The NBA is exploding in popularity, and with sports gambling now legalized in the United States, fans are looking for new ways to engage with the game. There are a number of ways to bet on the NBA. Most commonly, fans bet on the outcome of games – who will win, will they cover the spread, and will the game go over or under the point total? However, there are a number of other ways to get in on the action – like NBA props.
Propositional bets offer betting lines on all sorts of basketball-related happenings. A prop bet could relate to which team a player will suit up for next season, or how he’ll perform in tonight’s game, or how many points he’ll average over the course of this season, for example. NBA props give fans a wide variety of betting options that are often more entertaining than merely betting on the outcome of one game.
If you’re new to NBA props, here is at how they work.
Understanding NBA Props & The Betting Odds
You’ll see a few different types of odds if you look at the NBA prop betting lines. It’s important to understand these odds before you place a bet – the payouts can be dramatically different. Let’s take a look at an example:
Odds to Win Southwest Division
Houston Rockets -110
San Antonio Spurs +110
New Orleans Pelicans +2000
Dallas Mavericks +3300
Memphis Grizzlies +5000
In this case, you’ll see five teams with numbers next to their name. If the team has a minus sign after its name, the number that follows indicates how much money you would have to wager to win $100. For example, the Rockets have -110 odds of winning the Southwest – that means you would need to wager $110 to win $100 if Houston won its division.
The plus sign, alternatively, shows how much you would win on top of a $100 bet. For example, the Spurs have +110 odds to win the Southwest. That means if you bet $100 on the Spurs, you’d cash out with $210 if they won the division. Of course, you don’t have to bet in $100 increments – we merely used that example for clarity. You’re free to bet whatever amount you like.
It may be a bit confusing, but just remember that the smallest number – in this case, -110 – is the biggest favorite. The biggest number – in this case, +5000 – indicates the slimmest odds.
NBA Player Props
Player prop bets often relate to how the player will perform in a certain specified period of time – for example, one season. However, most commonly, player props focus on one game – will Stephen Curry hit more than five three-pointers tonight? Will LeBron James grab more than 10 rebounds?
Season-long player prop bets are often offered before the season commences. Some examples of this type of prop bet: will Giannis Antetokounmpo average more than 25 points per game? Will Russell Westbrook average a triple-double for the third straight year?
Such bets give you the opportunity to make a prediction in the preseason and then follow that prediction as the season plays out. Some prop bet lines – such as which player will win MVP – are constantly updated throughout the season.
Strategy of Betting NBA Player Props
One of the nice things about betting NBA player props is that you’re able to get involved in wagering without it all riding on which team will win. With so many different variables involved, games can be difficult to handicap, and it’s often simpler to bet on a single player’s performance.
Bettors who also play fantasy sports tend to succeed betting on NBA player props, as they know players’ tendencies and stats well.
NBA Team Props
Team props refer to any type of bet that focuses on a team’s performance rather than the performance of an individual player. Some common examples of team performance are betting on a team’s regular season win total, betting on a team to win the division or conference, or betting on a team to win the NBA championship.
Strategy of Betting Team Props
These bets are predictions of how a team will perform. Generally speaking, betting on a team expresses one’s belief that the team will succeed. For example, if you’re betting on the Golden State Warriors to win the division or the NBA title, you believe they’ll have a good season and achieve quite a bit.
The benefit of betting on an NBA team prop versus just backing the team week-to-week is that you’ll receive a better payout when all is said and done. A team might be 20/1 or 30/1 to win its conference in the beginning of the year. If you back the team because you did your homework, studied them, and were confident they’d have a good season, you’ll be rewarded for betting on them so early. That’s a big advantage versus betting periodically.
One of the ways to bet against a team is to bet on the under for their regular season win total, which means you believe they’ll win fewer games than the oddsmakers expect. However, bettors engaging with this type of prop are generally more focused on which teams they think will do well versus which teams they believe will fail.
Other NBA Props
You’ll often find that BetDSI Sportsbook has a number of other NBA props on the board outside of just the usual player, team, and league props. These prop bets might be related to trades, key storylines, or other interesting happenings around the NBA. For example, a prop you might see is, “who will be the first head coach to be fired?” or “will (insert star name here) be traded before the trade deadline?” – if those are hot topics in the media.
These props are fun to bet on, and they illustrate how BetDSI has its finger on the pulse of NBA news and conversation. Almost all sportsbooks have the basic spreads for the games, but these NBA props separate the best books from the rest.
Futures
Futures are a type of prop bet that is settled at some time in, well, the future. Whereas the regular day-to-day betting lines are settled on a nightly basis as the games unfold, futures are projections of things that will happen in the coming weeks, months, or even year.
Some of the bets that we’ve detailed above would fit into the category of futures. That includes things like who will win the NBA title, who will win the MVP award, and how many games each team will win in the regular season.
Strategy of Betting Futures
Futures are often viewed as a double-edged sword – both great and frustrating. The downside to futures is that usually, the bets take a long time to be decided. For example, if you bet on the Boston Celtics to win the East in the preseason, it could take eight months before you win or lose your bet. That’s a long time for many people to wait.
