The National Basketball Association (NBA) is considered as the premier men's basketball league in the world.
Originally known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 with just 11 teams. The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League.
Today, through expansions, reductions, and relocations, a total of 30 teams (29 in the US and one in Canada) compete in the NBA. The 30 teams are divided into two conferences of three divisions with five teams each.
An NBA season begins in late September with the opening of training camps. This allow the coaching staff to evaluate players and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season.
The regular season starts in the last week of October. Through the course of the season, each NBA team plays a total of 82 games - 41 at home and 41 on the road.
During the 2020-21 season, the NBA introduced The Play-In Tournament. At the end of the regular season but before the first round of the playoffs, the team with the 7th-highest winning percentage in each conference hosts the team with the 8th-highest winning percentage in a Play-In Game (the "Seven-Eight Game"). The winner of the Seven-Eight Game in each conference will earn the No. 7 seed.
The team with the 9th-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the 10th-highest winning percentage in the "Nine-Ten Game". The loser of the Seven-Eight Game will host the winner of the Nine-Ten Game in a Play-In Game, and the winner of that game in each conference will earn the No. 8 seed.
Then NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference are given the top four seeds. The next two teams in terms of record are given the lower two seeds and the last two seeds are the winners of the Play-In Tournament.
The NBA Playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs.
The final Playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
With an 8-month long season, so many teams and so many games to bet on, NBA punters sure have a lot of work ahead of them to be able to select winners. Here are a few tips to consider before placing an NBA bet.
Through the course of the season, each NBA team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (a total of 24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games).
This means that each team can go against a strong or weak team at any given night. This also means that some games are more important than others - especially when teams jockey for position or struggle to make the playoffs.
It is generally perceived that home teams get the calls from the refs. But in the world of NBA betting, home court advantage is typically worth three or four points.
At the end of the 2011-2012 season, the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder were 28-5 and 26-7 at home, respectively. Meanwhile, the two worst teams, the New Orleans Hornets and the Charlotte Bobcats were 11-22 and 4-29 at home, respectively.
Looking at the above home records, clearly the home team gets an edge.
Any NBA team can ride on a winning or losing streak. Any NBA team win against a stronger team one night and lose to a weaker team the next.
So expect peaks and valleys. Though teams get a certain rhythm as the season unfolds, there are just some nights where shots don't fall.
That's why having a consistent and long-term approach to NBA betting is crucial to offset the effects of bad nights on your bankroll.
| DATE | MATCHUP | MONEY |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun. 11, 03:00 pm |
Mexico | -240 |
| South Africa | +775 | |
| Draw | +365 | |
| Fri, Jun. 12, 09:00 pm |
USA | +100 |
| Paraguay | +308 | |
| Draw | +245 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | SPREAD |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun. 11, 08:05 pm |
Vegas Golden Knights | (+1.5) -190 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | (-1.5) +165 |
Thursday, Jun. 11, 07:00am EDT
| GOLFER | MONEY |
|---|---|
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +1500 |
| Sam Burns | +1400 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +1200 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2800 |
| Brooks Koepka | +3300 |
| Justin Rose | +2800 |
| Nicolai Højgaard | +2500 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +3500 |
| Shane Lowry | +4500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +4000 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | SPREAD |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun. 10, 08:36 pm |
San Antonio Spurs | (+2) -110 |
| New York Knicks | (-2) -110 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | SPREAD |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun. 10, 03:50 pm |
Washington Nationals | (+1.5) -193 |
| San Francisco Giants | (-1.5) +168 | |
| Wed, Jun. 10, 04:15 pm |
Cincinnati Reds | (+1.5) -155 |
| San Diego Padres | (-1.5) +135 | |
| Wed, Jun. 10, 06:45 pm |
Arizona Diamondbacks | (+1.5) -205 |
| Miami Marlins | (-1.5) +177 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | MONEY |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun. 10, 05:00 am |
Wu, Yibing | -574 |
| Boogaard, Thijs | +410 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | MONEY |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun. 11, 06:45 am |
Bencic, Belinda | -574 |
| Dart, Harriet | +410 |
June 9, 2026
The Stanley Cup Final is officially a best-of-three after the Carolina Hurricanes delivered a gutsy Game 4 performance to even the series at 2–2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on June 9. With the pressure squarely on their shoulders, the Hurricanes matched Vegas stride for stride in a fiercely contested battle filled with heavy hits, spectacular saves, and momentum swings that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Carolina struck with timely goals and relentless forechecking, while the Golden Knights repeatedly answered to prevent the game from slipping away. As the intensity ramped up in the final period, the Hurricanes found another gear, capitalizing on a crucial opportunity and then locking things down defensively to protect their advantage. When the final horn sounded, Carolina had not only secured a massive victory but also transformed the championship race into a dead-even showdown, setting the stage for a dramatic final stretch with the Stanley Cup still very much up for grabs. Credits to the video owner.
Among professional sports leagues in the US, Major League Soccer (MLS) is the youngest. It was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
MLS began with only ten teams. The first season was played in 1996. Today, the league has grown to 19 teams - 16 in the US and three in Canada.
An MLS Season begins in March and lasts until December. Teams are divided into the Eastern and Western Conference with each team playing 34 regular season games. The top five teams in each conference qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The season culminates with the MLS Cup - the league's version of the championship game.
It's generally understood that about half of all games end in home wins - another quarter end in draws - and the rest are away wins. This is true across nearly all professional leagues. Home advantage is real.
A common method of forecasting is to look at the previous match results during the current season - and perhaps last season too - in order to estimate chances of a result.
Another complicating factor is the rivalry. Matches between fierce rivals usually are hard fought affairs simply because both sets of fans demand the best from their players against "the enemy". Here are some MLS rivalries: