Basketball Handicap Prediction
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Today, basketball as we know it; is an interesting game that provides betting enthusiasts with a fun way to make some decent profit. It is an easy sport for even the most casual sports fans to grasp the rules and regulations. Handicap betting can be a valuable option when in a basketball match, one of the teams is heavily favored over their opponent. As you may already know, handicap betting also goes by a variety of names, including Asian handicap, spread betting, line betting, and points betting. Bookmakers offer the handicap betting to counter the perceived bias in ability and level the playing field.
There are two main ways through which a handicap can work: either the favorite has points taken off their tally or the underdog is given extra hypothetical points at game start. This tends to even out the odds while making betting on uneven matches more competitive. With handicap betting, the player also gets a chance for higher odds or to turn a risky bet into a safer one. And as you may already know, the best way to maximize your sports betting profits is to analyze matches beforehand and use reliable betting tips. Jimmy, from Boyds Bets, says that for basketball picks to work best, you have to be sure you’re getting them from a reliable provider. And to ensure that they’re not only in it for the money, the tips provider should also provide free ones that in turn can make you profit.
As you search for the best betting tips, however, here is a brief overview of what handicap basketball betting is all about.
Digging Deeper
Real-world example
To explain handicap betting in action, let’s take an example of a real-world bet. Let’s say the match is between GS Warriors versus LA Lakers. The handicap bet could be offered as a ‘Handicap- including Overtime’ bet, meaning you are predicting that the Warriors will win by a margin of at least 6 points (-5.5) or that the Lakers will not lose by more than 5 points (+5.5). The handicap basketball betting number often displayed as either – or + a figure, such as the ones in the example, is factored into the final match results to determine the winner of the bet. You win the bet if you placed your handicap bet on the Warriors and they win, say by 7 points. Likewise, if the Lakers lose by not more than five points, you’ll still be a winner. At times, the handicap outcome is entirely different from the true result of the game.
Understanding the odds
An example of how the outcome could be different from the true result of the game: Let us take a game between the Rockets and Indiana, with the following odds – Rockets: (+6.5) 2.0, Indiana: (-6.5)1.8. To interpret the odds, it simply means that the odds of the Rockets to win the game while starting with 6.5 extra points is 2.0 while for Indiana to win with 6.5 fewer points is 1.8. Now, if Indiana won the match (90-86), any wager on their handicap would lose. This is because, for the purpose of this bet, Indiana started with 6.5 fewer points, thus the bookmakers will have to deduct 6.5 points from the final results, making it (83.5-86) to the Rockets’ favor. If Indiana had won (90-80), the adjusted outcome, according to the handicap would be (93.5-80), which means that they would still have won the wager and any placed bet on them would be a winner. Not only can you bet on the full-time result, but you can also apply the handicap bet to the end of the first quarter, halftime, and also the third quarter of the match. This flexibility allows you to have plenty of options to choose from while also increasing your chances of winning. If you feel that the team you are backing starts bright, but then tends to fade as the game nears the end, you can bet on the first quarter or opt for the halftime bet.
Basketball betting
In betting, some rules have to be followed for your bet to be valid and celebrate your well-earned payday. Some common rules on most betting platforms include:
- For bets to stand, at least 35 minutes of the gameplay must have elapsed.
- Unless otherwise stated, betting on the game may include overtime scores.
- Overtime doesn’t count in bets placed in the fourth quarter or towards the half-time or full-time result.
- Unless stated before a competition, matches must take place on the stipulated date, at the planned location for the bet to be valid.
- Matches must be played on the stipulated dates for wagers to be valid. For any rescheduled matches played on the same day at a different time, the wagers will be valid; however, if a match is rescheduled for a different date, all wagers will be null and void.
Free Basketball Predictions
Basketball betting is a popular market in sports betting, which is also fun and straight forward. And among the many betting options it provides, handicap basketball betting is a great way to manage risks in your betting portfolio. Due to the rise in the popularity of basketball, there are many competitions around the world. From the continent-wide Euro League to the Asia League, which is steadily growing, and the NBA, which is the mother of them all your market options are endless when it comes to handicapping basketball betting.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Editors of Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Book. Sports Illustrated, 2007.
