Best NBA Prop Bets - Today's Top NBA Picks

Comparing the two teams is the first thing you should do before placing the props bet. You should check out previous encounters of the teams, whether they are on a winning or losing streak, whether their star players are in form, etc.

Additionally, it’s wise to see how they want to play, whether one team focuses on offense or defense, and how well the opposing team can cope with their style of play.

For example, if you want to place a props bet on the Nuggets vs. Heat game, you should be aware that the Nuggets are in red-hot form at the moment, plus the last six times these teams met, the Nuggets came down victorious.

Each NBA team throughout the regular season has to play 82 games. Knowing the schedule of the teams can be a great advantage when placing props bets, especially right at the end of the regular season. This is when teams are either pushing for a playoff spot or don’t have any chances to get into the playoffs, so they won’t be at their best. With a tight schedule, some teams can play 3 games in a span of 4 days. This is when teams like to rest their star players or give them a limited time of minutes.

For example, let’s say that the Portland Trailblazers statistically can’t get into a playoff spot, and they have 6 games until the end of the season. Their star player Damian Lillard will certainly get a limited amount of minutes, and if the schedule is packed, he might not even start some games. This is when you would swoop in and place team or game props bets against the Trailblazers.

While assessing the teams is key, you should also pay close attention to player match-ups. If you want to place various NBA player props, you should consider players’ experience, current form, and whom they are going up against.

For example, the Golden State Warriors are playing the Detroit Pistons, and if we take a look at the point guard position, most likely, Stephan Curry will go up against either Killian Hayes or Cade Cunningham.

If we take a look at the players’ experience, Curry has been in the league for 13 years, has won multiple NBA championships, and is regarded as one of the best point guards in history, let alone today. On the other hand, Hayes and Cunningham have both been in the league for two seasons and while they might be good, they are likely to struggle against Curry.

Best bets are types of wagers which can correspond to a special game or part of the season. Most of the time, platforms will have dedicated tabs just for best-bet wagers. The types of bets that you can find can range from regular money lines, totals, spreads, and even futures or parlays.

In basketball, there are a few special games that are played during the regular season and later in the NBA playoffs. Online bookmakers will certainly have the best bets for Christmas games, played by the more dominant and popular teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Warriors, etc.

Also the All-Star Break is also a huge event, where most platforms will have best bets for the Three-point competition, Dunk Contest, and the All-Star Game. Finally, you will always have the best bets setup for the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.

Parlays are a type of bet where two or more wagers have been placed. Parlays are offered for players who want to combine smaller wagers into one. Single-game parlays and multi-game parlays are available at all of the top US online bookmakers.

Suppose you want to make a parlay bet on the Grizzlies and the Pelicans. In that case, you can place multiple smaller bets such as total points scored by each team, place a moneyline bet, will Desmond Bane get 3+ three-pointers, will Zion Williamson get 20+points, will the Grizzlies outscore the Pelicans in the first half, etc.

Parlay bets are harder and riskier because you need to get every single outcome right in the bet in order to win.

When it comes to points spread bets, the goal is to predict the margin of victory that one team will beat the other. The bookmakers will have a certain margin set for the favorites and underdogs.

Let’s take the matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. Many online sports betting sites will have the Nuggets as favorites and give them a -8.5. This means if you place a spread bet on the Nuggets, they will have to win the game by at least 9 points. However, if the game ends and the Nuggets win by a lower points difference than 8, you’ll have a losing bet.

Many online sportsbooks avoid placing spreads with whole numbers because players would be entitled to get their wager back if the exact win margin occurs. Placing decimals gives two outcomes, either the player wins or loses.

Moneylines are the easiest and simplest bets that you can place. All bettors have to do is pick a team that will win the game. This is a type of bet where you need to know which team is the favorite and which team is the underdog. However, remember that upsets are common in the NBA, and placing bets on the favorites all the time isn’t wise.

For example, the Denver Nuggets are playing the Miami Heat in the NBA finals, and Denver Nuggets are deemed the favorite for the matchup. If you place a $10 moneyline bet on the Heat, which have a +295 odds to beat the Nuggets, you will get a payout of $39.50. On the other hand, if you place a $10 moneyline bet on the Nuggets to win, which has a -360 odds, you will get a payout of $12.77.

Totals bets require players to predict the number of points that will be scored in the game. Commonly known as the over/under bet, you can place various total bets regarding NBA games. Bookmakers will have placed a total number, and you can choose whether it will be under or over.

For example, the game total for the Nuggets vs. Heat game is 209. You, as a bettor, can choose whether the game total will be over or under. Usually, the game total will have -110 for both over and under outcomes. Other types of totals that can be available for an NBA game are total team points, total first-half points, total first-quarter points, etc.

Also, there can be combined total points bets; for example, in the Nuggets vs. Heat game, you can bet on whether Jamal Murray and Bam Adebayo will have under 29.5 combined total points or over 60.6 combined total points.

A futures bet is a wager that most players place before the start of an NBA season. These types of bets can be about who will win the Western and Eastern Conference Finals, who will win the All-Star Game, the NBA Finals, who will be regular season MVP, Finals MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Players of the Year, Most Improved Player, etc.

When it comes to winning the NBA Finals, the previous winners will always get the best odds before the start of the season unless some major changes happen to the roster. While the Rookie of the Year best odds will most likely be for the player that comes 1st pick in the NBA Draft.

The odds are the first and most important factor determining whether the best props bet is good or not. We check out all of the prop bet odds that can have the highest value to the bettor. Besides the odds, we also consider the schedule, the upcoming matchups, the form of each team and their individual players, and how all of them can affect the bettors’ outcome.

Getting the most out of props bets is all about timing. While you may be confident about the bet, you should always wait for the right time when the odds are optimal for you. Also, the amount you are wagering is important as well. You must be careful and stay within your budget if you want a positive outcome.

Lastly, bonuses and sign-up offers can be a massive boost for players when placing props bets. Many top US betting sites offer new players welcome perks or sign-up offers which provide extra cash. Others will offer second-chance bonuses, which will give back the amount you have wagered if your bet loses.

However, players should always read through the bonus terms and conditions no matter how good the bonus looks. This will give you information about wagering requirements, the time to use the bonuses, and whether winnings from free bets can be withdrawn later without any requirements.

One of the ways you can ensure a safe gambling experience is by setting a daily, weekly, or even yearly budget. This way, you will know exactly when to spot if you have come close to your set budget. If you stay behind the line, even on a losing streak, you can still have a positive betting experience.

Every top-tier US online betting site will have tools on the official website or mobile app which you can use to limit your sports betting. You can set daily, weekly, and monthly deposit or loss limits, cool-off periods, or even deactivate your betting account for any set time. You can join third-party organizations, which will prohibit you from entering or registering on online sports betting sites.

No matter where or how you research a specific NBA game or if you have read some predictions online, you need to know that there are no guarantees for sports betting. There isn’t a betting strategy that doesn’t involve some form of risk. Losing will always be part of sports betting, and the sooner you understand, the better the experience you will have.