NBA Futures Betting
NBA futures betting is a wager made for any future basketball event. Some common NBA future bets in pro basketball are related to NBA Win Totals, NBA Conference, and NBA Playoffs.
Individual game betting will always be the most popular market that garners the most substantial betting handle.
NBA Futures is still a market that some bettors forget about and that is a mistake.
All About NBA Futures
Best Betting Sites For 2024 NBA Futures Bets
Payouts Are Typically Higher
You won’t be able to wager as much on futures as you would sides and NBA totals of individual games, but payouts are typically higher.
Especially if you’re wagering on longshots. However, one key point about NBA betting futures is that they’re not the sharpest markets around.
NBA futures betting odds have higher vig than the 10% charged to straight wagers. However, the market is far less efficient, making it a profitable opportunity for bettors.
How Does NBA Futures Betting Work?
NBA futures work in the same way other futures markets operate. Placing a futures bet is quite simple, pick the team you wish to bet on, the amount, and place your wager.
NBA title futures are the most popular, but there are all sorts of futures available for betting, such as conference, divisional, and playoff futures.
Futures are outrights, meaning your selection must win for the bet to be graded as a winner. There are no pushes.
Best NBA Futures Bets
You have many options when it comes to betting on NBA futures. BetNow.eu offers a 100% Up To $1,000 sign up bonus and it has just about all the futures options you could want.
Here are a few options for the types of futures you can wager at BetNow and other betting sites.
NBA Championship Futures
| Team |  |
|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES LAKERS | +350 |
| MILWAUKEE BUCKS | +800 |
| LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS | +550 |
| BOSTON CELTICS | +1400 |
| TORONTO RAPTORS | +2000 |
| HOUSTON ROCKETS | +2500 |
| DENVER NUGGETS | +2000 |
| PHILADEPHIA 76ERS | +3000 |
| MIAMI HEAT | +1200 |
| DALLAS MAVERICKS | +2800 |
| UTAH JAZZ | +4500 |
| BROOKLYN NETS | +1100 |
| INDIANA PACERS | +12500 |
| NEW ORLEANS PELICANS | +5500 |
| OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER | +8000 |
| PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS | +4500 |
| MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES | +10000 |
| ORLANDO MAGIC | +25000 |
| SAN ANTONIO SPURS | +25000 |
| PHOENIX SUNS | +5500 |
| SACRAMENTO KINGS | +25000 |
| CHICAGO BULLS | +25000 |
| MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES | +15000 |
| CLEVELAND CAVALIERS | +25000 |
| NEW YORK KNICKS | +15000 |
| GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS | +2000 |
| ATLANTA HAWKS | +10000 |
| DETROIT PISTONS | +20000 |
| CHARLOTTE HORNETS | +12500 |
| WASHINGTON WIZARDS | +12500 |
These are odds to win the NBA Championship. This is the most popular betting market when it comes to futures. In this market, we’re picking the team we think will win the NBA Finals.
The LA Lakers are the firm favorites to win at +350. They look to repeat after winning the title in the 2019-20 season in the COVID NBA bubble.
NBA Conference Futures
Odds to Win 2021 Eastern Conference
| NBA Team | |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | +125 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +350 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +450 |
| Toronto Raptors | +1100 |
| Boston Celtics | +1200 |
| Miami Heat | +1600 |
| Indiana Pacers | +1700 |
| Washington Wizards | +3500 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +5000 |
| Orlando Magic | +6000 |
| New York Knicks | +7000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +7500 |
| Chicago Bulls | +12500 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +12500 |
| Detroit Pistons | +20000 |
Odds to Win 2021 Western Conference
| NBA Team | |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +140 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +225 |
| Utah Jazz | +400 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1400 |
| Phoenix Suns | +1900 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2600 |
| Portland Trailblazers | +2600 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +2700 |
| Golden State Warriors | +2900 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +3300 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +7000 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +8500 |
| Houston Rockets | +8500 |
| Sacramento Kings | +12500 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +30000 |
Betting on the conference winner is the second most popular future in NBA betting markets. Bettors can wager on the winner of the Western and Eastern conferences.
