Here at NetBet, we’ve got a whole load of great markets for sports betting, and we offer some of the best Basketball odds around. We don’t just take bets on individual matches, we offer online betting on plenty of deeper markets on our UK betting site. If you want to place any sport bet, here’s a quick guide on how exactly you should go about it.
What is Basketball?
Basketball is a game contested by two teams of five on a rectangular court with the aim of shooting a ball through a 10ft hoop. Players move the ball around the court by passing or bouncing as they dribble, with the build up orchestrated by their primary playmaker, the point guard. It is an extremely nuanced game, with differing players harbouring unique skill sets. Bigger players tend to utilise their power in and around the basket to initiate lay-ups and pick up rebounds. The typically smaller, agile and more technical players will look to find pockets to dribble through, or simply shoot a three-pointer from beyond the arc.
The game is hugely popular across the globe, especially in Europe and North America. The most prestigious league in the world is the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America, which attracts talent from every continent. The Golden State Warriors are the current reigning NBA champions, but there has been a different winner in each of the last four seasons, highlighting the competitiveness of the league.
History of Basketball
Basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by PE teacher James Naismith. The 31-year-old allegedly came up with the game to keep students occupied inside during a storm. With little equipment to hand, the first ever baskets were actually peach collecting baskets, into which the students tried to throw the ball. The game was so popular that 200 people attended the first public match between the students and teachers, likely because it was something they had never seen before. It is believed that the students emerged 5-1 victors!
Over the following years the sport rapidly grew in popularity, leading to the introduction of intercollegiate games and its inclusion as a demonstration event at the 1904 Olympics. The first professional league had been founded in 1898, consisting of six teams, but it was abandoned in 1904. When WW1 broke out, the American forces helped spread the word about the game, and thus it became a global phenomenon within two decades of its creation.
Throughout the early to mid-1900s, professional leagues began popping up across the States. The Eastern Basket Ball League (1909), Metropolitan Basketball League (1921) and American Basketball League (1925) were the most well-respected, with the growth of the game leading to the establishment of the International Basketball Federation in 1932. The inception of this committee was crucial in basketball appearing for the first time at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where the USA won the gold medal.
The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 to form the NBA, giving way to 70 years of incredible competition. The early NBA was dominated by the Boston Celtics, who won eight championships in a row from 1959-1966. Since then, there have been numerous periods in time that belong to a single team: the LA Lakers in the 80s, Chicago Bulls in the 90s, and most recently the Golden State Warriors.
How do I bet on Basketball?
Here at NetBet, we have a wide variety of betting markets available for the upcoming basketball season. The NBA season is due to begin in October, with American basketball offering the most potential betting markets. Here are 10 markets to choose from on our site.
- Outright – Bet on any team to win the NBA championship.
- NBA conference winner – Place a bet on which team will finish the regular season at the top of either the Western or Eastern Conference.
- Make the finals – Predict which team will make either the conference play-off or NBA finals.
- MVP/Most improved player – Place a bet on the player that you think will win an award such as MVP or most improved player.
- Match result – Bet on a team to win any individual match.
- Spread FT – Also known as handicap, spread betting allows you to take advantage of favourite and underdog status in a match. A team must either win by, or avoid defeat by a certain number of points for your bet to be successful.
- Over/Under – Bet on whether you think over or under a certain number of points will be scored in an individual match.
- Match result & Over/Under – Predict the team that will win the match and how many points will be scored in that game.
- Most points – Bet on the player that will score the most individual points during the game.
- Quarter/Half betting – Bet on a team that will score the most points, or be leading at the end of a specific quarter or half.
- Half time/Full time – Bet on a team to be leading the match at both half time and full time.
However, there aren’t just these 10 to choose from. Occasionally, we might choose to Boost a price which you can find at our Promotions page.
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.