At the same time, the benefit to futures – and as a reward for investing so early – you will receive a much bigger payday. You’re doing a major favor for your future self. If the Celtics play well, make their way to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, and you bet them at that point, your payout will be a small percentage of what you would’ve won had you invested early (like in the preseason).
Futures are a good way to diversify your sports betting portfolio. You can have your day-to-day bets for games happening now and also have your futures investments, aiming for a big hit down the road.
Here are some NBA prop bets for the 2018-19 season, presented by BetDSI.
Will Anthony Davis be traded before the Feb. 3 trade deadline?
Yes +145
No -195
Will Kawhi Leonard be traded before the Feb. 3 trade deadline?
Yes +135
No -175
Will Jimmy Butler be traded before the Feb. 3 trade deadline?
Yes -150
No +120
Will Kyrie Irving sign with the Knicks before the 2019-20 season?
Yes +360
No -715
Will Klay Thompson sign with the Lakers before the 2019-20 season?
Yes +510
No -1430
Will Kevin Durant sign with the Lakers before the 2019-20 season?
Yes +635
No -2500
Will Kawhi Leonard sign with the Lakers before the 2019-20 season?
Yes +360
No -715
Anthony Davis team for first game of 2019-20 regular season
Celtics +100
Lakers +150
Pelicans +600
Knicks +800
76ers +1000
Field (Any Other Team) +400
Statistical Props
Highest points per game average 2018-19 reg. season
Anthony Davis +300
James Harden +400
LeBron James +900
Giannis Antetokounmpo +1100
Devin Booker +1200
Damian Lillard +1500
Kevin Durant +1700
Steph Curry +1700
Russell Westbrook +1700
Kyrie Irving +1900
DeMar DeRozan +1900
Kawhi Leonard +2400
Joel Embid +2800
Victor Oladipo +3000
Donovan Mitchell +3000
Bradley Beal +3600
Karl-Anthony Towns +3700
Kemba Walker +3900
Blake Griffin +4500
LaMarcus Aldridge +7100
Field (Any Other Player) +3200
Highest assists per game average 2018-19 reg. season
John Wall +200
Russell Westbrook +250
Ben Simmons +550
Chris Paul +650
James Harden +700
Lonzo Ball +1200
Ricky Rubio +1200
Rajon Rondo +1400
Kyle Lowry +1500
Draymond Green +2000
Trae Young +2600
Jeff Teague +3600
Nikola Jokic +5800
Field (Any Other Player) +1000
Highest rebounds per game average 2018-19 reg. season
Andre Drummond +150
DeAndre Jordan +300
Karl-Anthony Towns +600
Anthony Davis +700
Rudy Gobert +800
Dwight Howard +1000
Hassan Whiteside +1000
Joel Embiid +1600
Clint Capela +2100
Kevin Love +2300
Nikola Jokic +2400
DeAndre Ayton +2800
Enes Kanter +2900
Giannis Antetokounmpo +5400
Russell Westbrook +5700
LeBron James +6200
Field (Any Other Player) +4500
Player with highest points per game average for 2018-19 reg. season
LeBron James -135
Stephen Curry +105
Player with highest points per game average for 2018-19 reg. season
DeMar DeRozan -130
Kawhi Leonard +100
Russell Westbrook total triple-doubles during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 22.5 (-115)
Under 22.5 (-115)
LeBron James total triple-doubles during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 19.5 (-115)
Under 19.5 (-115)
Ben Simmons total triple-doubles during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 14.5 (-115)
Under 14.5 (-115)
Nikola Jokic total triple-doubles during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 13.5 (-110)
Under 13.5 (-120)
Will any player record a quadruple-double during 2018-19 reg. season?
Yes +900
No -3500
Will Russell Westbrook average a triple-double for the 2018-19 reg. season?
Yes +115
No -145
DeAndre Jordan free throw percentage during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 55 (-110)
Under 55 (-120)
Ben Simmons free throw percentage during 2018-19 reg. season (min. 200 attempts)
Over 62.5 (-115)
Under 62.5 (-115)
Total 3-point attempts by Ben Simmons during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 33.5 (-115)
Under 33.5 (-115)
Games Played Props
Jimmy Butler total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 66.5 (-115)
Under 66.5 (-115)
Kyrie Irving total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 64.5 (-115)
Under 64.5 (-115)
DeMarcus Cousins total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 56.5 (-115)
Under 56.5 (-115)
Lonzo Ball total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 60 (-115)
Under 60 (-115)
Blake Griffin total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 50.5 (-105)
Under 50.5 (-125)
Chris Paul total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 66.5 (-115)
Under 66.5 (-115)
Stephen Curry total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 69.5 (-115)
Under 69.5 (-115)
Kristaps Porzingis total games played during 2018-19 reg. season
Over 61.5 (-115)
Under 61.5 (-115)
Will LeBron James play in 82 games during 2018-19 reg. season?
Yes +220
No -310
Historical Props
Will LeBron James pass Michael Jordan on the career points list during 2018-19 reg. season?
Yes -4500
No +990
Will the San Antonio Spurs qualify for 22nd straight postseason?
Yes -150
No +120
Will Gregg Popovich retire after the 2018-19 season?
Yes +200
No -250