Basketball is undoubtedly one of the most renowned and popular sports in the world, alongside football, tennis, and American football. Millions of fans worldwide tune in to basketball competitions and matches to see their favorite players and teams in action and show their skills against other fellow players. There are many championships, tournaments, and competitions in which basketball players, newcomers, veterans, and icons compete with each other. These tournaments include the Grand Slam, the Euroleague, the Olympic games, college matches, the Basketball World Cup, and the most famous American NBA. If you are excited about testing your luck, try these new betting sites.
Basketball has been regarded for many years as a purely American sport. However, the age of American hegemony over the sport might have finally come to an end. There have been an increasing number of players worldwide whose talents have been putting new records and achievements in the game. This shows that basketball is not exclusively American anymore and that millions of people are engaged and fascinated with it.
Regarding betting, many basketball fans are keen on making money from their favorite sport. After all, what can be better than enjoying a pint with your mates at the local pub while watching a good basketball match and making some money? If you are a newcomer to the gambling world, there are still many things you might be unfamiliar with regarding how betting functions.
Perhaps you are confused about the meaning of returns in gambling. Maybe you do not know how to properly calculate and understand the best odds available to you or how to make the biggest returns on your bets over basketball matches. If that is the case, then this article is for you.
Meaning of Return and How Odds are Showcased
The meaning of the term ‘‘returns’’ when talking about gambling is quite an easy concept to understand. In betting, a return is the amount gained from the bet placed and is calculated from the odds given once possible deductions or commissions are calculated.
To properly understand and know what odds will allow you to win more return money, the next step is to properly understand the three main types of betting odds in existence. There are fractional odds, decimal odds, and money line odds. These three different types of odds are used to convey the same odds and hold no difference regarding returns.
The fractional odds are popular and mainly used in the UK and Ireland, giving them the name ‘British odds’. Odds are typically expressed with the use of hyphens or slashes. A six-to-one odds could also be showcased as 6/1 odds. In this case, betting £1 and winning would earn £6 plus the amount wagered, making it £7.
Decimal odds are much more prevalent in continental Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The decimal odd represents the amount won for every dollar, euro, or pound wagered. If team A has 4.00 odds of winning whereas team B has 1.3 odds, then the odds favour team B as the favourite and team A as the underdog.
Regarding money line odds, they are most popularly found in the USA. The favoured team considered most likely to win is represented with a minus sign on the money line, and the underdog is represented with a plus sign. Using $100 as a standard betting unit, odds of +200 would mean that the bettor would wage $100, hoping to win $200 plus the original amount bet, putting it at a total of $300.
On the contrary, a bet of -150 using $100 as the standard betting unit would mean that the bettor would need to bet $150 to win $100 plus the $150 put initially, making it $250.
Tips to Increase Returns in Basketball
When it comes to sports betting in basketball, there are certain aspects that you must acknowledge if you are to make the greatest amount of benefit from your bets.
1: Pay attention to how a basketball team scores most of their points. Winning teams are often those that focus on scoring in the paint rather than beyond the arc.
2: Check the team’s schedule and pay attention to which basketball team will likely be less fatigued on the day of the match. It is also essential to look closely at how long each team has to travel and what point it is in their season. The later in the season, the more you should consider it.
3: A popular betting strategy is to pay close attention to teams that remain in a favoured position after a big loss. This usually translates into a talented team that can afford a blowout loss and seek to recover after a great one.
4: Regardless of the sport, teams do not look forward to losing on their home turf. They are more likely to spread when they are the big underdogs at home, as basketball teams tend to cover the spread at home.
5: Check out what sports and punter experts say rather than betting based solely on team popularity. Pay close attention to how the betting line moves and why that is. Make smart choices based on logical reasoning and strategic knowledge of how the betting lines move. Do not forget to consider that even though the public usually votes with their heart, that does not mean they are always wrong.
6: Keep both eyes open when you are looking to vote for your favourite team and players. Always keep a cool head and look at all reasonable possibilities with objectivity. Also, be careful not to get caught up with fanciful stories of underdogs beating the odds, and make your picks objectively.
7: Through your knowledge, determine how you think the teams will do and what the spread should be before looking at the bookmaker. This would ensure your opinion is not influenced solely by the bookmaker’s odds.
8: Check injury reports and rosters before ultimately making a wager.
