From opening night in October to the Finals in June, there are NBA Vegas odds available almost every night of the week. With 1,230 regular season games and a playoff run that lasts two months, basketball bettors are never short of something to get on.
But fans of more than a third of the league’s teams live in states without legal US sportsbooks, including California, Texas, and Georgia. That’s why so many basketball bettors turn to offshore sportsbooks, which accept players from all 50 states and cover every game, every night.
Below, we’ll show you the best NBA betting sites, how to sign up, and exactly how to bet on basketball, from moneylines and spreads to totals and parlays.
Best NBA Betting Sites
To bet on the NBA, you need a sportsbook that covers every game and accepts players from your state. These are our top five NBA betting sites, all of which offer fully functional mobile sites, so you can bet from your phone without downloading an app:
Sportsbook ratings
BetWhale
RegionsCanadaUnited States
Crypto Bonus200% up to $6000
Minimum deposit$20
BetOnline
RegionsAustraliaCanadaUnited States
No Strings Welcome Offer50% up to $250
Minimum deposit$10 Crypto
BetUS
RegionsCanadaUnited States
Welcome Bonus125% up to $2500
Minimum deposit$100
Lucky Rebel
RegionsCanadaUnited States
Welcome Bonus125% Free + 50 Free Spins
Minimum deposit$50
BetAnything
RegionsCanadaUnited States
Free Play100% up to $500
Minimum deposit$20
How to Bet on NBA Games Online
With games tipping off almost every evening, it pays to have your account ready to go before you need it. The whole process takes a few minutes.
Pick a sportsbook from our top five and click “claim now.” Fill in your details on the sign-up page, create your login, and take a look at the welcome offer while you’re there, since many bonuses are tied to your first deposit.
Then head to the cashier to fund your account. Cards and crypto are both widely accepted at offshore books, and crypto is usually the quickest way to get money in and out.
PRO TIP: NBA lines can move fast when injury news breaks, so having funds already sitting in your account means you can jump on a number before it changes.
How to Place a Bet on an NBA Game
Once your account is funded, it’s time to learn how to bet on basketball. Head to the basketball section and select NBA. Every game comes with three main betting options, and some sportsbooks offer a fourth.
For this example, we’ve used the odds for an opening week game between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers at BetWhale:
Moneyline
An NBA moneyline bet is simply picking which team will win the game. Unlike the NFL, NBA games can’t end in a tie. Overtime keeps going until there’s a winner, so there are no pushes to worry about.
Here, the Knicks are the favorites at -213, and the 76ers are the underdogs at +162. A $100 wager would win:
Knicks (-213): $46.95
76ers (+162): $162
Your stake is returned on top of your winnings, so a winning $100 bet on the 76ers would pay back $262 in total.
3-Way Moneyline (1×2)
Some sportsbooks, including BetWhale, also offer a 3-way moneyline. This is settled on the result after regulation time only, so there’s a third option: a draw.
Knicks (-208): $48.08
Draw (+1400): $1,400
76ers (+180): $180
Draws after 48 minutes are rare in the NBA, which is why the price is so big. The 3-way market also pays a little more on the 76ers than the standard moneyline, since they now need to win without the help of overtime.
Spread
The spread is where most NBA betting happens. The favorite gives up a set number of points, and the underdog gets them.
Here, the Knicks are 5.5-point favorites:
Knicks (-5.5): Your bet wins if the Knicks win by six points or more.
76ers (+5.5): Your bet wins if the 76ers win the game, or lose by five points or fewer.
A $100 bet on the Knicks at -110 would win $90.91, and a $100 bet on the 76ers at -118 would win $84.75.
So if the Knicks win 115-111, a moneyline bet on New York wins, but so does a spread bet on Philadelphia.
Key numbers matter much less in basketball than in football, because points come in ones, twos, and threes. That makes NBA spreads smoother, and a half-point makes less difference here than it does in the NFL.
Total (Over/Under)
Totals betting is about the combined score, no matter who wins. NBA totals are much higher than in football. This one is set at 231.5 points.
Over 231.5 (-115): Your bet wins if the teams combine for 232 points or more.
