Top 4 NBA Betting Apps
One thing gamblers will learn quickly is it's best to shop around. Lines and choices are not the same at all basketball betting sites. Knowing where and when to look at different lines is key for NBA betting success.
Best Overall NBA Betting App: DraftKings Sportsbook
They may not be No. 1 in market share, but DraftKings Sportsbook Kentucky has NBA bet choices ranging from the very simple to the very complex.
But first, we advocate waiting until 15 minutes before tipoff because of those two words that all NBA fans hate: "load management," where coaches give players the night off for rest. This was never permitted under former commissioner David Stern, but Adam Silver tolerates it (perhaps to a fault)—not great for fans, especially those who purchased tickets, but can be especially advantageous for bettors.
If you have done your homework and can adjust on the fly when a regular starter is undergoing load management, you are already one big step ahead of the game no matter which of the top NBA betting sites you choose.
- 📲 App Features: Quick Same Game Parlay, Bonus Bets & Special Offers
- 🎁 Promotions: Profit Boosts
- ✅ Total States Live: 17
Best NBA Betting App for Bonuses: Caesars Sportsbook
If you like going to Las Vegas, you absolutely cannot beat Caesars Sportsbook in Kentucky. Caesars Rewards are tied to Harrah's, and Harvey's, which can get you complimentary or discounted hotel rooms and dining, free casino play and more.
You have to open a My Caesar's Rewards account to collect, and then it's off to the races during and before the NBA season. Futures markets on the 2023-24 season currently being offered include over/unders for rookie Victor Wembanyana's scoring and rebounding totals (17.5 and 8.5).
- 📲 App Features: Notifications for Real-Time Offers & Referrals
- 🎁 Promotions: First Bet Bonus
- ✅ Total States Live: 20 (incl. D.C.)
Best NBA Betting App for NBA Odds: BetMGM Sportsbook
Odds can vary from site to site, so you have to shop around. BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook consistently has higher payout odds on NBA game lines.
As the start of the regular season approaches, be sure to check this operator for futures on award winners, which can vary greatly from site to site more than other common wagers. If you like a long shot for Defensive Player of the Year, for example, boost your bet.
This operator offers exact outcome odds for the NBA Finals, which other books do not.
- 📲 App Features: Automatic Geolocation Switching, "Know When To Call a Timeout," & Lion's Boost
- 📝 Promo Code: BETKYCOM
- 🎁 Promotions: $100 In Bonus Bets On Launch Day
- ✅ Total States Live: 21 (incl. D.C.)
Best NBA Betting App for User Experience: FanDuel Sportsbook
The ability to parlay horse bets with NBA wagers will appeal to numerous Kentucky sports bettors. FanDuel Sportsbook Kentucky is big on the thoroughbred industry and even has a TV channel devoted almost entirely to horse racing. Because this operator advertises and partners with TNT on Thursday night telecasts, hosts will highlight wagers during the nationally televised games.
In-game wagering is especially user-friendly on an app notable for its clear font and easy-to-read blue and black color scheme. Some apps have a lag time—this one does not.
- 📲 App Features: Career Stats & Live Game Streaming with "Live Now" Menu
- 🎁 Promotions: $50 Refer-a-Friend
- ✅ Total States Live: 19
Top 4 NBA Betting Promos & Bonuses
This is extremely important: The promos and bonuses are lucrative, but there are terms and conditions that MUST be read. Follow those rules or your bonus funds will vanish.
Best Overall NBA Betting Promo: BetMGM
Let's say you are a big Walker Kessler fan, and you believe the former NCAA Defensive Player of the Year is going to bust out for the Utah Jazz this season, especially after playing in the FIBA World Cup.
Well, he is +3500 for Most Improved Player, and BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook will have NBA boosts when the preseason begins. Simply opt in, and that +3500 becomes a more lucrative NBA wager.
It makes for an excellent NBA betting experience.
Trending NBA Betting Promo: Caesars
Let's say you're high on the Spurs, and you are convinced French phenom Victor Wembanyama is good enough to get the Spurs to the final eight of the Western Conference postseason.
Click on the line (+1000), and then click on whatever Caesars Sportsbook KYpromo codes are being offered on any given day. Those offers change, so check regularly.
Best NBA App for Live Betting Promos: FanDuel
Because of FanDuel's partnership with Turner Sports and the NBA, this is the best operator for live in-game betting promos, since you don't have to be staring at your phone when the game is on.
In-game wagers are posted frequently during commercial breaks when there are timeouts, so if the FanDuel Kentucky Sportsbook app is already open you can grab a bet you like as soon as you see it on TV. Nobody else does that.
Other Types of NBA Betting Promos We Like
Fanatics will have a "Name a Bet" feature that allows gamblers to wager on something that is not already offered. It can sometimes take a little while for your desired bet to be posted, but it will be sent to your e-mail once it's live. This is a feature that will set Fanatics Sportsbook KY apart from everyone else.
