Bet on NBA Games Online in Pennsylvania

Basketball fans everywhere have criticized the NBA regular season for being too long and not having enough action. If you love the NBA but don’t get enough excitement in your regular season games, you may want to consider placing a real-money wager down on your favorite teams like the Philadelphia 76ers or Cleveland Cavaliers.

But how do you bet on NBA games online in Pennsylvania? What are the NBA games to bet on in PA? We will answer all of that and more. Read on and you can feel confident when you lay your money down virtually. 

How To Bet on the NBA

To bet on the NBA, you must sign up for one of the many sportsbook apps. We will cover those later, but first, we want to fill you in on some of the terminology you will see and hear in gambling spaces.

If you want to be a successful bettor, you need to know this terminology and understand the various ways you can wager on sports in Pennsylvania. 

Point Spread

Often when you hear a character in a movie talk about sports betting, you will hear them say things about the spread or the points. The point spread is a way for casinos to give roughly even odds for both teams by factoring in how much the casino favors one squad over another. It is easiest if we look at an example.

In this example, the Philadelphia 76ers are on the road with a tough matchup in the Eastern Conference against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are a powerhouse playing at home, so the casinos determine them to be the favorites. 

You will see the Bucks’ odds listed by the casino at -5.5. -5.5 means the team is favored by 5.5 points; if you wager on the Bucks with the point spread, they not only need to win the game but do so by at least 6 points. This is what gamblers commonly call covering the spread.

On the flip side is Philadelphia, who will have odds of +5.5. If you bet on Philly, they do not need to win the game but just lose by less than 6 for your bet to be a winner. 

Casinos typically pay out point spread bets at a 1:1 ratio. This ratio means if you bet $25 on the Bucks to cover, and they do, you will receive around $25 in profit along with your initial wager.

Moneyline

Where point spreads are somewhat complicated, moneylines are simple to understand. When you bet on a team’s moneyline, you are betting they will win the game straight up. Because there is no spread with moneyline bets, the odds will fluctuate wildly between games depending on the strength of the two teams.

For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the visiting Orlando Magic, a team on the rebuild. The casinos favor the Cavs heavily and they have a moneyline of -300. -300 means you must wager $300 to receive $100 in winnings. These are not particularly high-earning odds, but it is a safer bet than taking the point spread.

On the other side is the underdog Magic who the casinos give a moneyline of +280. +280 means you will win $280 if you bet $100 and your wager is correct. While this is a much higher payout than betting with the moneyline, where $100 will earn you about the same payout, it is much harder to accurately speculate.

If you are not as comfortable with doing the math in your head, use a bet calculator to figure out any given payout with any wager.

Aside from just betting on the outcome of the game, you can make bets on different aspects of the game. Gamblers call these prop bets; PA residents have several prop bets to choose from when wagering on games.

Over/Unders are the most common prop bets and involve you picking if a team or player will hit a certain statistical threshold during a contest. You can make over/under bets on the total points scored by the two teams or a player’s assist total.

Parlays

A parlay is a combination of bets; to win a parlay you need all of the selected bets to win. When you win a parlay, you receive a sizable payout, though the difficulty of winning a parlay increases with each additional leg.

For instance, say you made a parlay of the Sixers winning straight up, James Harden recording more than 8 assists, and the Knicks covering the spread. If all three of those outcomes are true, you will win a big payout, often several times greater than the initial wager.

Futures

Futures are bets you make about long-term outcomes through a season. The most popular future bet is a team’s win total. Casinos set a certain threshold, and you must predict if the team will win fewer or more games than the threshold. Gamblers may bet on a particular squad to make or miss the playoffs.

Other futures include betting on a player’s stats or the awards at the end of the season. If you believe this is the year Joel Embiid will finally achieve an MVP, you can wager on that before the season. Or if you think J. B. Bickerstaff will win Coach of the Year, bettors can lay a few dollars down on that outcome.

You may also gamble on the statistics a plate accrues during the regular season. If you believe Donovan Mitchell will lead the league in scoring or Joel Embiid will grab over 800 rebounds, you can make these wagers.

Where To Bet on NBA Games Online in Pennsylvania

Now that you know what the terms of the trade are, we will look at a few places you can wager online.

FanDuel

FanDuel is one of the biggest sportsbooks in the country and partners with several leagues. It began its life as a daily fantasy app before transitioning to focus on sports betting more.

DraftKings

Another app that began life as a daily fantasy game, DraftKings is a leading sportsbook in the country. They offer several new player promotions.

BetRivers

If you want to bet on NBA Games online in Pennsylvania, consider an app based in the Keystone State. BetRivers is the official app of the Rivers Casino in beautiful Pittsburgh.

PointsBet

Pointsbet has some of the widest variety of wagers you can make, including the company’s high-risk, high-reward Pointsbetting system.

All Casinos in Pennsylvania

• PointsBet
• BetRivers
• BetMGM
• DraftKings
• UniBet
• FanDuel
• Barstool Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook

Is it Legal to Bet on Sports in Pennsylvania?

Yes! Online sports betting has been legal in Pennsylvania for several years. In 2017 Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 271, paving the way for legalized sports betting.

Anyone interested in gambling on sports in Pennsylvania must be a resident of the state and be over 21. When registering at any online casino, you must prove your identity by inputting your address and social security number. Once the company verifies your identity, you are free to begin making deposits and betting on the app.

Tips for New Gamblers

If you are new to gambling or betting on the NBA specifically, we will give you a few tips to give you a leg up on the competition. 

It behooves us to say you should set a budget and always stick to it. No matter how much a sure thing a wager seems, it is never worth dumping all your funds into. Stick to your limits and always gamble responsibly.

Be sure to shop around the different apps and sportsbooks for the best odds. While the odds may not fluctuate too much between casinos, finding a half-a-point edge may be the difference between a bet hitting and missing.

In the same vein, taking advantage of as many new player offers and special promotions as possible will give you extra leeway and free money to work with.

Knowing is half the battle, and having the most information possible gives you the best chance of winning enough wagers to stay profitable. While casinos have entire teams dedicated to finding information, you must try and match it with your fact-finding.

Research the trends of the game, possible injuries or players who will be limited in the game, the recent schedules of the teams, and recent matchups. If you arm yourself with the most information possible, you will be able to find as many edges as possible.

Focus on verifiable facts, and do not trust any advice without researching it yourself.

Conclusion: Bet on NBA Games Online in Pennsylvania

Whether you are a diehard Sixers fan or just a casual enjoyer of the NBA, responsible wagering on games will give you even more enjoyment during the dog days of the NBA season. Or a few bets will turn the playoffs into an even more exciting event.

While not everyone is cut out to be a professional gambler, a few wagers here and there take sports to a new level. Happy gaming!