💡 What’s the best way to bet on basketball games?

If you’re new to betting on basketball, we recommend you start with the simplest bet types, like Match Winner or Total Points Over/Under. These are the easiest to understand and it’s also easy to find the latest stats on these markets as part of your betting research. Remember, research is absolutely key for successful betting.

💡 Why do odds change before a basketball game?

Odds can fluctuate for a variety of reasons. If a key player suddenly pulls out of the game, this can affect the odds on their team to win or to score over a certain number of points. Similarly, once the team line ups have been announced, this can play a huge part in how a bookmaker views how the game might play out.

💡 How important is team form in basketball predictions?

Nothing is ever set in stone in betting, but analysing latest form can go a long way in assessing a particular side’s chances of winning their next fixture. For example, if a team has won their previous six matches and won them comfortably, this shows they’re performing to high standards. At the same time, if a side has lost six consecutive matches, confidence will be incredibly low and their chances of winning their next fixture are likely to be low.

💡 Are player stats more important than team stats?

Player stats and team stats should be seen as equally important. There’s plenty of occasions when a specific player has performed well, yet ended up on the losing team. Similarly, we often find a team winning a game, despite poor performances from key players. It also depends on what markets you’re looking to bet on. For example, if you’re looking to place a bet on an individual basketball player to score a certain number of points, their specific stats are important to consider. However, both set of statistics, along with everything else that can affect a game, should be considered.

💡 What’s a value bet in basketball betting?

Essentially, a value bet is where the chances of an event happening are greater than what the bookmaker odds suggest. For instance, if your research suggests that Boca Juniors have a 70% chance of beating Quimsa in Argentina’s LNB, but the bookmaker odds imply they believe Boca have a 50% chance, you’ve found yourself a value bet.

💡 How often do underdogs win in basketball?

Current research suggests that the underdog wins 31.2% of matches in the NBA. In other words, the underdog wins slightly less than a third of NBA games.

Basketball Predictions

By Sarah Jones | Last update at 3 July, 2025⏲️ Reading time: 11 minutes

Fact checked by Martins Lasmanis

Fact checked by

Martins Lasmanis

With more than 10 years of experience in online marketing, and special focus on the gambling affiliation sector over 5 years, Martin Lasmanis is a true expert in his niche. Today, Martin's vision is to build the largest lead generator company in the world. Fortunately, we have the perfect team to make his dream come true!

How We Prepare Our Basketball Predictions

Betting on any sports requires thorough analysis and in-depth research to find bets with value. We consider every aspect that can have an affect on how a game will play out. In particular, we focus on latest statistics, player and team form, injuries and game importance. We also analyse the quality of the odds available at basketball betting sites to ensure we’re betting with value.

For our basketball predictions, it’s vital we take into account all factors that can play a part in our betting success. We don’t leave any stone unturned, focusing on every detail that matters. Our knowledge of basketball is unmatched, with a deep understanding of major and minor basketball leagues, competitions and players.

Updated Statistics and Data

We’re constantly increasing our knowledge base on basketball. We use the latest data and statistics to ensure our predictions have merit. Our basketball predictions involve assessing offensive and defensive leaders, specifically points scored, assists, rebounds, 3-pointers, blocks and steals. In addition, we consider team stats such as points, field goal percentage and points allowed.

Once we’ve analysed the latest statistics and information, we can then begin to build our predictions.

Team and Player Performance

While we consider the previous performances of a specific basketball team or player, it’s equally important we analyse current form too. We look at how many matches a player or team has played recently, along with assessing if their performances have heightened or dropped.

As well as this, we assess the importance of the upcoming game. If it’s a game against huge rivals or title challengers, the best players are likely to play. Similarly, we think about if players will be rested if they’re heading into the next one on the back of playing in consecutive games, or if any potential injuries have been reported. Anything that might affect the way a team or player performs is taken into consideration for the upcoming fixture.

