WHAT IS AN NBA PROP BET?
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this particular branch of sports betting and see if we can’t help you wrangle a bit more profit out of your wagers during this exciting NBA season.
NBA player props concern themselves with statistical performances rather than traditional win/lose type bets. They often come with more appealing odds too and can be part of a small group of outcomes that are tied together and the potential winning accumulate accordingly.
The most popular prop bets that NBA bettors make tend to revolve around the number of points, rebounds, or assists that a given player will achieve in a particular game.
This is most commonly done in an ‘under/over’ style where the bet is that the player in question will finish with either over or under the number of each stat specified.
It is also possible to wager on a player’s performance where there is an over/under line that takes into account a player’s total combined number of points, assists, and rebounds.
The Jump Hub is not only focused on the NBA. Here we take a look at some of The Best NCAA Basketball Teams to know which teams to keep your eye on during March Madness!
NBA PROP BETS ARE NOT LIMITED TO INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
It is perfectly possible to carry the concept over to a team’s collective performance and employ the same tactics and rules.
The actual outcome of the game might be of little consequence to the bet.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR INJURED OR RESTED PLAYERS
If you are considering making a bet on the result of an NBA game or making player prop bets then it always pays to check the teams beforehand for absences, injuries, suspensions, or any other news.
This is especially important in recent times, as situations are prone to last-minute change, and keeping up with the latest player news is as important as ever in terms of prop bets.
One of the issues that can come up when you are betting on NBA teams is when a coach rests a star player your whole betting strategy can go up in smoke.
It is, of course, common for coaches to rest athletes in almost all professional sports. But the impact per game can be particularly significant in basketball.
Because there are only ever 5 players on the court at any given moment, basketball is more susceptible to being affected by the performance of just 1 player.
THIS WORKS BOTH WAYS
There are countless examples of one big man dragging a team to victory almost single-handed.
When you’re making NBA prop bets, the team form is not necessarily the key factor.
It all depends on what kind of bet you go for.
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STUDY PAST PLAYER PERFORMANCES
One sensible tactic when approaching any NBA player prop bets is to study the form.
How have individual players been performing in their last seven games?
Are they flying high with assists and accumulating decent points or stagnating and fighting for a run of decent form?
Look at a player’s stats in comparison to their previous seasons, or those of players in their position of the same team the previous season if they are a newcomer.
Are they stronger against certain teams and good at holding opponents to low scores?
Do they fall short when facing teams that play in a certain style?
Have you noticed that the opposing centers often cancel each other out and struggle to reach double-digits in one category or another?
Are they more likely to score against teams with small forwards or slow, but physical sides?
DO THIS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS
Soak up as much data as you can and hopefully some patterns and trends may start to emerge and assist your NBA prop betting prowess.
This is not something that you can just glance at on the night and suddenly everything will fall into place. Instinct certainly plays its part when employing a prop bet strategy, but you need to feed that instinct with information and trends that it can digest and come to conclusions on.
Base your NBA betting picks on a combination of your gut and your head.
IT’S FOR YOU TO DECIDE WHERE THE OPTIMUM RATIO LIES.
FIND YOURSELF REPUTABLE SPORTSBOOKS THAT YOU LIKE
Most modern online gambling sites will offer NBA prop bets.
You might even get a couple of free bets if you’re a new customer.
It’s better to put wagers on NBA teams that you are intimately familiar with if possible and try to hit as many ‘sure thing’ bets as you can.
Yes, we know that in reality there is no such thing, but there are some outcomes that you can almost guarantee.
They won’t pay huge dividends per game, but will help you to build a platform of cash and confidence to build from and make some more adventurous prop bets as you move forwards.
The NBA slate is extremely busy as teams play each other so often, so take your time and don’t jump headlong into anything until you feel ready.
There’s always someone dribbling a ball somewhere so there’s no rush.
HOW TO BET ON PLAYERS’ INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS IN-GAME
Prop betting is somewhat more of an art form when putting your money on a specific action or outcome in an NBA game.
These actions range from the total points that individual players will accrue, to how many rebounds per game they will take.
In fact, it’s probably possible to place a prop bet on any of the established stats that we use when discussing all things NBA, and if you want to throw a 20 at Mo Bamba taking more than his standard 4 defensive ball rebounds per game then there will be a gambling website somewhere that will take you up on most of your chosen wagers.
Before you bet, check out all the best odds at different sportsbooks and check out which bets they have on offer.
Odds do vary and you want to make sure you’re getting the best ones possible to squeeze out any extra money that you can when they hopefully come in.
One area in which we provide odds and analysis is the race for the NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player).
RECOGNIZE IF YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM
If you think that you might have a gambling problem then please seek help.
Sports betting can be incredibly exciting and life-affirming at times. But tales of lives that have been ruined by out-of-control gambling are all-too-many and are always so tragically avoidable.
Start with this mantra and never let it go:
NEVER BET MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE
FINAL THOUGHTS
Statistically, it is more difficult to wager NBA player prop bets on the actions of certain individuals than it is to simply pick a team and see who wins.
But that’s where the beauty of prop bets lies over straight bets.
AND THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE SOME MONEY
If you are canny and do the requisite amount of homework then there’s a chance that you can find the best NBA site and some tasty odds to put your money on.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU GO FOR LINE BETS.
The National Basketball Association offers a plethora of facts and figues to pore over all night if you so desire.
It is essential that you know the sport intimately to pull this off, and prop bets are not for your casual sports fan who wants to put a cheeky bet on at the weekend for entertainment purposes.
PLACING BETS IS EASY, BUT YOU MAY NEED TO HAVE STRUGGLED MIGHTILY TO GET THERE…
It’s for the stat nerds like the team here at The Jump Hub who absorb every detail and number across a whole NBA season so that they can and try to translate that into a winning formula.
Our expert NBA betting picks are based on countless hours staring at basketball stats.
