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NBA Over Under Betting: How To Bet NBA Spreads

Last Updated on 14/04/2025
Fact checked by: Mark Lewis

This guide is here to tell you all about NBA over/under betting. Essential reading for anyone who wants to get extra value and entertainment from any basketball game.

Here you’ll see how to make an over/under bet and learn why this offers you a whole new way to think about basketball betting. Plus with a look at the best sportsbooks for over/under betting and tips on getting the best promos, you’ll have all you need to take your NBA bets up a level.

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Highlights of NBA Over Under

  • It presents the punter with a 50:50 chance of a successful bet. This is because you will be presented with an option of either betting whether a statistic will be higher or lower than a number set by the sportsbook.
  • Game overtime doesn’t affect the bets in NBA over under. This is because such a bet will usually only be applicable during standard time in an NBA game with overtime not included.
  • When there is a “push”, the wager is returned to the punter. Just remember that each sportsbook is different regarding points like this, so check the small print of any betting rules pages.

Over/under betting explained

Over/under betting is also known as total bet. Over/under betting is a basketball betting technique in which a bettor bets on whether the final points of the two teams for the match will be above or below a given set of numbers. In over/under betting, you are less concerned about the team that scores the points. What you are concerned with is the combination of the final points amassed by the two teams. This betting format is one of the most common betting types in basketball, the other popular betting type is the point spread betting.

When using the over/under betting, you are simply placing your bet on whether the final points of the two teams for the match will be above or below a given set of number displayed by a sports bookmaker. If the combined final points are higher than the displayed number, your ‘over wager’ wins but if it is lower, your ‘under wager’ wins.

Specifics of NBA Over Under

To get the total score, the punter adds up the final scores of both teams of an NBA game. For example, the total score between the Pacers and the Lakers in a particular NBA game was 86-92. The total score is thus 178 (86+92) points. Unlike football and soccer, you will not see the same totals for the entire over/under bets accordingly; you will often see a predicted total of 40 in American football betting and a predicted total of 3 in soccer in over/under odds. Basketball totals can range anywhere from 170 to 230.

Sometimes, a sports bookie will present the odds with (-) and (+). The signs, (-) and (+), represent the less likely to work (the underdog with the positive sign) and the more likely to win the game (the favorite with the negative sign) as well as how much you need to bet and how much you can get.

How to Bet NBA Over under

When a bettor decides to bet on an over/under for a NBA match total, there are lots of factors to evaluate. You need to consider the defensive and offensive trends of the team and previous contests between both teams and the game environment before predicting the outcome of the game.

Take for example the Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors contest with the final score at 170 points. The first instinct of a punter is to choose if the games total points will be Over 170 or Under 170 points. This simply means that if the game concluded with a score 82 – 87, it will combine to 169 points. This is an Under game.

Another example is the Miami Heat vs L.A. Lakers contest with a final point of 177.5, the odds may be laid out the following ways:

177.5 Under (+105)

177.5 Over (-110)

For the above example, the final point is still 177.5, however you are required to place a different sum of money. To place your bet on the 177.5 Over (-110), you must risk the sum of $110 to earn a return of $100. While placing your bet on the 177.5 Under (+105) will require you to risk $100 for a return of $105.

NBA Over Under Betting Tips and Strategies

To be a successful punter in NBA betting using the Over/under technique, some strategies need to be learnt and they are outlined below:

Research the teams' records, stats and performances

Checking the two teams head to head statistics and the final score between both teams during previous meetings is very important. If one of the teams has scored between 80 and 105 points in the last six encounters, then there is a possibility that they won’t score more than that in the next match. If the teams are regular or usual opponents and have played each other a great number of times in like 5 years, you can dig up their history for an educated reference of the final points scored by the teams. Not necessarily the team that won or lost.

Look for high scoring games

Wager bets on the lowest total, you may come across multiple over-under totals displayed in a day. The odds of the listed games will be different from each other. They are usually low and far from the average totals of that day. The logic behind wagering on the lowest score and not the highest is that the teams will be on great pressure to score high points because basketball is a sport known for its high-scoring nature. However, you will most likely see high scoring NBA games than low scoring ones.

Push Scenarios

PUSH scenarios in NBA over/under betting occurs where the total & the combined final score of the game are exactly the same. If the Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors total point is placed at 195 and the games total score is 94-101. The game will be regarded as a push and the sports bookies you placed your bet with will refund your wager irrespective of whether you predicted the contest to be under or over.

This scenario is usually common in sports betting. However, assuming the above example had a 196.5 total score, the game will be regarded an under. Some punters usually feel that betting on total scores with round numbers are more advantageous to betting on total scores with (.5) because it provides fewer risks for the punter.

Overtime Scenario

Your bet does not change if this kind of scenario happens in a NBA game. Your over/under wager is similar to a spread bet or moneyline because your bet depends on the total score of the game irrespective of when it ends (whether in multiple overtimes or in regulation time).

Which bookmakers offer the Best NBA Over Under Deals?

Each of the online sportsbooks featured in the banners of this page will give you awesome over/under bets for each NBA game and the best thing is that they also have plenty of promos you can use on these bets.

This means that you can sign up to any of these sportsbooks and get deals that give you bonus bets, refund your losses or work in completely different ways. After all, while sports betting is a lot of fun, it gets even more enjoyable when you’re doing it with a good promo. So be sure to visit one of our recommended sportsbooks and get a whole new way to bet on NBA over/under odds.

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Conclusion: Best way to participate in the NBA Over Under Betting

This guide has shown you that it’s actually pretty easy to bet on the over/under markets in the NBA. Not only does this allow you to approach NBA betting in a new way, but it can also be a great way of opening up some extra value in your bets.

Each of the sportsbooks featured here will be more than capable of giving you decent odds for over/under bets for each game in the NBA season. So be sure to register your account at any of these sportsbooks, get your welcome offer and enjoy making your over/under bets on the NBA.

NBA over/under betting FAQ

❓ What is an over or under bet in the NBA?

It is a bet where you are betting whether a statistic is higher or lower set by the sportsbook. For example, you could bet whether the Lakers score more or less than 110 points in their next game.

👍🏻 Is it better to bet over or under in basketball?

It depends what the statistical number is that is set by the sportsbook. After all, each game will be different and there will be plenty of variables to understand.

🔮 How should I make my NBA over/under predictions?

You should do your research into how many points each of the relevant teams have scored in their past few games. Plus look into the previous head-to-head encounters to see if they usually produce high scoring games.

💪 Who has the best NBA over/under betting odds?

We have found that sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM have great records for their odds for over/under bets. Perfect for getting more from this tricky kind of sports bet.

🏀 Can I bet over/under on things other than the NBA score?

Sure, you can bet on things like how many points a particular player will score, as well as the number of rebounds, three pointers and much more. Perfect for getting a whole new way to bet on each NBA game.

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