Basketball lovers everywhere look forward to the NBA playoffs. After the regular season, the finest teams in the sport meet to decide top spot.
Fans of basketball can be found everywhere in the world, not just in the United States and USA. This has added to the appeal of online basketball betting on a range of odds that add excitement for bettors.
In this guide we’ll tell you:
The NBA post-season process captivates fans across the US, USA and beyond each year. Here’s how it works.
The NBA is divided into two conferences, Eastern and Western, with 15 teams in each
Each conference is split into three divisions
The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs
Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series
The teams are seeded, so the 1st seed faces the 8th seed
The champion of each conference qualifies for the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series held each June
Betting on the NBA Playoffs is no different to wagering on games in the regular season. This is a simple guide to how they work.
Let’s look at a match between Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. The odds, expressed as decimals, may read:
For every C$10 you stake on the Patriots, the favourites, you win C$5. If you put C$4 on Washington, the underdogs, you win C$5.
Odds may be presented in other formats, such as fractional and moneyline (also known as American) odds.
Most sportsbooks switch between systems to let you choose how you see prices. Check out our Odds Calculator below to see how they compare.
Also known as handicap betting. The sportsbook sets a figure showing by how many points one side will win, then gives you a 50-50 choice. You decide whether you think one side will win – or lose – by more than that margin.
There is no handicap, simply a straight choice. Which team is going to win the match?
How many will the teams score in total? If you think it’ll be a higher-scoring
Which side will score more points in the first quarter?
Proposition bets are not on the overall outcome, but events within a game.
If you reckon your team will win its division, this bet is for you. The earlier you do this, the bigger your return should be.
This is for you if you believe one team is a certainty for its conference. You may wager on this well in advance too.
Let’s say you really believe your favorite team is going all the way to win the NBA Finals. It’s time to put your money where your dream is.
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) is founded. From 1949 the league is known as the NBA
Four teams from each of three divisions qualify for the playoffs
The NBA reverts to two divisions, with only eight teams in the playoffs
With only nine league members, the number of playoff teams is cut to six
Boston Celtics win the NBA Finals for the ninth year in a row
The number of teams in the playoffs rises to eight again
Bill Russell of Boston Celtics wins his 11th NBA Finals, a record that still stands
10 teams go into the playoffs, with the fourth and fifth seeds in each conference meeting to decide who makes the last eight
Now there are 12 teams in the playoffs, with only division winners getting byes to the final eight
The first round is expanded as 16 teams go to the playoffs
Michael Jordan wins his sixth NBA Finals with Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks are the only 8th-seeded team to reach the NBA Finals
Kobe Bryant inspires LA Lakers to their fifth NBA Finals triumph in a decade
Steph Curry sets a record for three-pointers in an NBA Finals game with nine, as Golden State Warriors are champions for the second year in a row
Betting on the NBA playoffs in USA is tremendously popular and, in the digital age, ever more easy to do. Virtually all sportsbooks now offer the ability to add to your enjoyment of sporting action by betting on it.
To find out everything you might ever need to know about basketball betting in USA, check out our home page.
A post-season tournament involving the best 16 teams from the NBA regular season. They face off in a series of match-ups that culminates with the NBA Finals.
The point spread, which gives fans the chance to challenge a handicap set by a sportsbook, is a perennial favourite with basketball bettors.
Our online betting guide tells you all the questions you need answered when choosing one of our recommended sites. These include matters such as security, licensing, range of bets and bonuses.
Most definitely. The vast majority of sportsbooks now have user-friendly apps that allow you to wager on your device.
After the game gets under way, sportsbooks will offer you the ability to bet on the live action – as well as the overall result.
