subject: Advice for Making NBA Picks [print this page] Advice for Making NBA Picks Advice for Making NBA Picks
When it comes to selecting which NBA teams will win games, there are a few things to consider. The first is the spread that Vegas has assigned to the game. The spreads with basketball games are usually smaller than their NFL counterparts, leaving much opportunity for making winning wagers when betting on favorites. When spreads are larger, although this is not as common, there is greater opportunity for wagering upon underdogs.
You also need to look at money lines when making NBA picks. Money lines are generally more even because of the smaller spreads in NBA betting. For the Orlando Magic / Atlanta Hawks game on December 20th, the spread was only 2.5 points. The Magic were favorites at -140, while the Hawks were at +120. As you can see, money lines are much more attractive for favorites in the NBA than they are for NFL games.
NBA picks become even trickier when you are looking at point totals. Point totals as determined by the Vegas sports books are usually very accurate, making them a scary thing for many novice bettors. This doesn't need to be the case though. Sports books do make errors, and they rely much more heavily on stats than they probably should. For example, the Houston Rockets / Golden State Warriors game on December 20th had a total points scored of 212. With a 0 point spread, this means that each team should score 106 points. This is a high number for these two teams, even if they have statistically performed near this. The under should be bet here because of this fact. Likewise, the Milwaukee Bucks / Portland Blazers game had an over / under of 179.5. With a 3.5 point spread, this equates 91.5 points for the winning team. NBA games, on average, score a few more points than this. The over should be bet here.
NBA picks are tough to make because many of the teams are so evenly matched. On top of this, sports books are generally very accurate in their predictions. Even for professional bettors, it is difficult to string together successful seasons. This is why a picks service should often be consulted. When making NBA picks, it will definitely pay off to get help from a professional handicapper. These handicappers will look over the team and player statistics before making their decisions, saving you time and making you money over the long run. Making your own picks is possible, but it is generally more effective to pay a service to do it for you. Even though it requires a small investment on your part, this money is more than compensated for by increasing your win percentage.
