Shopping NBA money lines at multiple sportsbooks is the easiest thing to do to win more bets. Most of the money wagered daily on NBA games is on the point spread between the sides and the total line for the final combined score.
Betting the NBA through an online sportsbook’s money line odds is a third option that should be part of every bettor’s overall strategy.
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Shopping NBA Money Lines
For many US players, there are two main choices when it comes to betting on any sport or sporting event online. If you are in a state that offers online sports betting, you can choose between a small group of US online books.
These bookmaking venues remain rather limited in their overall offerings.
Another issue with US-based online books is the lack of consistency from one state to the next. Specific rules and regulations also limit what any US book can offer in terms of betting options.
Offshore sportsbooks such as the ones based in Costa Rica are still the best way to bet on the games. They offer a highly sophisticated online betting platform that is reliable, safe and easy to use. They also have advanced mobile betting capabilities to accept bets from any handheld device with internet access.
Offshore Books Always Have Sharp Lines
The main reason for betting the games at an offshore sportsbook with an online site is competitive betting lines. These books do not face the same restrictions that US books have to work around. They are not burdened down with a heavy tax rate on their gaming revenue.
Given a much lower cost structure, the offshore books can pass the savings onto their betting customers through their betting board. A perfect example of these savings can be found in money line odds.
When you are betting on basketball, there’s a lot to look at, but we’re here to help.
Turning to the NBA, with the regular season in full swing, you can find one or two excellent betting opportunities on a money line pretty much every day of the week. NBA money lines provide huge value.
The odds on a money line wager are based on a straight-up result between the favorite and the underdog. You will have to risk more money to bet on the favorite and you can boost your return by going with the underdog.
Shopping NBA Money Lines for Better Value
While there are bound to be a few mismatches in the NBA, many of the daily games have point spreads of five points or less. This translates to money line odds that still offer value betting the favorite. They also offer a solid return on investment when betting underdogs.
Since every online book sets their own money line odds, it is easy to find the best value across the board by shopping the numbers.
Many avid sports bettors will have an online betting account at multiple sportsbooks. This makes it easy to shop the money line at those betting sites. Even if you only work with one online book, it still makes sense to shop the lines to make sure you are getting the best value possible.
The Instant Value of Line Shopping
Below is a book by book comparison of the money line odds for an actual NBA game.
Book A
Boston Celtics -120
Indiana Pacers +100
Book B
Boston Celtics -115
Indiana Pacers -105
Book C
Boston Celtics -118
Indiana Pacers -102
In this game, Boston was listed as a slight one-point road favorite at all three books.
If you wanted to bet the Celtics straight-up, Book B offers the best money line value at -115.
Given just how close this matchup is with Indiana playing at home, the best overall bet would be the Pacers at even-money 100 odds at Book A.
I hope this explains why shopping NBA money lines is a strategy that will pay instant dividends. Take a look at our trusted online sportsbooks, and get betting smarter.