Under 231.5 (-112): Your bet wins if they combine for 231 or fewer.
Because the line ends in .5, there’s no chance of a push. In our 115-111 example, the 226 total points would make the under a winner.
How to Place an NBA Parlay Bet
If you want to bet on more than one game, you can combine your picks into a parlay. The odds multiply with every leg you add, so a small stake can return a big payout. The catch is that every pick has to win, or the whole bet loses.
To build one, click the odds for each pick you want, and they’ll be added to your bet slip. Then select the parlay option (some sportsbooks call it a “combo”) and enter your stake.
For this example, we’ve combined three spread bets from opening week:
- Philadelphia 76ers (+5.5, -118) vs. New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+2.5, -115) vs. San Antonio Spurs
- Boston Celtics (+1.5, -110) vs. Detroit Pistons
Together, those three picks pay +577. A $100 parlay would return $677.28 in total, which is $577.28 profit plus your original stake. If any one of those teams fails to cover, though, the full $100 is lost.
Some sportsbooks also offer parlay boosts, which add a bonus on top of your winnings, often getting bigger the more legs you add. It’s worth checking for these before you place a parlay.
To compare, here’s the same $100 split into three $33.33 single bets:
If all three win, you’d make $87.66 profit, a lot less than the parlay. But if one pick lets you down, you still come out ahead:
- 76ers lose, the other two win: $26.00 profit
- Thunder lose, the other two win: $25.33 profit
- Celtics lose, the other two win: $24.00 profit
Because all three bets are priced around the same odds, two winners out of three is enough to turn a profit, whichever one loses. That’s the trade-off: singles give you a safety net, while a parlay gives you a much bigger payout for taking on more risk.
When to Bet on the NBA
Timing matters more in basketball than in almost any other sport, mainly because of injury news.
- The night before and the morning of: Lines for each game usually go up the day before. If you like a side early, this is often when you’ll get the best number.
- Injury reports: Teams file injury reports ahead of each game, but a star player’s status often isn’t confirmed until shootaround or shortly before tip-off. When a big name is ruled out, lines can move several points in minutes.
- Back-to-backs: Teams playing their second game in two nights are more likely to rest key players, especially later in the season. It’s always worth checking the schedule before you bet.
Why Use Offshore Sites to Bet on the NBA?
For NBA fans in large parts of the country, US sportsbooks simply aren’t an option.
California is home to four NBA teams: the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Kings. Texas has three more in the Mavericks, Rockets, and Spurs. Neither state has legal US sportsbooks. Add Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Utah, and fans of 11 NBA teams can’t use apps like DraftKings or FanDuel at home.
In Florida, home of the Heat and the Magic, bettors can use only one legal sportsbook, which means one set of odds and no way to compare prices.
Offshore sportsbooks accept players from all 50 states and cover every NBA game, market, and prop. With a game almost every night, having accounts at a couple of sites also means you can shop around for the best line every time.
NBA Betting FAQs
How do I bet on basketball?
Sign up with an online sportsbook, fund your account, then head to the basketball section and pick a game. From there, you can bet on the moneyline, spread, or total, or combine picks into a parlay. The NBA is the most popular basketball league to bet on, but offshore sites also cover college basketball, the WNBA, and international leagues like the EuroLeague.
What’s the best site to bet on the NBA?
BetOnline is our top pick for NBA betting, with lines on every game and a huge range of markets. BetUS, MyBookie, Lucky Rebel, and BetWhale are all strong alternatives, and all five accept players from every state.
Can I bet on the NBA from any state?
Yes, with offshore sportsbooks. All five of our recommended sites accept players from all 50 states, including California, Texas, and Georgia, where US apps like DraftKings and FanDuel aren’t available.
Can I bet on the NBA live?
Yes. The NBA is one of the best sports for live betting, with odds updating after almost every possession. You can bet on the spread, total, and moneyline as the game unfolds, as well as individual quarters.
How do I bet on the NBA Finals and MVP?
Head to the futures section of your sportsbook, where you’ll find odds on the NBA champion, MVP, and other awards. These markets are open all season, and betting early usually gets you a much higher price on a contender.