Odds Analysis and Value Bets

We’ve already mentioned the importance of finding betting value. Finding the edge over the bookmaker can provide us with a chance to maximise our potential profits. This is why research is so important - we can discover odds that have a better chance of being successful than the bookmaker believes them to be, thus finding value bets.

Value bets can often be found on more niche markets than simply a Moneyline or Match Winner bet. For example, Handicap betting or Race To markets can often provide greater value.

Expert Basketball Betting Team

Our experts put a huge amount of effort into developing their basketball predictions. Every potential factor is taken into consideration, so you can be sure that every basketball tip and prediction has been well researched, analysed and prepared fully for you.

Main Tournaments and Leagues We Cover

As one of the most popular sports across the globe, there’s a huge range of basketball leagues and competitions. Whatever league you like to bet on, we’ll have a prediction for you! We cover major tournaments, including the following:

NBA: The USA’s most prestigious basketball league, the NBA is the most popular basketball league to bet on all over the world.
Euroleague: Often referred to as Europe’s most popular basketball tournament, Euroleague features the best sides from the continent’s biggest leagues.
Liga ACB: The top basketball division in Spain, you’ll find Liga ACB odds and markets at all top bookmakers.
Basketball Bundesliga: Germany’s top basketball division, Basketball Bundesliga has grown massively in recent years.
Lega Basket Serie A: The highest level of basketball in Italy, most betting sites from across the globe offer odds on Lega Basket action.
Turkish Basketball Super League: Another competition that has grown hugely in popularity over the last few years, Turkey’s Super Ligi has become one of the most prestigious in Europe.
Chinese Basketball Association: The highest level of basketball in China, the CBA finally looks to be receiving recognition of a competition worth watching.
WNBA: Women’s sports in general are becoming increasingly popular with bettors, none more so than the WNBA. You’ll find odds on women’s basketball at a huge range of betting sites.

Bet Types and Markets in Our Basketball Predictions

One of the biggest reasons why basketball is so popular amongst bettors is the range of markets available. Almost every bookmaker you’ll come across offers a variety of betting markets on the biggest basketball competitions, meaning there’s plenty of chances to find value.

Below we’ll take you through some of the most popular basketball betting markets you’ll find at almost every online bookmaker.

Match Winner Bets

The simplest way to bet on a basketball game is to bet on the Match Winner. As its name suggests, this market allows you to bet on which team you think will win the game. This market is often called Moneyline. Some operators also allow you to bet on the draw, such as in a Full Time or Match Result market.

Some operators also offer this market with or without overtime.

Let’s say you want to bet on Atlanta Dream to beat the Dallas Wings in the WNBA. You might choose to place a 1x2 bet or a Moneyline bet. Your wager will be successful if Atlanta Dream are victorious.

Handicap Bets

Handicap betting can often provide greater value than a standard Match Winner bet. A Handicap bet is where you give a side a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage in order to improve the odds.

So, let’s say Fenerbahce are playing Besiktas in the Turkish Super League. The odds on the Fenerbahce win are 1.2, which don’t present any great value. We could give Fenerbahce a hypothetical disadvantage of 12.5 points. Now our odds on the win have lengthened to 2.3. For our bet to win, Fenerbahce must win the game by 13 or more points.

Total Points Bets

Another popular market amongst our basketball tipsters is Total Points. With this market, you’re betting on how many points will be scored in a particular game, over or under a specified amount. Most operators offer a variety of points options for you to choose from.

As an example, Valencia are playing Real Madrid in Liga ACB. Our bookmaker is offering odds of 2.0 for over 178.5 points to be scored in the game, and odds of 1.65 for under this amount. If we’re expecting a high scoring game, we might consider the Total Points Over market. For our bet to be successful, we’ll need 179 points or more scored in the game. If we don’t think both sides will accumulate that number of points, we might bet on the Under market. For this bet to win, total points need to be 178 or less.

Point Difference Bets

Points Difference bets, also known as Margin of Victory bets, can also present betting value. This market allows bettors to decide on how many points will separate the two sides come the end of the game.

