Beginners Guide to Basketball Betting

Understanding the Rules

Before getting stuck into the betting side of things, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of basketball rules. Luckily, the rules of basketball are relatively straightforward.

Basketball is a team sport played by two competing teams of five players. The game is played on a rectangular court to shoot a ball through a hoop 10 ft off the ground. Each team has their own hoop at opposite ends of the court.

The basketball court is divided into two smaller sections by a mid-court line. Players must pass the mid-court line within ten seconds of the ball being put into play. Failing to do so will see the ball turned over to the other team.

After crossing the mid-court line, the attacking team can no longer backtrack behind the mid-court line. If they do, the ball is overturned.

The ball is progressed up the court by either passing or dribbling. The defence must try to win the ball back by stealing the ball, contesting shots, deflecting passes, and collecting rebounds.

Point Scoring

Making a basket is worth two points and turns the ball over to the other team. Baskets or field goals made outside of the three-point arc are worth three points, and a free throw is worth one.

Free throws are given to a team based on the kind of fouls committed or the frequency of fouls. When a shooter is fouled, they will receive either two or three free throws depending on the location of the shot. Fouls beyond the three-point line will result in three free throws.

‘Team fouls’ only result in a free throw when a certain number has been accumulated throughout a half. When the necessary total is reached, the last player fouled is given a ‘1-and-1′ chance. If they successfully make the free throw, they will be given a second attempt. If the first shot is missed, the ball becomes live on the rebound.

Clock

The game is divided into 12-minute quarters. There is a break period of several minutes between the second and third quarter. If the score is all level at the end of the allotted game time, overtime is played until there is a winner. However, in some leagues, each quarter is 10-minute long.

Basic Terms

Compared to some other popular sports, Basketball is relatively easy to understand. But while you can grasp the broad strokes of the game in an instant, it may take a while until you get the lingo and intricate nuances of the game rules. Here are some of the most popular basketball terms explained.

• Back Court – The backcourt can refer to the guards on a team. These players defend against the opponents scoring any points. The term may also refer to the area of the basketball court on your side of the half-court line.
• Backboard/Glass – The backboard is the rectangular board behind the hoop in which each team is trying to score. Because most backboards are made of plexiglass or tempered glass, they are also referred to as glass. The area close to the end of the court is also sometimes called the backboard. For example, a coach can tell a player to go to the backboard to make a rebound attempt.
• Assist – An assist is a pass of the ball to another player that results in a score. Historically, assists were any pass that precedes a score. Today, the definition is a bit stricter. The less action a player has to take to score after receiving the ball determines whether the pass was an assist or not.
• Force – Force refers to a player who takes a shot too early in the clock. This is called “forcing” a shot. It may also describe a scenario when the defence makes an opposing player move in a particular direction. For example, a defender may force an opposing player to dribble away from the basket.
• Walking – Walking or carrying the ball refers to a player taking too many steps without bouncing the ball. It can also literally refer to a player walking up or down the court while the ball is in play.

Where to Find Basketball Betting Websites?

There are lots of top sportsbook websites offering basketball betting markets for you to bet on NBA games. It isn’t difficult to find the top-rated bookmakers for basketball betting. There are loads of great resources comparing various aspects of each platform. Always make sure that any sportsbook you choose to use is reliable and trustworthy before entering personal information or making a deposit.

How to bet on basketball – Fast & Easy

Placing a bet on basketball is pretty easy, and we are here to prove it. We will use Stake as an example because it’s one of the best sites for this sport.

• Register and make your first deposit – Since we’re using Stake in this example, you must open the site using our link mentioned in this article, choose “Register”, and open your account. Once done, go to “Wallet” and verify your email address. Once done, choose “Deposit”, pick a payment gateway, and make that transaction.
• Go to the basketball options and choose the markets – After completing step 1, go to “Sports” and look for basketball. Stake will grant you a few options to choose from, including some of the most popular leagues, so check each one. Each league will have many matches, and the latter will offer numerous markets, so pick the most suitable alternatives.
• Placing the bet – After clicking on a given market, it will appear on the right side of your screen, which is the location of your bet slip. You have to choose your bet type (Single or Multi) and enter the amount you wish to bet with. Once done, click on the blue option located below.
• Done! – This is how to place a bet on basketball using Stake! The process is almost identical when using other betting websites.

An example of a real basketball bet

For our real-life basketball bet example, we’ve chosen Bwin. After selecting basketball from the list of options, you will find some of the top competitions. Naturally, we chose the NBA because it offers the most events and selections.

There were several big NBA games that were intriguing, but we chose the match between Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. Bwin offered several markets, but we chose the “Full Game” and wagered $50 on the Los Angeles Clippers to win. The odds for the team were 2.70, so winning this bet will pay out $135.

What Are the Most Popular Basketball Competitions?

Basketball has a wide variety of competitions across the globe, attracting millions of fans and bettors.

The following section will detail some of the most viewed and respected competitions in the sport.

NBA Betting – What Should You Know?

Before diving straight into basketball betting, there are a few essential aspects you should have an understanding of.

Short History and Facts

In 1891, a Canadian teacher at YMCA Training School decided to develop a game to keep students fit during winter. After several experiments, Dr James Naismith created the earliest version of modern basketball. At first, players scored into peach baskets that were nailed high on a wall. The referees had to fish out the ball after each score. Eventually, metal hoops and wooden backboards replaced the peach baskets.

The game soon spread to other American schools and universities. Today, over 47 million Americans are estimated to bet on the March Madness College Basketball tournament each year. More than 8.5 billion dollars are bet on the event. Collectively, the tournament exceeds the numbers generated by the Super Bowl.

Given those statistics for college basketball, it comes an as little surprise that the NBA Finals are among the most popular events to bet on in the world. In the state of Nevada alone, approximately 10 million dollars are wagered per game. 20 million viewers across the world tune in to watch the NBA Finals. Here are some exciting basketball facts you probably didn’t know:

• As inconceivable as it may sound, basketball was originally played using a soccer ball.
• The game was much shorter — two 15-minute halves, with a 5-minute half-time rest.
• The game was flexible enough to include every person to play, so each side had a default 9 players.
• Dribbling wasn’t allowed. Instead, players had to throw the ball from wherever they’d caught it.

Final Thoughts

Betting on basketball is like betting on any other sport in that knowledge and expertise will help guide your selections. The more clued up you are on the competition, betting markets, and selections, the more likely you will make value bets and turn a profit on your wagers. Become well-acquainted with all the relevant terms of the sport and the betting scene to better understand and make more informed decisions.

There are many resources and guides you can use online to help you become more adept at picking out strong bets. Learning through experience is perhaps the best way to develop your basketball betting skills. Keep an eye out for trends and evaluate each decision you make carefully.

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