For all bettors, there is the basic strategy that is essential for all sports. And then there are the specifics of the sports that mean that strategies need to be adapted. Basketball is a major sport in the US. Anglo-Saxon bookmakers offer as many types of bets, if not more, than we can have on football. For us, French punters, the offer is interesting and really vast. Between the European championships, the European cups and the sacrosanct NBA, without even mentioning the international competitions, there is enough to get lost in. Add the American time difference and betting on basketball becomes a real mess. A well thought-out strategy is a compass in this jungle. Obviously, the number of betting types goes hand in hand with the supply. To bet on basketball and win, you need to be well organised. Here are some strategic tips on how to maximise your winnings when betting on online sports betting sites.
Betting on basketball: making a choice
To maximise your winnings, you need to be able to make choices. It is not reasonable to follow all the championships. It would be time consuming. The dispersion of attention mechanically leads to the dispersion of the bankroll. We could talk about the expression “running several hares at once.” The level of information to digest just for the NBA, which emerges at 80 games out of the play-offs, is considerable.
A good prep session for, say, a dozen bets can take a few hours, so for bettors who want to play seriously, focus on a League or two with a drastic selection of games and bets. For beginners, it is necessary, or strongly advised, to choose simple bets to get the hang of it and not fall into another trap of this sport: statistics. We will come back to this later. One possibility to learn quickly while optimizing your chances of winning is to choose a team and follow it all season. When we say “focus on a team”, we do not mean “support a team”. This nuance means being able to bet against it when necessary. Whether it’s a franchise in the NBA or a European team, the goal is to understand the specifics of the league, the sport and the particulars of betting on it. Choosing a team is a bit like growing up with it and understanding basketball betting from the inside.
Betting on basketball online: Betting on the favourite
Just like your rugby betting, the favourite in basketball is a key factor. Surprises are relatively rare in this sport. To find them, the beginning of the season, when the teams are setting up, allows you to take advantage of good odds on the underdogs. In general, we advise you to bet on the favourites and not on teams whose odds are below 1.50.
Betting on the NBA and snubbing European basketball?
It seems obvious that this is a mistake. Being a fan never goes well with betting online. It’s not about who’s the best or not, it’s about taking every opportunity to win on a sport you’re passionate about. The NBA is for many the mecca of basketball even if you find fans who prefer European basketball which they feel is more about the collective than the individual. Don’t count on us to put our hand in this debate which looks like a bear trap. The NBA has the advantage of being very well followed and for English speakers finding information is a breeze. Paradoxically, European and even French basketball is less followed than the NBA. It is true that for those who bet on American sports, it is the most followed league in the world.
The disadvantage for bettors is that basketball is best enjoyed through live betting. And live NBA games are on at night in Europe. Which is quite prohibitive. The advantage of European basketball and the various European Cups is that you can see them without playing the night birds and thus take advantage of livebets at bookmakers approved by the ARJEL.
