Five Tips to Have Success Betting on the NBA

It can be difficult to achieve long-term betting success with the NBA, but with these five tips, you will put yourself in a strong position to make a profit over the season.

Do Your Research

Research is vital to all sports betting, but with the NBA it is even more applicable where the home advantage isn’t as prevalent as sports like soccer or cricket. Research in this instance applies to both short- and long-term. In the short-term, be sure to look at the recent form and results over the past 10 or so games: wins, losses, points totals, results at home and away, player form, and other key stats that could influence your betting decisions.

For more long-term research, take a look at how well a team has performed at a certain stadium and in a specific region of North America over the past 2-3 seasons.

Also do your research regarding team news, injury updates, and other factors that will likely play a part in achieving betting success in the NBA. Additionally, visit some trusted NBA betting forums, sites and blogs and use others’ knowledge and insight to assist in your gathering of information. The more research you are able to do and the more information you can obtain, the better your betting choices will be.

Compare the Markets

Once you have done all the possible research and have located some betting markets you wish to pursue for an NBA, it’s important to locate the best value odds and see if there are any bonuses or enhanced odds that can achieve the most bang for your buck.

Many major online bookmakers will offer various promotions that you can take advantage of, whether as a new customer or loyalty bonuses for existing members. Keep an eye out for NBA free picks, as you can see on the website BetAmerica.com, for best bets and other similar bonuses. It can be tempting to use these promotions as opportunities to place bold, risk-free bets. However, the smart NBA gambler will use these promotions to their advantage and make smart, educated wagers.

To compare the markets, either sign up for various online bookmakers or visit major comparison websites to evaluate all the offers and odds in one place.

Spot the trends

It is quite possible to go on a hot streak, even in the perilous and unpredictable world of NBA betting. Remember these streaks will come to an end at some point – they always do. Whether you are winning or losing, it is vitally important to spot the trends within your betting patterns: look at what is working and what is not, and you can begin to tailor a more detailed strategy to NBA betting the more bets you place.

To do this, start a betting Excel spreadsheet with columns for date, bet description, odds, units placed, result, and a win or loss column (which should be color-coded: win in green, lose in red). By doing this, trends within your own betting strategy will begin to present themselves and you will be able to clearly define a strategy that best works for you.

Keep Emotions in Check

The difference between the successful bettor and the perennial loser who consistently operates in the red is the ability to control emotion.

Controlling emotion occurs in two forms. Firstly, never place bets using your heart. If you are a big fan of the New York Knicks but they are playing the Milwaukee Bucks and are expected to lose, don’t blindly bet on the Knicks on the line.

Sure, if the Knicks pull off a shock win, it will be doubly sweet, but chances are they won’t, and you will be out of pocket. Instead, you have two options: either look at ways in which you can still back the Knicks with smart betting (points handicap, player points total, etc), or simply ignore the game altogether.

Secondly and more importantly, keep your emotions in check when it comes to your betting. Attempting to bet more than you normally would simply because you have hit a run of luck will eventually work against you, while chasing a loss being convinced you will turn it around is a sure-fire way to end penniless. Which brings us on to our final point…

Stick to a Budget

Sticking to a budget is the ultimate act of self-discipline when it comes to sports betting, and just like controlling your emotions, this can work both ways. When times are good, it is tempting to dip into your winnings to place bigger bets with the aim of landing even larger profits. Sooner or later, though, this will backfire and all that cash you worked so hard to accumulate will eventually dwindle.

Equally, sticking to a budget when you have lost your initial capital is vital and will prevent any potential spiral. Sure, it might be frustrating that you have to miss out on next week’s round of NBA games, but if you have given yourself a weekly or monthly budget, stick to it and recharge again when the time comes.