Basketball Handicap Betting Explained

Basketball is one of the most popular sports throughout the United States, and with this popularity comes fascinating betting markets such as handicap betting! Handicap bets are seen throughout different sporting events, whether that be a football match, a tennis match or a game of basketball. Every handicap follows the same principle: that one team or side starts with an advantage against the opposition. 

With basketball being an extremely popular betting market, we are going to run through all the aspects you would need to know about basketball handicap betting, how it works, how to use it, and how it compares to other handicap betting markets throughout sports.

What Is Handicap Betting In Basketball?

For those who are not sure what handicap betting is, it allows for bettors to give one side a theoretical advantage over the other team. Typically, this is done by giving one team more points compared to the other team, meaning if the handicapped team loses, there is still the possibility that the bet manages to win through the handicap.

Handicap betting offers a new perspective on the game of basketball, as it can allow for lower-ranked teams to start a couple of points ahead of their higher-ranked opponents, therefore giving them a chance to cause an upset. Handicap betting is all about evening the odds, meaning even if there is a mismatch in abilities, the handicap betting system theoretically evens the game, creating betting opportunities throughout even the most one-sided matches.

With handicap betting being fairly confusing, we are going to use real-life examples throughout this guide to help your understanding of handicap betting throughout basketball, and how it can be used throughout your betting strategies.

In this example, we can see that the New York Knicks are the favourites for the series against the Indiana Pacers. However, Sky Bet is offering a handicap of -1.5 for the New York Knicks, which offers better odds than the ‘Series Winner Outright’ betting market.

Handicap bets do not just come in the form of series handicaps, but they can also come in forms such as point spread betting, total points, quarter and half time handicaps and live betting handicaps!

How Do Basketball Handicap Bets Work?

Handicap bets all work in the same way, with one team starting with an advantage over the other. When it comes to understanding handicap betting in basketball, there can be two different ways to think about it, but they are both effectively the same thing.

• Points are adjusted before the game begins – For this Basketball example, let’s use the New York Knicks, starting with a handicap of -7.5 when playing the Indiana Pacers. This means that the Knicks will start the game effectively 8 points behind, as they cannot be awarded half a point. This means the game will begin with the Indiana Pacers effectively being 8 points ahead.
• Points are adjusted after the game is finished – Using this same example, you can imagine taking the handicap value off the total points score at the end of the game. Meaning if the game ended 115-112 to the Knicks, the Pacers would win according to the bet due to -7.5 points being taken from the Knicks due to the handicap.

Similar to what we see in our Tennis handicap betting guide, basketball cannot end in a draw, meaning there are only two betting options as bettors must bet on one of the two teams competing. Here, we will show a quick table of what different outcomes of the game would have on handicap bets:

As a tie is not possible, handicap betting in basketball is basically the same as asian handicap betting for basketball. If you are fascinated by this style of betting, check out our Asian handicap betting guide on the site.

This is an example of points handicap betting, and as we have seen before in the past example, there are other types of handicaps, such as series handicaps, which are similar to tennis set handicaps. With a wide range of different handicap betting options, basketball is one of the most fascinating sports to bet on with the handicap system. If you are interested in finding out more about different betting styles, check out our matched betting blog, which is full of sports betting tips and guides.

Basketball Handicap Betting Examples 

Basketball handicap betting is one of the most common betting formats throughout the sport, and it comes in a wide variety of different ways. Here, we will look through some specific examples, what outcomes affect the bets, and the different examples of handicap betting throughout basketball.

As we have already looked at some of the handicaps, such as point and set handicaps, we are going to look at what different handicaps mean and how many points or sets the team would need to win the bet.

The handicaps can come in + and – formats, with the plus adding the points to the team, and the minus taking away the points from the team. With the example of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics, if the Lakers had a handicap of -3.5, then they would have to win the game by 4 or more points for the bet to be successful. 

What makes handicap betting so interesting is the fact that teams can lose the real fixture, but can still win the betting selection. For example, if the Boston Celtics had a +3.5 handicap and they lost the game by 3 points or fewer, they would still win the bet as the handicap would apply.

