Fans of the NBA in New Jersey can now bet on the 2020/21 basketball season. With the season running from December 22 to May 15, plus playoffs and championship to follow, there are tons of opportunities for NJ bettors to put some skin in the game.
Here’s your guide to basketball betting in NJ when it comes to pregame lines & odds, live betting and NBA futures.
See below for today’s NBA points spreads, moneylines & totals odds at NJ online sportsbooks. To place a bet, click on any odds to claim your bonus and go directly to that sportsbook. Use the drop-down menu to switch between the different odds boards. On the second tab you can see all posted NBA futures odds at NJ online sportsbooks. Among the futures bets for NBA teams you can find in the drop-down menus include:
Click on any odds to go directly to the online sportsbook, claim your new player bonus and lock in your bets at the listed odds.
In terms of where to bet, virtually all New Jersey sportsbooks accept NBA bets. The one exception is at Golden Nugget, which is owned by Texas billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who also owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets. You can’t bet on the Rockets there.
Other than that quirk at the Nugget (and BetAmerica – the app that operates under Golden Nugget Atlantic City’s license), New Jersey bettors can bet on everything else in the NBA. You can place bets on individual teams and players, bet before the start of any game or while it’s in progress with live betting (also known as in-play betting).
You can also tie the results of multiple events — e.g., the Knicks covering +9 points, Sixers winning the moneyline and the Nets covering -3 points — into a single bet or parlay. The number and type of events allowed in a parlay will vary from book to book, so it pays to shop around to get the best odds.
At the start of the NBA season, there were 17 legal sportsbooks in New Jersey where you can bet on the NBA:
For those trying out basketball betting as their initial foray into New Jersey sports betting, learn more about the sports betting apps available in New Jersey here. For those already profoundly interested (or invested) in NJ sports betting, you likely already have a go-to sportsbook. It’s an excellent time to check out how other apps price and promote their basketball lines and odds.
Signing up for an online account in New Jersey is straightforward. Typically, you will need to provide a minimal amount of individual information, which includes:
Once the sportsbook verifies this information, you can then choose the best option to add funds to your account. Again, the methods will vary depending on the sportsbook, but popular deposit options include:
There are many ways to bet on NBA games in New Jersey. The “traditional” full-game bets are:
These bets are based on a full game and inclusive of any “overtime” periods. Additional game wagers will vary from book to book, but other types of NBA bets that may be available include:
Parlays combine the selections of multiple games into a single wager. The overall odds (and amount of payout) of the parlay will increase based on the pricing of the wagers and the number of events in the parlay.
Here is an example of a two-team parlay that would pay 2.64 to 1:
Each sportsbook may approach parlays differently.
For example, books will typically not allow you to combine the result of two events from the same game, i.e., total points and points spread into a single parlay.
FanDuel has recently begun to offer “same game parlays” in the NFL that allow a bettor to combine select multiple outcomes from the same game into a parlay. It remains to be seen how they will approach the NBA regular season.
Also, how will sportsbooks approach the number of events allowed in each parlay? For example, DraftKings has a 12-team limit. FanDuel caps parlays at 15 events while Caesars allows 20+ events in a parlay.
With multiple online sportsbooks in NJ, it pays to shop around to see what is available in terms of NBA line pricing and NBA prop offerings.
If you miss out on getting a pregame bet in, there are still plenty of options to make bets when the game is underway.
The base wagers of point spreads, straight up versus the moneyline and under or over the total points are offered; however, the odds and spreads are updated in real-time during the game.
As you can see by the FanDuel example, the odds are updated continuously, with red and green color codes to denote the increases and decreases to the respective odds:
There will also be live NBA bets available on:
All of these odds will be updated as the game progresses. The opportunity to play specific player props typically ends once the game begins.
There are several factors that any new bettor should consider as the basketball season gets underway.
As referenced in various sections of this guide, it will always be a bettor’s market. With 17 sportsbooks to choose from in New Jersey, it pays to shop around.
Downloading the mobile app is an excellent first step. Most books will allow you to review the odds and props without logging in or having an account.
To place bets, however, an account needs to be created, a funding source has to be linked to the account and, in most cases, a verification process from the sportsbook will occur.
That will require a new account holder to provide such elements as a driver’s license and/or utility bill.
You can then begin your comparison shopping for the best odds for the basketball games that interest you.
A logical first step in basketball betting is to focus on the team you most closely follow, whether it’s the Sixers, Nets, Knicks or another NBA team.
Understand the team’s tendencies in such areas as:
Focusing on one team also allows you to get a closer look at the other teams in the division. During the NBA’s 82-game schedule, each team will play their four other division foes four times (two home and two away) during the season.
For example, let’s say the Sixers gutted out a hard-fought overtime win at home versus the Celtics. How will they fare the next night when they travel to Toronto to play the Raptors?
Following the Atlantic Division teams carefully will allow you to formulate a strong opinion.
As the season progresses, it pays to be on the lookout for NBA-themed bonuses and promotions on offer from sportsbooks.
They may range from a sign-up bonus to open a new account to matching with a free bet if an NBA bet at a defined minimum is placed.
Not every book will offer a promotion. Even sportsbooks that do, they rarely tailor promotions around the local teams, so be on the lookout as you shop.
Last year, to coincide with LeBron James’ first game with the Lakers, a $25 moneyline bet on the Lakers also included an additional $5 bonus for every 3-pointer made by the Lakers (they made seven that night, none by James).
An essential consideration while making an NBA betting decision is understanding the relative strengths and weaknesses of each team. This is particularly critical early in the season before teams have settled into their respective forms. ESPN has already released its “way too early” power rankings for the upcoming season and posted them here.
Yes (except for those Houston Rockets-related bets at Golden Nugget AC and BetAmerica). You can bet on the NBA through either an NJ online sportsbook (accessed via your computer or phone) or a downloaded betting app.
Whichever device you use, the sportsbook’s geolocation software must verify that you are physically located in the state of New Jersey. You don’t have to be a resident of New Jersey, however.
The 17 sportsbooks in New Jersey have apps for both Apple (iPhone/iPad) and Android devices available for download.
The regular season begins December 22, 2020 and runs through till May 16, 2021.
The 2021 All-Star game has been postponed due to public health conditions.
The Indiana Pacers, the NBA All-Star Host Committee and the NBA have been unable to appropriately plan and execute fan-focused All-Star activities in Indianapolis that were envisioned for this February. All-Star weekend in Indianapolis has been rescheduled for 2024.
The 2020-21 NBA playoffs are scheduled to begin with a Play-in tournament May 18-21, with the NBA playoffs running May 22 – July 22, 2021.
August 20, 2020 : NBA draft lottery was held virtually via videoconferencing
November 18, 2020: NBA draft, also held virtually
No, there is no account registration needed to place a sports wager at any of the retail sportsbooks in New Jersey. Certain sportsbooks offer loyalty cards that provide additional perks and benefits when pre-set betting amount thresholds have been met.
Online sportsbooks, on the other hand, do require you to set up an account and also be within state boundaries to place a bet. You do not have to be in-state, though, to open your account, deposit funds, cashout, or manage your account.