How to bet on NBA games: Guide

New to Wolfbet? Watch our short video tutorial first. It shows you how to find a game and place your bet in under a minute.

An NBA match page can look busy the first time you open it: five markets, ten prices, a row of tabs. Once you know what each part means, it reads in seconds. This guide goes through a real Wolfbet page for Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons from top to bottom. The odds are examples and will change before the game.

The top of the page

The breadcrumb at the top shows where you are: Home, then Basketball, then North America, NBA, then the game itself. Use it to jump back to the full list of NBA games.

Below it you see both teams, the date and start time, and a countdown to tip off.

The tabs: TOP, ALL, TOTAL, HANDICAP

TOP is the default view. It shows the five main markets covered in this guide.

ALL opens every market available for the game.

TOTAL and HANDICAP filter the page so you only see points markets or handicap markets.

Match Winner

Two prices, one for each team. Pick who wins the game.

The lower price marks the favourite. Here that is Detroit. A $10 bet on the Pistons returns $17.50. The same stake on the Celtics returns $20.20.

There is no draw option. A tied game goes to overtime, which normally counts toward the result. Check the market rules if you are unsure.

Points Handicap

The numbers in brackets are adjustments to the final score.

Detroit −2: take two points off Detroit’s score. The Pistons must win by three or more for the bet to win. A win by exactly two is usually a push, and your stake comes back. $10 returns $18.70 if it wins.

Boston +2: add two points to Boston’s score. The bet wins if Boston wins or loses by one. A two point defeat is usually a push. $10 returns $18.90 if it wins.

Notice how close the two prices are. The handicap turns an uneven matchup into something near a coin flip in the eyes of the bookmaker.

Total Points

This market only cares about the combined score of both teams. If Boston and Detroit score 221 or more between them, Over wins. 220 or fewer, Under wins.

The .5 means the result can never land exactly on the line, so there is no push. $10 on either side returns $18.80.

Team 1 and Team 2 Total Points

Team 1 is the team listed first (Boston). Team 2 is the second (Detroit).

Each line counts the points of one team only. If Boston scores 110, Team 1 Over wins. If Detroit scores 108, Team 2 Under wins. The final result of the game does not matter.

Prices on the same line can differ. Team 2 Over pays 1.82 while Under pays 1.94, which tells you the bookmaker leans slightly toward Detroit scoring more than 110.5. A $10 bet on Team 2 Under returns $19.40.

Placing the bet

Click any price on the page and it drops into your bet slip. Enter your stake, check the potential return and confirm.

Want the full picture on NBA betting, including how odds work and what to check before every game? Read our guide on how to bet on NBA games. [link: How to bet on NBA games]

Bet within your limits

Set a budget before you start and keep to it. Never chase losses. If betting stops being fun, take a break and use the responsible gambling tools available on Wolfbet.