NBA Divisional Futures
| Team | |
|---|---|
| BROOKLYN NETS | +270 |
| BOSTON CELTICS | +1800 |
| PHILADEPHIA 76ERS | +165 |
| TORONTO RAPTORS | +5000 |
| NEW YORK KNICKS | +10000 |
Not all sportsbooks will have an option to place divisional NBA futures bets, but most should these days. In this market, you’re betting on which team will win each of the NBA divisions.
Other NBA Futures Bets You Should Wager
Here are a few other popular futures bets you can place before the NBA season:
- Win Totals – you bet on how many games an NBA team will win during the season.
- Making the Playoffs – you bet on who’s making the NBA Playoffs at the start of the season. Available for both Western and Eastern conference teams.
- Futures for Players – you bet on the players most likely to win awards, such as the NBA MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player, Sixth Man, and Most Improved Player during the season.
NBA Futures betting can be quite fun and the bets can focus on specific things that might happen across the games.
The online sportsbooks can come up with a lot of interesting futures choices, ranging from who might get suspended, who might be traded, and so on.
Top Sportsbooks For NBA Futures Betting
Below are the best NBA sportsbooks where you can place all of our futures bets:
| Rank | NBA Betting Site | Deposit Bonus | Highlights | Get Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Deposit Bonus 100% Up To $2,500 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
| 2 |  | Deposit Bonus 50% Up To $250 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
| 3 |  | Deposit Bonus 125% Up To $1,250 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
Make Sure To Check Our Full List Of The Best NBA Betting Sites
How To Bet On NBA Futures
You could be betting NBA futures today, it only takes 3 simple steps to palace a wager:
Choose A Sportsbook
All sportsbooks offer NBA title and conference futures, but it’s possible that futures on player awards, such as MVP may not be available. It’s good to research your sportsbook before signing up. Check out our top NBA betting sites.Make A Deposit
Bitcoin is the most popular option, but most sportsbooks take several different cryptos. We recommend using cryptocurrencies when making a deposit into an online betting site.
There are more traditional options, such as debit and credit card deposits, as well as bank wires.
Place Your Bet
Once you have decided on your market and selection – it’s time to place your bet. Enter the amount and click confirm or submit on your bet slip. Be sure to check that the selection and amount are correct before placing your bet.
Basketball Futures Betting Tips and Strategy
There are a few tips that one can use to maximize their profits when betting NBA futures. The market is a little more complicated than betting straight wagers, but many of the same principles still apply.
Betting Tip #1Use Multiple Sportsbooks
Bettors will find a lot more differentiation in the odds when it comes to NBA futures compared to other betting markets. That’s why it is essential to have money at a few different sportsbooks to line shop correctly and always get the best price.
NBA futures, even more so than straight wagers, are heavily price dependent. If you’re going to tie up your bankroll for several months in many cases – you ought to get the best odds out there on your bet.
Betting Tip #2Wagering On Heavy Favorites Isn’t Ideal
It’s not a hard and fast rule but wagering on the odds-on favorite in futures markets isn’t a place to find a lot of value.
The main reason for this is the vast majority of bettors are wagering on the favorite to win. This is especially true for stuff like the NBA Championship.
This inflates the odds and one of the reasons why there is so much more vigorish in futures markets compared to straight wagers.
Betting Tip #3Utilize Hedging When You Have Potential Winner
We don’t always advocate hedging. In fact, bettors do it too often. But, in the case of a futures bet that has a big payout – it can be a solid strategy to lock in a profit.
For instance, if you bet a team to win the NBA Championship and they make the NBA Finals – you place a wager on the series line for the other team and lock in a profit.
Whether you decide to hedge is up to you, but it is a strategy to consider with any futures wager when there are two teams left. If you stand to win a “life-changing” or a large amount of money, it should certainly be considered.
Placing Many NBA Futures — Not Ideal For Beginners
We don’t recommend betting many futures if you’re a new bettor, at least not for large amounts. The reason for this is that it ties up a bankroll and is an exceptionally high vigorish market.
That money is put to better use betting day-to-day. Still, the NBA betting basics apply when betting futures.
Always line shop correctly, avoid odds-on favorites, for the most part, and look for teams that are undervalued by the oddsmakers.
Futures take place over a longer time frame compared to traditional wagering. In many cases futures might take months to settle.
