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NBA Betting Odds & Lines for Canada

By: Russell Potvin

NBA Basketball Betting Canada

When it comes to professional basketball, the NBA is the North American league and NBA betting is something that a lot of Canadians enjoy. There are 30 teams, one of these in Canada. The league has been running since 1946 but the three-point field goal was only introduced in 1979. There are lots of names that will be familiar to people including Michael Jordan and LeBron James. If you're a fan of the Toronto Raptors and want to know how to place bets, our NBA odds information on this page will help you to do just that. You can now place bets online in a safe and secure way and win real money prizes too. Even though there are plenty of sports websites out there, you need to make sure that the one you choose is licensed and regulated, and again we offer advice on this. If you are a fan of basketball, betting on the NBA online is a great way to get in on the action.

NBA Betting Odds

No matter what Canadian sportsbook you choose for your NBA betting, you will find that the odds are listed in a similar manner. There may be minor variations, but once you know how to read the odds, it won't matter. Most sports sites will provide the odds on a game with one team on top of the other. Some may list one team on the left and the other to the right. Whatever way they are laid out, the first team that is listed is the visitor and the second team is the home club.

The first piece of information you will find is the date and time of the basketball game. To the right of this, you will find the teams that are playing. The rotation numbers are next and these are universal so will remain the same on every site. This makes it easy to check across a number of sports betting sites so you can make sure you're getting the best deal for your money. To the right of this information, you will find the actual chances. This is laid out as point spread, money line, and over/under.

The point spread and over/under are usually expressed as a fraction or decimal and not a whole number and this is to prevent a tie where a push occurs and all bets are off. Wager amounts are returned to the bettor.

When you look at NBA odds, the date and time, rotation numbers, and team name, will help you to find the game you want to bet on. The rest of the listing is the point spread, money line, and over/under and the bets related to that game. Understanding how to read the NBA odds listings is the first step when you want to bet on basketball games.

Basketball NBA Lines

If you want to bet on basketball and choose the money line, you are essentially placing your money on the team you think will win the game. The payouts achieved from this type of basketball bet have a greater range than those of point spreads and for beginners, these are often the easiest wager to place. The moneyline tells you exactly how much you need to wager to win $100, so you just bet on the team you hope will win and that's all there is to it.

Basketball Spreads

Spreads are the most common basketball wager placed in Canada. These point spreads put teams on an even playing field and gamblers place wagers on whether they think a team will overcome their handicap. This type of basketball bet is created for every game in the NBA season and a favourite and underdog is chosen for every game. A specific number of points are set with the favourite having a minus in front of their number and the underdog having a plus. The team favoured to win the game gives points on the betting line and the underdog receives the points. Oddsmakers spend a lot of time putting together spreads and this involves researching all aspects of the game and the teams.

NBA Betting Explained

When it comes to NBA betting odds and lines, knowing how to read the information on sports sites is essential. There are a number of different types of bets that you can place but understanding what's best for you be the thing to make your bets profitable. The most popular choices are point spreads, money lines, and futures, which are explained in great detail below.

  • Point Spread:The point spread bet is typically used to even the odds. The goal of this type of wager is to even the action on each side. The teams will be listed with the same number but the odds will have a plus or a minus sign. The favorite team is the one with the minus sign in the point spread. If you choose to bet on the favorite team, they must win and have a difference greater than the spread in order for you to win money. In the point spread listing, you will also see a number like (-110). This is what's called the juice and in order to win $100, you must bet $110. The point spreads are determined by the amount of action on each team and can change throughout the day or week. Players that bet using point spreads are paid out based on the point spread they received when placing their bet even if it changes.
  • Over/Under:The over/under bet on basketball are wagers on the point-total of a game. These usually end in a .5 to avoid pushes. In over/under bets you are predicting whether the team's combined total score will be over or under the total NBA odds given by the sports book.
  • Money Line:This type of NBA bet is strictly on the outcome of the game and the difference in points doesn't matter because the odds are based on the probability of the winning team. The favorite team will have a negative number and the underdog has a plus sign. The amounts listed in this column indicate how much money you have to bet in order to win C$100. For example, a money line of -130/+110 means that a wager of C$130 is needed on the favorite team to win C$100 and a wager of C$100 on the underdog will win you C$110.
  • Futures:NBA futures is placing a bet on the outcome of the league final before the start of the season playoffs. You will find lines that change during the season depending on a team's success or failure, injuries, etc, and sports betting sites will update the odds and favorite picks as the season continues. Futures can be very profitable especially for gamblers who predict the winning team early in the season when they are highest.

Bet on Basketball

The Toronto Raptors may be the only Canadian team currently playing in the NBA but it doesn't stop Canadians from betting on basketball. They place bets on game totals, money line bets, spreads, and there are even parlay wagers available too. NBA bets are done through a sportsbook be it online or in your local betting shop. Below you will find some tips and strategies to help you to improve your return on investment and make your experience enjoyable and profitable. It is worth noting that both online sportsbooks and offline establishments make a lot of money on impulsive and poorly disciplined gamblers. These are the gamblers that don't use strategies. If you want to have fun and hopefully make some money too you need to know what you are doing.

There are a number of specific basketball strategies that you can use and it is worth noting that some of the best online sportsbooks can offer a large number of odds on every single game. Basketball is a popular sport and there are 30 teams in the NBA with each playing 82 regular season games. No basketball strategy would be complete if it didn't mention knowing the rules, being aware of the latest trends, understanding predictions, knowing how to read stats, and more. A strategy only works if it helps you to win and knowing how to choose your picks is paramount.

It is important to understand the odds and the different types of bets that are available. Handicap bets or point spreads are the most popular type of bet. Most people tend to bet on the favourites but the underdogs usually get quite good handicaps and are often underestimated. Try betting on underdogs too. For a basketball betting strategy to work, you need to take all factors into account and that includes looking at the underdog too.

Betting on totals is another tip that can work really well in basketball. Canadian sports sites will offer a total combined amount of points scored by both teams and gamblers have to guess whether the teams will exceed this predicted forecast or not.

Do your research. You can never have too much information and the NBA is one of the few sports where you can actually get ahead of the makers and see things that they might not. The more educated you are the better chance you have of keeping your money. Join forums and read as much as you can. In play, betting is available on a number of top online sports betting sites and this gives you a real opportunity to capitalize on garbage-time, coaches who leave their stars on the bench, and more.

Knowing the different types of NBA bets you can place and how to read the odds is really important but for those choosing to gamble online, it is important to ensure that the site you choose is licensed and regulated like our recommended sportsbook. All lines are now equal and many sportsbooks offer different chances so be sure to shop around.

What are the NBA Finals Odds for 2024

The NBA Final at the moment show the Golden State Warriors in the lead. This is at the halfway make of the NBA regular season and it looks like the Warriors and Cleveland are the clear teams to be on the NBA Futures. Golden State is a -130 betting favourite to win the NBA Championship. The Warriors are next but a surprising challenger has emerged in the Houston Rockets whose odds have climbed from +5000 to +2800. Other teams hoping to stop the Golden State's third NBA Final trip are San Antonio Spurs +850, the Los Angeles Clippers +1000, the Toronto Raptors +2800, Boston Celtics +4000, and the Chicago Bulls at +6600.

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