NBA Totals Betting

Written by: Joseph Falchetti, Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Last updated:
7 minute read

NBA totals betting guideNBA totals betting is the full amount of points scored in a game by both teams. It is important to note that even if the game goes to overtime, those points are still counted when concerning the game total that will be graded by the sportsbooks. Betting on NBA totals is less popular than point spread betting, but one betting market that sports gamblers can’t forget about, due to their high potential for profits.

Totals usually have much lower betting limits than NBA point spread markets because they’re an essential market for sharp bettors or wise guys to attack. There are countless strategies and betting systems to consider when you’re betting NBA totals. Below we will go over how to bet NBA totals and our best tips for maximizing your profits when betting pro basketball totals.

Best NBA Betting Sites 2024

Rank
Payment Grade
Rating
Bonus
Bet Now
Please wait ...
  • 1
    A+
    4.9/5.0
    100% Up To $2,500
  • 2
    A+
    4.2/5.0
    125% Up To $1,250
  • 3
    A+
    4.8/5.0
    50% Up To $1,000
  • 3
    A+
    4.9/5.0
    50% Up To $250
  • 4
    A+
    4.8/5.0
    100% Up To $500
  • 5
    A
    4.7/5.0
    100% Up To $1,000
  • 5
    A
    4.7/5.0
    50% Up To $1,000
  • 5
    A
    4.7/5.0
    50% Up To $1,000

How To Bet NBA Totals

If you’re a seasoned NBA bettor – you likely know how to bet on NBA totals. There isn’t much difference when it comes to placing a totals wager or over/under versus wagering on NBA moneylines or point spreads. However, there are a few necessary steps to take when it comes to betting NBA totals at online betting sites.

  1. Sign Up At An Online Sportsbook – Signing up at an online sportsbook is a simple process. Enter your email address and personal information, and you’re set. However, choosing the right sportsbook can be a little harder. At Safest Betting Sites, we keep bettors away from sites they should avoid and offer our top recommendations for the best online NBA betting sites.
  2. Make A Deposit And Get A Bonus – There are several ways to deposit at online sportsbooks. A credit card is the most convenient option, but those can sometimes come with high fees. We recommend cryptocurrencies due to their almost zero costs when it comes to depositing and withdrawing. When you sign up, you will receive an NBA deposit bonus. Deposit bonuses are excellent bankroll builders when starting out.
  3. Find NBA Betting Markets – Sportsbooks have straightforward menus, and they’re easy to use. Most will have the sports menu on the left side of the screen and at most betting sites that cater to US players – the NBA will be prominently featured. However, they can always be found under the basketball betting menu.
  4. Place An NBA Totals Wager – We have an excellent guide to NBA betting online if you’re new to sports betting. Once you have chosen the game and total you want to bet on, add it to your bet slip. From there, you select the amount. Be sure to double-check the selection and amount you’re betting before confirming your bet.
  5. Sit Back And Enjoy – Watching a game with a bet on it is about as most fun as you can have as a sports bettor and a fan. You can also bet on live NBA totals as the game plays out with NBA live betting. Some online betting sites might even offer you streaming of the game you’re live betting on or a live score page.

Tips For Betting NBA Totals

Just like anything in sports betting – you’re going to need a strategy to be a profitable NBA bettor when it comes to NBA totals. However, they’re an excellent market to attack, as figuring out how a game might play out when it comes to total points is often easier than trying to analyze which team will win the game.

Bet Early

Getting a jump on an early number is vital when it comes to betting totals. Often, odds move as soon as major sportsbooks open their odds, which is early in the morning. If you like a specific number, there is the option of betting the night before, but limits are usually quite low then. Still, getting an early start on the day and betting early in the morning will help you get numbers that may be long gone come the midafternoon.

Line Shopping

As always, line shopping is of utmost importance when it comes to success at winning at sports betting, and NBA totals is not an exception. Using multiple sportsbooks and line shopping is one of our best ways to assure yourself of getting the best price when wagering on NBA totals. A point or half-point can make all the difference at the end of the night when shots are bouncing off the rim or falling into the basket.

Focus On Unders

As you become a more knowledgeable sports bettor, you will notice that you’re betting on a lot more underdogs and unders, rather than favorites and overs. The under isn’t usually an attractive bet to the masses, which skews the lines at times. This is not to say you can’t bet on the over when betting NBA totals, but if you do your homework, you will almost certainly be drawn to betting more unders.

Best Betting Sites For NBA Basketball For US Bettors

Mybookie best sportsbook
  • Accepts Cryptocurrencies
  • Accepts credit card deposits
  • Timely payouts guarantees
  • NBA promotions and bonuses year-round
  • Generous deposit bonus up to $1000
  • Excellent software for desktop and mobile

Start Betting & Winning at Mybookie.ag

Why Bet At Mybookie?

