With an 82-game regular season and a lengthy but entertaining postseason, the NBA provides tons of betting opportunities every year. As such, the NBA is the most popular sport to bet on in the US, but that comes with a downside.
It means that the NBA betting lines are more well-adjusted than any sport on earth, which makes it crucial that we find the best legal sportsbooks. That includes the ones with the most markets, best odds, and best promotional offers.
Let’s dive into how to find the best sportsbooks when betting on the NBA.
Benefits of Betting on Basketball Online
Betting on the NBA is a thrill-a-minute joyride, and having money on the line can make any game enjoyable.
While there are arguments for betting in person, nobody can be at a sportsbook 24/7. You have a life, and if you need to bet on the Dallas Mavericks moneyline tonight, you can do so from your son’s soccer game or at your friend’s birthday party.
However, it’s also important to consider the +EV component of online betting. Taking advantage of online promotional offerings, boosted odds, and the increased amount of betting markets can significantly increase your bankroll.
Best NBA Betting Sites
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings is the premier website for both sports betting and daily fantasy. They combine their standard betting markets with the most diverse and unique prop bets on the market.
One of my favorite features of DraftKings Sportsbook is the sheer amount of alternate lines they offer on every game. If you think the Detroit Pistons should be closer to 15-point favorites than 5-point favorites, for example, DraftKings will often offer Pistons -12.5, -13, -13.5, etc., but at way bigger plus-money odds. That way, you can cash in on your sharpness.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM has one of the best user interfaces of any online sportsbook. Click on any game, and BetMGM makes it incredibly easy to bet on any aspect of the matchup, from first-half bets on college football games to strikeout props on MLB games to player point total bets on NBA games.
BetMGM also frequently gives you “Lion’s Boost” bets where it builds a parlay for you and boosts the odds to give you added value.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is another well-known and incredibly popular daily fantasy and sportsbook website. Similar to DraftKings, FanDuel offers a wide array of prop bets.
However, one of my favorite features of FanDuel sportsbook is their same game parlay offerings, which allow you to combine multiple wagers on the same game for a bigger payout.
Caesars Sportsbook
”) and VIP rewards system, you won’t find another online sportsbook that rewards its users as well as Caesars does.
PointsBet Sportsbook
Again, it’s important to find sportsbooks that offer excellent promotions, and PointsBet is top-tier in that regard. For example, PointsBet has a full tab of odds boosted bets that are updated daily. Last season, PointsBet ran an NBA promotion where if you bet $100 on any NBA spread, you earned $3 in free bets for every three-pointer that your team made.
Taking advantage of boosted odds and promos is the quickest way to build your betting bankroll.
How To Pick the Best NBA Betting Sites
Odds
The most important aspect to consider when making NBA bets is the odds. The only way you’ll beat the sharp NBA market is by getting the best of the odds market, and getting the Pistons +4.5 at +100 rather than -120 will make a big difference in the long run.
It’s incredibly important to compare NBA betting odds among the available online sportsbooks.
Betting Markets
Another important factor in picking the best NBA sportsbook is the amount of betting markets they offer. Often, secondary prop markets offer less efficient betting lines that give you a better chance to beat the books. Try to look for sites that offer NBA player point totals, NBA first basket bets, and other such props where you can bet our NBA bet of the day.
Welcome Bonuses
Almost all sportsbooks offer some kind of sign-up bonus for first-time users. However, not all welcome bonuses are the same. It’s important to browse every sportsbook to find a promotional offer that fits your best interests.
For example, maybe you value a first-time deposit match rather than a risk-free first bet.
Promotions
Again, most sportsbooks offer sports betting promotions, but not all promotions are created equal. As such, we want to find the sportsbooks that offer the most favorable promotional offerings for us NBA bettors.
Perhaps DraftKings has the Pistons ML boosted to +125 tonight but PointsBet has it boosted to +150. That extra juice means a lot in the NBA long run.
User Interface
While I consider this a less important factor, you should still consider ease of use when picking your NBA betting site. Each online sportsbook has a different user interface, and you’ll want to use the one that’s easiest for you to navigate.
