The NBA is one of the four major sporting organizations in the US. However, out of the four of them, the NBA is the easiest to get into. The NBA’s trends are easy to understand, and most of the matchups are also easy to handicap. However, these traits can be a double-edged sword for bettors. Due to its predictability, bookies tend to be spot on with their opening lines.
Still, it doesn’t change the fact the NBA can be a very profitable betting environment if you know how to navigate your way in it. One of the most important things to learn in the NBA is to know how the lines are made and how to read them. With this skill, you easily notice soft lines that you can take advantage of for more profits.
Not only that, by spotting irregularities in the lines, you can also avoid countless pitfalls like not getting the most out of your bet and not being able to bet against the public. If you want to polish your betting skills in basketball betting, then you’re in the right place. We will be talking about tips regarding how to better plan your bets and how to make the most out of your money.
Keep Track of Injuries and Resting Players
Being updated with the games is very helpful not only as a fan but also as a bettor. Sometimes, NBA teams engage in load management where they hold off some of their star players to keep them in condition until the right time arrives. Load management can affect the betting market severely.
Injuries can also affect the betting market since it keeps injured players from playing. These things happen as basketball is a contact sport, after all.
Information is key if you want to keep track of which players will be on hold during a game. However, keeping track can be quite challenging for resting players since their participation in a specific game can be changed at any time. If you’re quicken updates, you can get ahead of books.
For example, if you know that there is a huge possibility that LeBron will be ruled out in a game, you can also expect the lines to move for 4 to 5 points. If you’re fast enough, you can take advantage of this situation by betting before the line changes.
Find Shaded Lines
“Line Shading,” as people call it, is a term referring to when a bookie anticipates that heavy betting action will happen on one side of a matchup, thus prompting it to move the opening betting line towards that side of the matchup. Line shading can be hard to spot since it can go as small as one point and typically three at most.
For example, the Boston Celtics are going on a winning streak in the regular season and are getting a lot of media attention. That said, a lot of bettors will start considering betting on them on their next game, making the bets pouring in for them. To avoid a one-sided betting action, the books will respond by inflating the Celtics’ point to cover by three points. Instead of the Celtics covering only (-9) in the game, they will be covering (-11).
You can then use this information to your advantage. One thing you can do is to bet against the shaded line and bet on the underdog. The line has already swung against the bettors, and it would be a waste not to bet against them.
Fading the Public
This is a common tactic and is a part of many betting guides made by professional bettors. We can’t blame them, though, as this tactic can easily win you a lot of money if you’re lucky enough. Remember that the books are there to make money, and they do so by making their public pay high enough for their consensus.
Going with public perception is not a bad strategy per se, but the public is not right every time. Not only that but going with the flow can be costly over time. That said, you have to embrace being a contrarian bettor if you want to have the big bucks.
Betting against the public is a good strategy since not only is it profitable, it can also help you spot irregularities in the lines and public betting trends. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to wager against the public all the time. That said, always check if the team against the public consensus can cover the spread or if they have any chance of winning at all.
Takeaway
If you want to make it big in sports betting, research is your ultimate weapon. By having the right information and being updated in all news regarding the sport, you can adjust your bets accordingly and give yourself a better chance of winning. Perseverance and vigilance are key. Don’t pass up any soft lines, and always keep your eyes open for inflated point spreads.
