NBA Vegas Odds
With games almost daily and shifting storylines, NBA betting odds move fast — but you can find the latest NBA Vegas odds updated in real-time right here:
NBA Vegas Odds Today
If you dig deep enough you’ll find options that will confuse experienced bettors, but NBA Vegas Odds tends to offer markets/lines on three things: Moneyline, Spread, and Over/Under. As you can see in the odds list above, these are presented using the American Odds format.
How Do American Odds Work?
With the American odds system, you’ll see a number displayed with either a + or – symbol in front of it.
‘Minus’ Symbol (Favorites)
If you see a – listed before the odds (e.g -150) then Vegas has determined that the outcome is more than likely to happen, otherwise known as a favorite.
The number listed is the $ amount you are required to wager to receive a $100 profit if your selection is successful.
Example Scenarios:
- If you wager $150 on a -150 favorite you will receive $250 in return. $150 is your stake returned, and the remaining $100 is your winnings.
- If you wager $100 on a -150 favorite then you will receive $166.67 in return. $100 is your stake returned, and the remaining $66.67 is your winnings.
‘Plus’ Symbol (Underdogs)
If you see a + symbol listed before the odds (e.g +150) then Vegas has determined that the outcome is less than likely to happen. This is also called an underdog or outsider bet.
Betting on underdogs works in a different way.
The number listed (e.g +150) is the amount you will receive if you wager $100 on the market and the selection is successful.
Example Scenario:
- If you wager $100 on a +150 outsider then you will receive $250 in return. $100 is your stake returned, and the remaining $150 is your winnings.
NBA Moneyline Betting With Vegas Odds
Moneyline betting in the NBA is the easiest market to understand. You place a wager on a team to win, and if they win the game then your stake and winnings are returned to you, if you lose then you lose your stake.
How Does NBA ‘Moneyline’ Work?
Almost every game will see a favorite and an underdog selection. For this reason, money line betting is not always popular in games that are expected to be one-sided, as the return on your stake for backing a heavy favorite is small.
As an example, in Game Six of the NBA Finals last year – The Warriors were +160 underdogs to win the game, so if you placed a $100 wager on Golden State to win, the return including stake would’ve been $260.
Does Moneyline include overtime in the NBA?
Yes, it does. If your selection wins the game via OT then your wager is still successful.
What Does the Spread Mean in NBA Betting?
The spread is designed to offer a points handicap in a game for the favorite, this then results in the betting odds being almost identical for both teams.
You will see the spread listed as a number, usually, with a decimal point (e.g 4.5) This is the number of points that the favorite will need to win by to cover the spread, while the underdog needs to either win the game or lose by less than the spread number to cover.
Example Scenario from NBA Finals game 6:
The Spread total for the game was set at 3.5 points. As Golden State won the game they were the winning spread selection.
Can the Spread Total Change?
Yes, the spread line can and will change in the build-up to a game, however, you will receive the spread total at the time of your wager.
The total can change for a number of reasons. If an increased number of bettors pick the same selection then Vegas will move the line to encourage wagers on the opposite selection. It’s also possible that key players could be injured or other factors can result in the spread total moving.
NBA Over/Under Betting
Betting on the over/under total means the outcome of the game is irrelevant, you are simply placing a wager on how many points will be scored in a game.
How Does Over/Under Work in NBA Betting?
Similarly to the spread, a total will be set by the sportsbook before the game (e.g 211.5 points). If you place a wager on the ‘over’ market and 212 points or more are scored, then your selection is successful.
If you place a wager on the ‘under’ market and 210 points or less are scored then your selection is successful
Can the Over/Under Total Change in NBA Betting?
Similar to the spread example, the over/under line can and will change in the build-up to a game. Again this could be the result of the majority of bettors making the same selection, or it could also be the result of injury news or other factors.
Does the Over/Under in NBA Betting Include Overtime?
Usually yes. There are examples of sportsbooks explicitly stating that all bets include overtime unless otherwise stated, so you will usually find that overtime is included in the points total for under/over wagers.
As this results in more game time to score points, a game going to OT does offer an advantage to wagers on the ‘over’ market.
