10 Common NBA Betting Terms

The NBA, or basketball in general, is a fast-paced end to end game. Hence, it is one of the most exciting betting markets you can bet on. But the gambling industry is also competitive , so you have to be highly-knowledgeable to compete against the bookmaker and other bettors. With that, you need these 10 common NBA betting terms:

Point Spread - the handicap given by the bookmaker towards the favored team and the underdog. The team expected to win by the oddsmakers is called the favorite, while the team expected to lose is called the underdog. 

ATS ("against the [point] spread") - You will always encounter this when betting on NBA. The most commonly used betting phrase is ATS or Against the Spread. This means that a bettor is wagering against the betting line where the stake will be decided by adding points to one team or the other after the game

Accumulator - If you love to try exotic bets, you should know this term. Accumulator is a bet consists of 2 or more selections (similar to parlay and all up betting), where the payout from the first winning bet is placed on the next bet and the succeeding ones after that.

Back - A term used in betting exchange sites. In here, you bet that an outcome is going to happen, opposite of “Lay”.

Bookie - another term for bookmakers or sportsbook. 

Cover - this term is an action that needs to be done to beat the spread. Related to ATS, covering the spread means winning by a certain margin or losing by less than a specific number over the bets placed on the favored team or the underdog. 

Halftime Bet - a bet made after the first half ended and before the second half of the round begins. Apart from NBA betting, this is also use in football betting. The oddsmaker or bookmaker starts with half of the game side or the total and then adjust the odds based on what happened in the first half. 

Juice - also known as the sportsbook’s overround or the commission the sportsbook gets every time you place your bet. 

Teaser (US) - another exotic bet on the list is Teaser. This type of bet can commonly be seen in US’ sports betting glossary of terms. It is a combination of 2 or more wagers. Unlike parlays, bettors can adjust the point spreads for the games in Teasers.

Totals - another term for total goals/runs. A type of wagering where the bettor determines if the total points scored in a game will be over or under a predetermined amount. This are usually used in over-under bets.