Basketball Handicap Predictions
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As a sport, basketball is extremely popular which is why almost all bookmakers offer markets for it. When it comes to betting on it, basketball handicap markets are among the most popular bet types.
We are going to share important information on handicap betting and explain basketball handicap betting in detail
In the following guide, we follow this Basketball Handicap Betting guide and we take a closer look at sportsbook providers that offer basketball betting markets. Additionally, we will compare bookmakers and the bonuses they offer when it comes to this betting type.
Most basketball bets are placed on the NBA which means basketball handicap bets offered by bookmakers are mostly about the NBA. On top of that, these US-based matches come with the highest odds.
Basketball Handicap Markets at a Sportsbook
Bookies are not offering handicap bets only on basketball but also on many other sports. The team, which the bookmaker classifies as weaker, is given an advantage. After it’s decided which team is weaker, fictitious points are added to the actual score. As a result, the favorite of the bet, which the bookmaker assumes will win the match, is faced with a greater challenge and the two teams are theoretically equal. Basically, the favorite is “handicapped” by a certain amount of points. This makes both sides equal in the eyes of the bettor.
For this reason, the bookmaker can offer balanced odds on a basketball match. The regular bet for the favorite to win would have extremely low odds. It’s not worth it to create a bet under extremely small odds which is where handicap betting comes into play.
Classic Basketball Handicap
How to bet on basketball online? In a classic basketball handicap, all the markets that can be used for moneyline bets are available for placing handicap bets as well. In a – 1.5 handicap, the bet is won if the favorite wins with at least a two point advantage. Some bookmakers offer a draw option in their handicap bets. In that case, the handicap is based on whole numbers.
Example of a basketball handicap bet
For example, the favorite is put at a – 3 points handicap for a certain game. If they win by exactly 3 points, the outcome of the bet is a draw. Bookmakers that offer this bet type are rare because it’s not as popular as the Asian Handicap that is a 2-way bet. Winning with a draw only happens in European Handicap. In classic Asian Handicap betting, if a draw is caused with the bet, the outcome is void and the stakes are returned.
These bet types are much better than regular moneyline or 3-way bets because you don’t have to guess the winner. If a favorite is put on a – 7.5 points handicap, even if the favorite wins, if they do it with 7 points or less, you still win your handicap bet.
How does handicap betting work inbasketball?
Handicap Betting is a bet in which the bookmaker equips the house-high favorite with a fictitious lead. In basketball, this is done by adding a certain amount of points to the weaker side. At the end of the match, the points will be added to the match outcome. In some cases, the normal betting markets of 3-way bets can be used as well.
For that reason, there are basketball handicap bets on the win, on a draw, and on defeat. So, one option is to back the weaker team and place a bet where you handicap the favorite. However, another option is to back the weaker side entirely. For instance, you place a + 4.5 Handicap bet on the weaker side. If they lose by 4 points or less, you will win the bet even though the team lost.
How does handicap betting work in basketball when a draw occurs?
This only happens when a handicap is a whole number. A lot of bookmakers offer this bet type even though it’s not really popular. For example, your bet is – 5 Handicap on the favorite and he loses by exactly 5 points. If that happens, you still win your bet.
However, this is only the case in European Handicap and even then, the bookmaker mostly just refunds the stake. On the other hand, Asian Handicap allows only 2-way betting, where the possibility of a draw is removed.
Example of How does Handicap Betting work in Basketball
In our example, team A is playing against team B with a – 3 handicap for the favorite “A”. In other words, three points are added to the result of team B. The bettor wins this bet if:
- Team A wins by less than 3 points
- Team A wins by exactly 3 points
- They lose the match
Still, this only happens in European Handicap betting. In Asian Handicap, the only way the player will win the bet is if Team A wins by less than 3 points or if they lose the match.
Alternatives to Handicap Betting
There are many alternatives for players who prefer to bet on something else. When it comes to basketball, the over/under totals markets are the most popular ones. You can bet over/under on the final score of the match, sometimes including OT. However, you can also bet on over/under for each quarter, or for a half. On top of that, over/under bets can also be placed on each team individually. Additionally, bettors can place bets on players instead of teams. For instance, in a game that involves the Los Angeles Lakers, bettors could be that LeBron James will score Over 32.5 points. This also works for rebounds, assists, and blocks.