We’re now in the NBA Finals, where the Nuggets will take on the Heat. The games will slowly heat up as each matchup heads toward the championship trophy. Here are betting tips to use in the NBA Finals.
That said, many bettors are trying to profit right now as the games continue. If you want in on the fun, there are many betting opportunities and money. But before that, we have some tips you might want to learn first if you want to win big money on the Finals.
Shop for Lines in the NBA Finals
Like shopping for clothes, you should do the same regarding bookies. Bookies usually have differences when it comes to payouts and odds. Usually, the difference can be a single point or a dollar.
However, if you pick the better one, your payout will be bigger if you win the bet. It might just be a dollar, but it will stack up to a hundred in the long run, especially when you’re on a winning spree. If you want to look for trustworthy bookies on the Internet to bet on sports like basketball and football, you could look here.
Bet Early
One of the best ways to gain an advantage over the lines is to bet as early as possible on the morning of the games. If you’re on the East Coast, the optimal time would be 8-9 am since books usually open up their lines in the local area and on the Internet.
In a market as big as the NBA, usually, nothing slips between the cracks unless it’s something unprecedented like injury updates, absences, etc. Also, bettors would take this time to capitalize on the mistakes the bookies might have made since if there were any errors in the line, they would be corrected minutes later.
And most importantly, once the lines open, a lot of action starts pouring in, and as we all know, action influences the lines, so unless you want to bet on worse odds, you want to bet early. This is a smart betting tip for the NBA Finals.
Keep Watch on Injury Reports
Basketball is a very physical game. Players bump into each other as they jump for the ball and crash into each other to attempt to steal it. That said, because of the physicality of this game, it’s no wonder that injuries happen from time to time. Even basketball superstars suffer from them sometimes.
That said, unlike football, where there are 11 players on each side, or baseball, with nine players, basketball is a 5v5 sport. That means each player has a huge responsibility, so an injury is usually dire for the team, as the absence can either make or break their game.
And because of that, you must always watch out for injury reports. Injury reports don’t only affect the team but the lines as well. When a key player is injured, say Nikola Jokic or Jimmy Butler, the lines will shift against that team, prompting the bookies to make their team more enticing regarding odds.
Look for Home Advantages
Although the NBA has taken measures to not let the teams play back-to-back, most NBA teams will usually have an average of 13.5 games back-to-back with no rest games. This is usually the case, especially in games near the finals. Just look at the conference finals schedule this year. The team only has a day before their next game for rest, and while that looks like enough, they still have to squeeze out training between these games.
And while in these games, both teams are the same with scheduling; home advantages play a huge role. Being on the road for the next day can make the players too tired to rest. On the other hand, while the opposite has the same schedule, they have more time to relax since they don’t have to travel far the next day for the game.
Bet on the Underdog
Any NBA team can defeat the other 29 teams on a given night. This is usually true at the start of the regular season but can also happen in the games nearing the finals. Just take a look at this year’s Conference finals. The Heat are the first 8-seed in nearly 25 years to head to the NBA Finals by taking out the heavily favored Celtics. That said, if you think the underdog has a slight chance of defeating the favorites, it’s already a good bet you shouldn’t miss out on.
Final Words
The NBA Finals are upon us, and it will be exciting, not just for the game but for the payouts as well.
