Betting on NBA Totals

More so than in other sports, gamblers who bet on basketball like to bet on totals. These over/under bets are very tempting, as it’s often fairly simple to predict whether a game will be high scoring or low scoring. Of course, the bookmakers know this as well, and that makes it a little tougher on the gamblers – the lines set are often pretty close to the number. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when betting NBA totals can’t be a profitable enterprise.

How to Bet NBA Totals

NBA totals – more commonly known as over/under bets – are fairly simple to bet on. On a given night, each game will not only be assigned a point spread, but also a total. Often times, sportsbooks or newspapers will list the lines in a format that looks like this:

Los Angeles 184.5
Boston -3

This small amount of information tells you everything you need to know to bet the total or the spread bet on that game. Boston is favored by three points, while the total is 184.5.

When betting NBA totals, you simply predict whether the combined scores of the two teams will go over or under the listed total. If the teams combine for 185 or more points, the over bet wins; if the total score is 184 or less, then the under bet wins. This total includes any points that might be scored in any overtime periods. If the posted total is a whole number, then it is possible for the bet to result in a push if the total score equals the over/under total.

NBA Totals Betting Strategy

There are many strategies out there for betting NBA totals. First and foremost, it’s important to look into how many points the two teams involved in each game tend to score and allow. This will give you a solid baseline from which to work in other factors. Other things to take into account include the matchups between both teams, the styles they play, and their recent schedules. If both teams have scoring threats that are going to be going up against weak defenders at their positions, you can expect that scoring will be up for that game. On the other hand, if both teams have had busy schedules (such as a game the previous day, or if both teams recently played on the other side of the country and just flew back), this could suggest that the teams may be sluggish and play a relatively slow-paced game.

There are also several NBA totals betting systems that attempt to exploit trends in these over/under lines. One system simply bets the under on the lowest total offered on any given night. The idea is that on a total so low, most of the public money will be on the over, meaning that when the line was set, it was likely set knowing that more money would be bet on the over side – meaning that the under is actually the smart play. On the other hand, the bookmakers know this as well, and are unlikely to have set a line that’s too far off the mark. As with many systems, it’s probably best to use this NBA totals system to find potential bets, but then put the bet under more scrutiny first to make sure it’s a smart play before wagering any actual money.