new users in the state:
Why trust New York Post betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He is a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and martial arts. He spends his winter weeknights looking for NBA player prop benefits with more money.
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