Basketball is a sport played between two teams in which the winner is determined by the team that scores the most points. It is possible to bet on which team you think you will win the match, and this is often referred to as outright basketball betting.
But there are lots of other ways to bet on basketball, and one of these is the over/under market, sometimes referred to as the total points market. Bookmakers in the UK that offer this sort of market include Sky Bet, Bet365, and Unibet, and each of them sets their own money lines for the total points (the points scored by both teams added together).
All you need to do is pick whether you think there will be more points or fewer points scored than the money line. If you think there will be more points scored, you bet over. If you think there will be fewer points scored you bet under. That’s why the total points markets are also known as over/under markets.
An Example Of Over Under Betting In Basketball
A typical example of an over/under market in basketball would be an NBA match between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.
Your bookmaker may set the total points money line at 237.5, and you have the choice of betting on the unders if you think there will be less points or on the overs if you think there will be more points.
In a market where there are only two possible outcomes, most bookmakers will bet 10/11 (1.91) on both outcomes. However, these odds can shift slightly if one team is heavily punted.
If you bet £110 at 10/11 (1.91) on either outcome, you will win £100 + your stake back for a total return of £210.
When betting on the over/under markets in basketball, it is important that you check the money lines and odds offered by a variety of bookmakers, as these may vary. If you’re going to bet the overs, you want as low a money line as possible. If you’re going to bet the unders, you pick the highest money line to give you the best chance of winning.
The great thing about over/under markets in basketball is you don’t have to pick which team wins. All you’re doing is trying to predict whether the total points will be under or over the money line. For example, if you’re betting on over 237.5, it doesn’t matter if the Washington Wizards hammer the Chicago Bulls buy 138 to 100 or whether the Bulls edge it 120 to 118. It also doesn’t matter by how many you beat the money line by.
Basketball Bet Types
Most punters that bet on basketball will use over/under markets as part of a wider basketball betting strategy that tries to exploit any value that can be found in any type of basketball betting market. Finding value is the key to making money from basketball betting, and it simply means you bet on basketball selections you think will win when the odds are bigger than you think they should be.
Value basketball bets can be found in many different basketball betting markets, including popular markets such as winner, points spread, half-time full-time, and winning margin.
Should I Bet On Over Under In Basketball?
Yes, betting on over/under markets is one of the best ways to bet on basketball. Some professional basketball punters even specialize in it. But we find that the best basketball tipsters tend to bet on these markets as part of a more complex basketball betting strategy. As we’ve already said, finding the value is the key to making a profit from betting on basketball and, if the value is in the over/under markets, then get betting.
How Do I Pick Winning Basketball Bets?
If you’re going to bet on your own basketball selections, we recommend you put a lot of hard work into studying the form book. Past head-to-heads between teams and current form needs carefully studying to find value betting chances where you think the bookies may have got their odds wrong.
For example, you may find that recent head-to-heads between the Wizards and the Bulls have all been high-scoring games, while both teams have been scoring freely in the current season. That suggests that you may want to bet the overs.
But it’s not always that simple, as you need to factor in changes in players and coaches. Professional punters make lots of notes about games in which important players were missing, as this can often mean that results can be turned on their head when these players return.
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