Bet on NBA in New Jersey

The 2019-20 NBA regular season tipped off on Oct. 22 with the battle of Los Angeles between Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) and LeBron James (Lakers) at the Staples Center. As everyone knows, it was unfortunately suspended in mid-March during the global pandemic.

After 22 teams converged at Disney World in the summer/fall to play down to a 2020 NBA champion,  the Lakers brought everything full circle by winning their 17th NBA championship as a franchise.

Regardless of the delay, NJ sportsbooks buzzed with basketball betting from beginning to end and the same is expected for next year’s season—ideally one that will see fans return to NBA arenas in force.

Here’s your guide to basketball betting in NJ when it comes to pregame lines & odds, live betting and NBA futures.

Best NBA Betting Sites NJ

Bet on NBA in New Jersey

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.

Best NBA betting apps in NJ

At the start of the NBA season, there were 17 legal sportsbooks in New Jersey where you can bet on the NBA:

• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• Caesars
• PointsBet
• BetMGM Sports
• Fox Bet
• SugarHouse
• Golden Nugget (excluding Houston Rockets)
• 888 Sport
• Hard Rock
• William Hill
• Resorts
• BetAmerica (excluding Houston Rockets)
• Borgata Sports
• The Score
• Bet365
• Unibet Sportsbook

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.

NBA Odds 2021

The NBA finished the 2020 season in Orlando with the NBA championship heading back to LA with the Lakers. What does that mean for next year’s odds? While the sportsbooks are still settling on each team’s prospects for 2021, you can see any posted futures odds at NJ online sportsbooks below. Among the futures bets for NBA teams you can find in the drop-down menus include:

• Season Win Total: Over/under a specific number of wins.
• Winners: Division, conference or championship.
• To Make the Playoffs: A simple “Yes” or “No” with associated odds
• NBA Awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, etc.

NBA Live Odds

Below are the current game odds for NBA games at NJ online sportsbooks. To place a bet, click on any odds to claim your bonus and go directly to that respective sportsbook. The drop-down menu allows you to see moneylines and totals odds.

How to sign up for an online betting account

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:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Last four digits of your Social Security number
• Home address
• Contact phone and email address
• Unique username and password

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:

• ACH (e-check)
• Credit and debit cards
• Online bank transfer
• PayPal
• PayNearMe

How to bet on NBA basketball in New Jersey

There are many ways to bet on NBA games in New Jersey. The “traditional” full-game bets are:

• Against a designated point spread.
• Straight up versus the moneyline.
• Totals: Under or over the total points scored in the game.

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:

• Winner and over/under total points in each of the four quarters and first or second half.
• The first team to score 5, 10, 15, 20 points and upward.
• Winning margin
• Team points odd/even
• Total team points over/under
• Will there be overtime? Yes or no
• Individual player props connected to scoring the first basket, over/under total points, rebounds, assists, 3-point field goals, etc.

How to make NBA parlays

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.

Same game parlays NBA

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.

NBA live betting (in-game betting)

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:

• Winner
• Over/under total points in each of the four quarters.
• Over/under on total points in the first and second half.

All of these odds will be updated as the game progresses. The opportunity to play specific player props typically ends once the game begins.

Beginner NBA betting tips

There are several factors that any new bettor should consider as the basketball season gets underway.

1. Give yourself some (sportsbook) betting options

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.

2. Go with what you know

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:

• Are they a different team away from their home arena?
• Do they relax and let up when they get a lead?
• How do they perform as a favorite or underdog against the spread and straight-up against the moneyline?
• Which players are trending up in terms of scoring and minutes per game?
• Which players are battling a lingering injury or might be in the coach’s “doghouse?”
• Which player(s) are in the final year of a contract and might be giving maximum effort to resign or cash in as a free agent?

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.

3. Watch for NBA promotions and bonuses

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).

NBA Power Rankings 2020-21

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.