NBA Odds

Professional Basketball is the highest competition level of the sport. The main professional league of note is the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Flagship NBA Franchises

Certain teams are considered flagship franchises of the NBA due to their rich tradition and consistent success. The Los Angeles Lakers are one. They have sixteen championships. The Lakers tradition includes Coach Pat Riley and Magic Johnson who led the \"Showtime\" Lakers to four titles. Kobe Bryant led them to five in recent years. The Purple and Gold are poised for new success with the recent addition of multiple MVP and champion LeBron James.

Other top franchises include the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

NBA Betting Markets

A sports gambler can wager a few different ways on the NBA. One common approach is betting on a single game. There are three primary ways to bet.

Moneyline Bets

Picking a team to win straight up is known as a moneyline bet. The favored team has a minus next to its odds number. Let's say the Golden State Warriors are -150 to beat the Los Angeles Lakers at Bovada Sportsbook. That means a gambler has to bet $150 to win $100. The plus number indicates the underdog, offering more payout potential if that team wins.

Point Spread Bets

The second way is betting the spread. This is the margin by which oddsmakers predict a team will win. For example, if the spread is New York Knicks -10 over the Miami Heat at Betonline Sportsbook, taking Knicks -10 means they must win by 11 or more points to cover. Taking Heat +10 means they can lose by up to 9 points and still cover.

Over/Under Totals

The third option is betting the total, also known as over/under. Oddsmakers set a number for the combined points scored by both teams. Gamblers bet whether the final score will go over or under that total.