Reading NBA odds
Now familiar with the top bet types you can place on the NBA in Arizona, let’s take a look at some examples using real teams. Keep in mind, that all of the scenarios below are hypothetical in nature.
Point Spread
Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110) vs. Los Angeles Lakers +8.5 (-110)
One way to think about the point spread in this example is that in terms of your bet, the game starts out with the score of Lakers 8.5 vs. Suns 0. This would mean that in the end, the Suns need to win by at least nine points for a Suns’ point spread bet to be a winner. The .5 is added to many point-spread bets to prevent the bet from being a draw (tie with no money exchanged).
Money Line
Phoenix Suns -200 vs. Washington Wizards +180
As mentioned above, the moneyline is just a bet on which team will win. The tricky part comes in the odds listed. In this example, someone betting on the Phoenix Suns would have to risk $200 to win $100, or any amount but on that scale. Conversely, a Wizards bettor would just have to risk $100 to win $180.
Over/Under
Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks - Over 223.5 (-110) Under 223.5 (-110)
If the Suns beat the Bucks 122-120, that would equal 224 total points scored in the game. Hence, in the example noted here, bettors who bet on the “over” would win their bet.
How to bet on the NBA Finals & playoffs
Each NBA regular season wraps up with the postseason and NBA Finals, both of which provide plenty of betting opportunities for those looking to get involved. Let’s take a closer look at how to bet on the NBA Finals & playoffs in the 2023-24 season and beyond.
NBA Playoffs Futures
For those looking to get involved in the NBA postseason long before it comes around, bettors can place future bets on how things will look in the league by the time they arrive. For example, whether or not a team will make the playoffs, win their conference, win their division, or win the NBA Finals.
Now, at sites like DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, you can even pick the exact seed that you think a team will finish. Lastly, player futures are available as well, such as who will win the NBA Finals MVP.
NBA Playoffs Series Bets
Once the seeding is set for the NBA playoffs, team matchups are set and there are plenty of bets that allow you to wager on how the series plays out. For example, you can bet if the series will last over or under a set amount of games (i.e. 4.5 total games for a seven-game series), as well as how many games a team will win the series by.
As an example of the latter, if the Suns were -1.5 games in their first-round series vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, they would have to win the series by at least two games for that bet to be a winner. If they won 4 games to 2, for example, that bet would be graded a winner for the Suns.