How to bet the NBA totals?
More than other sports, people who bet on basketball like to bet on totals. These over / under bets are very tempting as it is generally easy to predict whether a game will score high or low. Of course, bookies know this too, and that makes it a bit more difficult for players – the established lines are usually quite close to the number. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when betting on NBA totals can’t be profitable.
NBA totals or over / under bets are pretty easy to bet. On any given night, each game will not only be assigned a point spread, but also a total. The bookmakers will display the lines in a format similar to the following:
Los Angeles Lakers 186.5
Chicago Bulls -3
This small amount of information tells you everything you need to know to bet the total or the margin bet on that game. The Bulls are favored by three points, while the total is 186.5.
When betting on the total, you just have to predict whether the combined scores of the two teams will go above or below the indicated total. If the teams combine for 187 points or more, the higher bet wins; if the total score is 186 or less, the lower bet wins. This total includes any points that can be scored in overtime. If the posted total is a whole number, then the bet may result in a tie if the total score equals the over / under total.
There are many strategies for betting on NBA totals. It is important to analyze how many points the two teams involved in each game tend to score and allow. This will give you a solid foundation from which to work on other factors. Other things to keep in mind include past games between the two teams, the styles they play, and their recent schedules. If both teams have scoring threats that will face weak defenders in their positions, then you can expect a high score for that game. If both teams have had busy schedules (a game the day before, or if both teams recently played on the other side of the country and just came back), this means the teams could play a relatively slow-paced game.
One strategy that I found useful is to simply bet less than the lowest total offered on any given night. Most of the public money will be at the end, which means that when the line was established, it was probably established knowing that more money would be wagered at the end, so the bottom is actually the smart move.