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 | PUCK |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, May. 22, 08:05 pm |
Florida Panthers at | (+1.5) -243 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | (-1.5) +202 | |
| Fri, May. 23, 08:05 pm |
Edmonton Oilers at | (+1.5) -235 |
| Dallas Stars | (-1.5) +195 |
Thursday, May. 22, 08:00am EDT
| GOLFER | MONEY |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +215 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2500 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3500 |
| Jordan Spieth | +2800 |
| Daniel Berger | +2200 |
| Maverick McNealy | +3500 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +6500 |
| J.T. Poston | +3500 |
| Harris English | +2800 |
Saturday, May. 24, 01:30am EDT
| DRIVER | MONEY |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +550 |
| Tyler Reddick | +800 |
| Ryan Blaney | +800 |
| William Byron | +800 |
| Christopher Bell | +700 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | SPREAD |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, May. 22, 08:35 pm |
||
| Minnesota Timberwolves at | (+7.5) -113 | |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | (-7.5) -107 | |
| Fri, May. 23, 08:05 pm |
||
| Indiana Pacers at | (+5.5) 100 | |
| New York Knicks | (-5.5) -120 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | SPREAD |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, May. 22, 07:35 pm |
||
| Indiana Fever at | (-3.5) -115 | |
| Atlanta Dream | (+3.5) -105 | |
| Thu, May. 22, 08:05 pm |
||
| New York Liberty at | (-11.5) -105 | |
| Chicago Sky | (+11.5) -115 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | RUN LINE |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, May. 22, 03:15 pm |
Philadelphia Phillies at | (-1.5) -190 |
| Colorado Rockies | (+1.5) +165 | |
| Thu, May. 22, 06:50 pm |
Atlanta Braves at | (-1.5) 105 |
| Washington Nationals | (+1.5) -125 |
| DATE | MATCHUP | MONEY |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, May. 24, 03:00 pm |
Seattle Sounders | -225 |
| Dallas | +650 | |
| Draw | +345 |
May 20, 2025
Watch the Oklahoma City Thunder rout the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-88, at Paycom Center on Tuesday night for a 1-0 lead in their West Finals Series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points and nine rebounds. Credits to the video owner.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is widely considered as the best hockey league in the world. A total of 30 teams (23 from the US and seven from Canada) compete in the league to win the Stanley Cup, dubbed as the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
An NHL season begins with the exhibition season every September. Meanwhile, the regular season starts from the first week of October and runs through early or mid April. This is immediately followed by the Playoffs that last until the Stanley Cup Finals in June.
During the course of the regular season, each team plays a total of 82 games. With a lot of teams to choose from and a lot of games to bet on, NHL betting fans certainly have their hands full when making a pick. Here are a few NHL Betting tips to ponder on before making a wager.
The goalie is arguably the single most important player on the ice, and your bet hangs on how he performs.
As in any sport, defense wins games and the goalie is the focal point of the defense. As the NHL season progress, certain teams rest their starting goalie and the back-up goalie gets a chance to play.
This can open up a profitable opportunity for bettors you look closely.