Example – 

Match Result: Los Angeles Lakers 102 – Boston Celtics 100

Handicap for Celtics (+3.5)

100 + 3.5 = 103.5

Match Result Including Handicap Bet: Los Angeles Lakers 102 – Boston Celtics 103.5

Handicap betting really comes into play when one side is heavily favoured compared to their opponent. For traditional basketball betting, the odds might not be that appealing for a mismatched game, as the underdog will have a long shot at winning, and the odds for the favourite will not be very valuable. By using the handicap betting system, we can even the odds of the match and, therefore, make the odds more appealing. 

Whilst handicap betting still involves risk, it is something that can be used throughout your value betting strategy to try and obtain value from a range of different betting selections throughout sports.

Basketball Series Handicap Betting

As we have just discussed how point handicap betting works, we are also going to look at series handicap betting, which involves the NBA playoffs. Teams must win four games to advance to the next round of the playoffs, and bettors can place handicap bets on these games, giving teams an advantage! 

Here, we can see that the Indiana Pacers are placed at +1.5 for the handicap, meaning they get a 1.5-game advantage compared to the New York Knicks. This effectively means that the New York Knicks must win the series by 2 or more games, as winning by one would result in a loss, with the handicap of 1.5 placing the Pacers above the Knicks.

How To Use The Basketball Handicap 

The handicap betting market is one of the most popular markets throughout basketball, and is one of the most common markets throughout sports betting in general. Whilst it is not a technique we traditionally see in matched betting, it allows betting opportunities to be created out of nothing. 

Whilst handicap betting is not the only market available, our basketball betting guide has all the tips and tricks to get the most out of your basketball betting! Here, we are going to look through some of the best tips and advice to take into account before placing any basketball handicap bets:

1. Do Your Research – By researching how teams perform against certain opponents, you can give yourself an advantage when placing handicap bets. For example, if you know one team typically loses by a big margin against another team, you can place a handicap bet to account for this. It is also important to research other factors such as form, their performance in matches such as the playoffs, and any injuries that teams might have.
2. Backing the Favourite – Whilst many people will look at the handicap betting system as a way to back the lower-ranked teams, it can be a great way to place bets on teams that you think will win by a huge margin. By giving your favourite a handicap of -10 or even -20 points deduction, you can receive better odds than a traditional match result bet, yet you need to be confident that the team you are betting on will perform extremely well.
3. Home Court Advantage – Basketball is known as one of the sports where the home court advantage is extremely strong, so when placing handicap bets or any other types of basketball bets, always take into account the home advantage.

Basketball Handicap Vs Other Handicaps 

Basketball handicap betting is similar to other team sports, as bets are placed on the team to succeed. Unlike other sports, such as tennis and golf, these bets are typically placed on individuals, as these are individual sports. If you are interested in any other sport handicap betting, check out our darts handicap betting guide and our football handicap betting guide, which are available on site.

Whilst handicap betting in basketball is quite similar to other sports, we are going to look through some of the positives and negatives of handicap betting in basketball that we recommend you take into account before placing your bets.

✅Create betting opportunities out of unevenly matched games

✅Handicap bets can offer better odds compared to traditional betting options

✅No draws or ties in basketball, meaning there is only a 2-way betting market

❌Plenty of research is needed throughout this betting strategy

❌Handicap betting is known to be quite complicated compared to other strategies

Basketball Handicap FAQS 

With the handicap system being quite confusing, we will discuss some of the most frequently asked questions about basketball handicap betting.

What Is The Difference Between Basketball Handicap Betting And Basketball Asian Handicap Betting?

As there is no possibility of a draw in basketball games, there is no betting option for a draw throughout the handicap bets. The Asian handicap is the same as a handicap bet, but it eliminates the draw. The basketball handicap betting market is the exact same as the Asian handicap market, meaning they are the same thing and there is no difference.

Where Can I Find Basketball Handicap Bets? 

Just like you would for any other basketball bet, you must find the basketball section at your selected bookmaker. Usually, there is a list of sports available on the left-hand side of the screen, and you will be able to find basketball here. We are going to use Sky Bet as an example.

By clicking on basketball, you will find all of the betting selections available throughout the sport. You must first click on the match on which you want to place the bet, and then you will find the handicap betting market.

Do All Bookmakers Offer The Basketball Handicap Betting Market? 

Throughout the United Kingdom, there are many bookmakers that offer handicap betting markets throughout basketball, despite the sport not being one of the most popular in the country. Whilst some bookmakers will only let you bet on point handicaps, there are markets such as series handicaps available as well at selected bookmakers such as Sky Bet.