MyBookie.ag is the top sportsbooks online. They have plenty of advantages over their competitors starting with a generous deposit bonus of 50% Up To $1,000. The number of betting markets provided is so vast that Mybookie is the betting site that you can “truly bet on anything.” They offer free credit and debit card deposits. Deposits and withdrawals are also fast and free of charge if you’re using cryptocurrencies.

sportsbetting best overall sportsbook
  • Accepts Litecoin and Bitcoin
  • Credit card deposits accepted
  • Excellent and timely payouts
  • Competitive odds for NBA
  • NBA specific bonuses offered each season
  • Large assortment of sports betting markets

Start Betting & Winning at Sportsbetting.ag

Why Is SportsBetting The Best?

When it comes to bonuses, payout options and speeds, and betting limits – SportsBetting.ag is one of the best sportsbooks online. They have a Welcome Bonus of 50% Up To $1,000 and also have a cryptocurrency bonus and life-time reload bonuses. SportsBetting’s wagering limits are among the highest for betting sites servicing Americans. Their payouts are fast, and they accept accounts from all 50 U.S. states.

NBA Implied Team Totals

los angeles lakers NBA Implied Team Totals bettingImplied team totals are team totals derived by the total of the game. These are different than team totals, which are another betting market, altogether. Implied team totals are not necessary to look at when it comes to wagering on NBA totals, but they do have some value when it comes to fantasy sports or DFS.

The formula for calculating implied team totals is as follows:

  • (total/2)-(spread/2)

Let’s go over this formula with an example. It needs to be used twice, both to calculate the favorite and the underdog’s implied total. For our example, we will use a game with a 227-point total with the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the Milwaukee Bucks. Let’s say you feel like betting on The Bucks and they’re a -9.5-road favorite.

First, let’s calculate for the Bucks:

  • (227/2)-(-9.5/2)

The Bucks spread in the second box comes with a negative (-) value because they’re the favorite. An underdog, as we will go over below when calculating the Cavaliers’ implied team total will be a positive value (+). If you plug the above formula into a calculator, you will get 118.25, which is the Bucks implied team total.

For Cleveland, the formula would look like this:

  • (227/2)-(+9.5/2)

We use the same game total for the Cavaliers’ team total calculation. The only difference is that the point spread is a positive value instead of a negative one. If we do the above calculation, we get 108.75. If we add 108.75 and 118.25 together, (108.75 +118.25 = 227) we get the 227-game total established by the oddsmakers.

How To Handicap NBA Totals

There is no magic formula or NBA betting system that will automatically allow you to win at NBA totals. Using some of the tips above is an excellent start, along with our NBA betting section. Handicapping sports and NBA totals combine a lot of factors. Improving your general skills as a sports bettor is a must when it comes to understanding probabilities and bankroll management.

If you use multiple sportsbooks, line shop, and understand the sport and odds movement, then you’re already off to a good start as an NBA totals bettor. The skills learned from betting on NBA point spreads, and moneylines will also help you to analyze totals markets. Handicapping totals is an absolute must if you’re serious about maximizing your profits as NBA bettor.

Maximum Bets On NBA Totals

In general, NBA betting has a much lower maximum betting limit compared to the NFL. NFL games, as you get closer the weekend, allow for large betting limits, as some betting sites accept wagers in then hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, NBA markets are much lower, and NBA totals are even lower than sides or point spreads. At one of our top-rated sportsbooks, MyBookie.ag, they have NBA totals with a maximum bet of $2,000.

This is in line with most other betting sites that accept US players, but you will find that some sportsbooks take considerably more than this number. If you’re looking to bet tens of thousands on NBA totals – you’re almost certainly going to need to wager at multiple sportsbooks.

NBA Totals Betting System

NBA Betting systems are not a strategy we recommend to sports bettors. This is because most of the betting systems posted online are in some way flawed or have already been adjusted against by the oddsmakers. It is rare that you find a betting system available publicly that is worth much for longer than a few months, if that.

One of the best strategies or “systems” to follow when comes to betting NBA totals is to keep an eye on the teams that play defense well. These usually are just a few teams in the entire league, perhaps four or five teams, that lead the league points allowed and have a much slower pace than others. Often, when these teams face higher scoring teams, the game total does not adjust adequately.

Start Betting NBA Totals Today At MyBookie.ag

About the Author

Joseph Falchetti

Joseph Falchetti

Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert

Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.

This content is not available in your location

We apologize for the inconvenience, but this content is not available.
Go Back
Bet Now Bet Now