For example, the Nelson Giants are taking on Auckland Tuatara in New Zealand’s NBL. We believe Tuatara will beat the Giants by between 5-10 points. If the winning margin falls into this category, for instance the final score is 95-91 to Auckland, we win our bet.

Live Betting

The fast paced nature of basketball makes betting on live odds incredibly exciting. In-play betting requires a great deal of attention throughout the game.

Live bets also allow you to cover your pre-game wagers, as well as find better value than pre-game odds might have provided. For example, you were looking to bet on Spain to beat the Czech Republic in the women’s EuroBasket, but the odds of 1.2 didn’t particularly present great value. If the Czech Republic start the game well and are leading by 15 points by the first quarter, the Winner odds on Spain could increase dramatically. If you believe that Spain have the ability to come back and win, this presents an attractive betting opportunity.

Our Recommended Bookmakers for Basketball Betting

As basketball is a hugely popular sport, almost every bookmaker offers odds and markets on competitions from all over the world. When we rate a basketball betting site, there’s a number of factors we take into consideration. Quality of odds, range of markets and variety of tournaments and competitions are all important aspects. In addition, we assess the overall user experience, mobile betting, live betting and streaming options, along with bonuses and promotions specific to the sport.

Our top choices feature all of these aspects and more.

22Bet. An excellent choice for basketball bettors, 22Bet offer odds and markets on almost 40 separate leagues and tournaments. In addition to the most popular leagues, like the NBA and Liga ACB, we’re delighted to find a fantastic range of odds on women’s basketball, as well as youth competitions.
Megapari. Another site available to basketball bettors worldwide, Megapari also offer odds on a wide array of competitions. Their live betting facility is especially impressive, with real-time graphics displays and statistics available on a huge variety of fixtures. This site also offer basketball-specific promotions, particularly on NBA action.
1xBet. We’re also impressed with our basketball betting options at 1xBet. A popular betting site worldwide, you can find odds and markets on a plethora of games and tournaments. The 1xBet in-play betting facility also features a Multi-Live option, which allows you to create your own live betting page.

Predictions for Other Sports

Along with our basketball predictions and tips, you can find predictions on other sports too. If you’re looking for the latest football tips, you can find these here, featuring analysis on all major and minor competitions including England’s Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup.

We also provide in-depth research and predictions on the day’s tennis events. From Grand Slam matches to minor tournaments, you can find the latest tennis tips on our dedicated page.

FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re new to betting on basketball, we recommend you start with the simplest bet types, like Match Winner or Total Points Over/Under. These are the easiest to understand and it’s also easy to find the latest stats on these markets as part of your betting research. Remember, research is absolutely key for successful betting.
Odds can fluctuate for a variety of reasons. If a key player suddenly pulls out of the game, this can affect the odds on their team to win or to score over a certain number of points. Similarly, once the team line ups have been announced, this can play a huge part in how a bookmaker views how the game might play out.
Nothing is ever set in stone in betting, but analysing latest form can go a long way in assessing a particular side’s chances of winning their next fixture. For example, if a team has won their previous six matches and won them comfortably, this shows they’re performing to high standards. At the same time, if a side has lost six consecutive matches, confidence will be incredibly low and their chances of winning their next fixture are likely to be low.
Player stats and team stats should be seen as equally important. There’s plenty of occasions when a specific player has performed well, yet ended up on the losing team. Similarly, we often find a team winning a game, despite poor performances from key players. It also depends on what markets you’re looking to bet on. For example, if you’re looking to place a bet on an individual basketball player to score a certain number of points, their specific stats are important to consider. However, both set of statistics, along with everything else that can affect a game, should be considered.
Essentially, a value bet is where the chances of an event happening are greater than what the bookmaker odds suggest. For instance, if your research suggests that Boca Juniors have a 70% chance of beating Quimsa in Argentina’s LNB, but the bookmaker odds imply they believe Boca have a 50% chance, you’ve found yourself a value bet.
Current research suggests that the underdog wins 31.2% of matches in the NBA. In other words, the underdog wins slightly less than a third of NBA games.