Looking to become a better basketball handicapper? You've come to the right place! Here we offer tons of tips and advice to help increase your chances of beating the point spread!
We'll kick off our list of goodies with suggesting that you shop for the best line. This means that you will more than likely need to be playing multiple sportsbooks. The difference between +2 and +2.5 may be the difference between whether you have a winning or losing NBA season!
In the NBA, there tends to be more sucker bets than in any other sport. Beware of a point spread that looks too good to be true because it probably is. Investigate the line, check for injuries and any other pertinent information you may be able to find to help determine why the line in question looks so low. Often times the best way to deal with a too good to be true spread is to go against your gut feeling and bet the other way. Crazy but true.
Find out what the public is wagering on. Since hoops point spreads are based on public perception, if you find out that the general public is hammering one side of the game giving the other team no respect and the line is not moving accordingly to balance the money, this is a good time to consider being a contrarian and going the opposite way. Check out our NBA consensus picks page for help in figuring out which games of the day are getting pounded in a one sided fashion.
Always and we repeat ALWAYS check the updated injury report. Nothing is worse than betting on a team and finding out their point guard is on the pines with an injury.
As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid betting on "good teams." WHAT! You say? Well, in theory, good teams win straight up while bad teams cover. Bad teams are given much less respect relative to the point spread making for quite a few backdoor covers when good teams and bad teams meet. This isn't to say that you should bet on the underdog in every matchup, however, when a really good team and a really bad team meet, there is money to be made wagering on the bad team when picking your spots. We're obviously not going to recommend such a wager if the bad team is suffering injuries etc. Don't be afraid to apply this method to bad road teams either. A good solid team playing at home has no reason to crush a crappy team (unless the good team lost to the bad team straight up last time out) and this often makes for some very nice barking dog covers.
Exercise proper money management. No matter how much your down, don't fire your whole bankroll at a game looking for that game to bail you out of a bad situation. Bad handicapping got you there, only good handicapping will bring you back. Keep unit sizes the same otherwise your never going to get a sniff at winning at basketball betting.
Consider learning how to bet on totals. Totals are a much overlooked part of sports wagering and actually offer the most value! Think about it, why do you think the limits on totals are lesser than what you can bet against a point spread? Because their easier to beat! It amazes us how many sports bettors have NEVER played an NBA total! Another note regarding totals is that it's one of the few sports bets that makes good use of stats when handicapping.
If you've got some tips and advise that you'd like to share with our readers please send them in to predictem at hotmail.com.
Good luck!
Editor's Picks - Let us give you an assist so you can slam dunk your man with the boss's free daily predictions against the spread. ALWAYS FREE!
Expert Picks - Get free NBA picks from professional basketball prognosticators!
Underdog of the Day - Each day we attempt to hit from long range with one underdog selection from the day's pro basketball card.
Favorite of the Day - If we can find one we like, we'll post one favorite play each day. Forgive us for passing from time to time. We're not a huge fan of laying points!
Total of the Day - One of our favorite picks to make; the over/under. Coat-tail us daily on this one and expect a winning record and great long term profits as predicting total points is our forte.
Line Movement - Around 5pm EST each day, we highlight major line moves and try to determine if it's sharp action, public money or a key injury that's causing the fluctuation in the point spread. A daily must read!
Consensus Picks - First we find out who the betting public and squares are on. Then we compare this against the sharps. We shake it all out and if a play meets our parameters we post it! These picks will make your bookie cry!
NBA Trends - Great supporting information to help you make your daily predictions.
Sportsbook - Did you know that there's still online sports books that are able to get credit cards to work for deposits?
Skybook - Get a free half point on every basketball game you bet!
How What Who and When - We've got all the answers to commonly asked hoops related questions.
Top Rated Basketball Picks - Insider Sports report has been the Nation's #1 Sports Handicapping Service since 1989.