Why You Should Avoid Illegal Betting Sites
In the past, offshore betting sites were the only way to bet on the NBA online. But with the US now legalizing sports betting across the country, these offshore sites just aren’t in your best interest. Illegal betting sites will give you poor odds, a lack of reliable payment options, and poor user interfaces.
Plus, the legality of using these offshore sites is sketchy at best. While the legal burden is not placed on you, these sites cannot legally accept sports wagers or send you your winnings.
As such, there’s an inherent lack of trust with these illegal NBA betting sites. It’s best to steer clear and use one of the many legal online sportsbooks available to you instead.
NBA Betting Site Offers to Keep in Mind
No Deposit Bonus
There are times when online sportsbooks will allow you to place your first bet without having to deposit any money. This involves a free bet of a certain wager amount you can place.
In that case, you’ll be able to place your first NBA bet without risking any real, hard cash. If you win, you get to keep the money in your account as site credit to use on future eligible sports wagers.
First-Deposit Bonus
First deposit bonuses are the perhaps most common NBA betting site promotional offer. When you sign up for a sportsbook and place your initial deposit, sportsbooks will often match a certain percentage of that deposit in site credit.
For example, if an NBA betting site has a 100% first-deposit match and you make an initial deposit of $250, the site will then immediately credit your account with $250 in bonus funds for you to use on eligible sports wagers.
Risk-Free Bet
Many sites will also offer you risk-free bets, which allow you to place an eligible wager on any NBA or sports game without the risk of losing that wager.
When you opt in to these promos, simply place an eligible wager on any eligible game. If you win, you get to keep all the money. But if you lose, the sportsbook will reimburse you the amount of the wager in either free bets or site credit.
Bet & Get
Bet & Get promotions are a simple and fun way to boost your betting bankroll. Sportsbooks will offer you huge bonuses in site credit for making small wagers on certain NBA games.
For example, say there’s a Bet $1, Get $100 promo on the Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers game. The sportsbook will often allow you to bet $1 on either team’s spread or ML, then will gift you $100 in free site credit regardless of whether your bet wins or loses.
Where Can I Legally Bet on the NBA Online?
With the US Supreme Court overturning PASPA in May of 2018, sports gambling immediately started booming across the country. Since then, more than half of states have legalized sports betting.
Every state has different laws and rules, but if you’re not already in a state that offers sports gambling, there’s a strong possibility that it will be legal in your state soon.
As of now, however, here’s where every state stands with legal sports gambling:
Legal
- Arizona (in-person and mobile)
- Arkansas (in-person only)
- Colorado (in-person and mobile)
- Connecticut (in-person and mobile)
- Delaware (in-person only)
- Illinois (in-person and mobile; in-person sign-up required)
- Indiana (in-person and mobile)
- Iowa (in-person and mobile)
- Louisiana (in-person and mobile)
- Maryland (in-person only)
- Michigan (in-person and mobile)
- Mississippi (in-person only)
- Montana (in-person only)
- Nevada (in-person and mobile; in-person sign-up required)
- New Hampshire (in-person and mobile)
- New Jersey (in-person and mobile)
- New Mexico (in-person only)
- New York (in-person and mobile)
- North Carolina (in-person only)
- North Dakota (in-person only)
- Oregon (in-person and mobile)
- Pennsylvania (in-person and mobile)
- Rhode Island (in-person and mobile)
- South Dakota (in-person only)
- Tennessee (mobile only)
- Virginia (in-person and mobile)
- Washington (in-person only)
- Washington, D.C. (in-person and mobile)
- West Virginia (in-person and mobile)
- Wyoming (in-person and mobile)
Passed Bill, Pending
- Florida
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
Possible, Under Consideration
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Vermont
Unlikely In The Near Future
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
Choose More Than One NBA Betting Site
The biggest takeaway is to use as many NBA betting sites as possible. The easiest way to increase the +EV of your wagers is to line shop, as in browsing different legal online sportsbooks to find the best NBA gameday odds for your bet.
For example, if PointsBet offers the Minnesota Timberwolves ML at +100 but FanDuel is offering it at +125, you’ll want to place your wager on the Timberwolves with FanDuel.
The way to get ahead of the market is to create accounts with every legal sportsbook you can. That way, you can take advantage of all the great promotions out there and beat the books.