Is it Legal to Bet on the NBA Online?
It's no longer illegal to bet on the NBA online. In 2018 the United States Supreme Court struck down the law knows as PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), allowing each state to decide whether to allow sports gambling. More than 30 states, along with the District of Columbia, have come online.
NBA Betting in Kentucky
Kentucky online sports betting will launch on Sept. 28, while retail sports betting is already live at licensed racetracks & satellite locations.
That means Kentucky bettors no longer have to drive to neighboring states to wager legally on something other than horse racing.
NBA Betting in the USA
- 📅 2023: ESPN is expanding into sports gambling with ESPN BET after partnering with PENN Entertainment. It remains to be seen how sports betting will be integrated into ESPN broadcasts.
- 📅 2021: NBA.com launches a gambling home called NBABet, accessed through LeaguePass. This is expected to be further integrated into the NBA App as the league's partnerships evolve.
- 📅 2020: Turner Sports' partnership with FanDuel begins, allowing Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal to weigh in with their picks on live TV.
- 📅 2020s: In-game betting has been a game-changer. No longer must a bettor make a choice before the game only.
- 📅 2014: Commissioner Adam Silver is an early advocate of legalizing sports betting, writing an New York Times op-ed. That betting-friendly attitude allowed the NBA to capitalize on sport gambling partnerships more quickly than other pro sports leagues.
Popular NBA Events To Bet On
Futures markets are the most fun to wager on. You can pick a player or coach in the preseason who you expect to win an award and monitor that NBA wager throughout the season as that market evolves.
The NBA is going to have its first in-season tournament in 2023-24, and lines have already been posted on which team is going to win. Because there is a financial incentive for first- and second-place finishes and no precedent for this tournament, there's no way to gauge whether load management will play a part, making this is a long shot opportunity in theory. For example, Boston (+650) is the only team with odds shorter than +1000.
NBA exact matchup wagering at BetMGM is especially fun because of the odds that are available preseason.
NBA Playoffs
NBA playoff odds are enticing for bettors who believe in sleeper teams. The Wembys (Spurs), for example, have the longest odds (+1100) on the board at DraftKings. BetMGM has dozens of variations on division odds, which involve likely playoff teams.
NBA Finals
The most common futures bet is normally on NBA Championship Odds, with the Boston Celtics as the preseason favorite. There is not much variance for the top teams, but you can find a sneaky-good team like the Clippers ranging from +1800 to +2200 odds.
Exact outcome bets at DraftKings require you to pick the winner and the loser of the NBA Finals, whereas BetMGM only requires you to pick the last two teams left in the NBA playoffs.
NBA MVP
The NBA MVP award is the most popular player award futures market, and many experts believe it will be a three-man race between Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Luka Doncic. LeBron James is also in the mix at +2200 odds (BetMGM).
Eastern/Western Conference Champs
Every book has wagers available for division winner and conference winner, and the best variant available is BetMGM's exact finish in the division wager. This is a particularly cool place to go value shopping with your crystal ball.
NBA Rookie of the Year
It's all about Wemby ... until it isn't.
DraftKings has a special "Wemby" category that includes short odds (+300 to score 40 in a game) and long odds (+30000) for both Victor Wembanyana to win Rookie of the Year and the Spurs to win the title.
Chet Holmgren of the Thunder (+350) and Scoot Henderson of the Blazers (+450) are the only players with single-digit odds at BetMGM. Betting options in this category require savvy shopping, especially on long shots.
NBA Draft Betting
We will not see NBA Draft odds on the major sports betting sites until midseason, and then it'll be all about who goes No. 1 overall.
The best time to wager on this is the day of the draft, as markets move significantly based upon reports from insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania. Woj and Shams both got the top 3 wrong in 2023.
Remember this in June 2024: These things happen in threes.
Choosing An NBA Betting Site
Here is the trick to legal sports betting on the NBA: Open as many Kentucky sportsbook app accounts as possible, and read the find print. While those bonus offers are real, the terms and conditions can be tricky. We cannot emphasize enough how important that is.
Once you become familiar with apps' software, navigation and user experience, it'll become a matter of personal preference. It will behoove sports bettors to shop around regularly.
Some books update lines more quickly than others. Player awards futures lines often move at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, giving East-Coast Kentucky bettors an advantage.
Types of NBA Bets Offered
Sportsbooks' moneylines and point are generally the same. One of the tricks to being a savvy sports gambler? Finding sportsbooks that allow you to create parlays yourself.
Sportsbooks have moved toward a Same Game Parlay model in which only pre-selected parlays are available. During the season, certain parlays will be available at some sportsbooks, but not others.
On a 12-game night, there are infinite numbers of player props that can be parlayed with game lines and moneylines. Get creative.
Odds and Betting Lines for NBA Games
The line in the morning may not look the same as the line just before tipoff, as injuries, load management, and travel impact the line. Sportsbooks also adjust their lines if too much action is coming in on one team.
In-game betting lines can often be the most lucrative: In the NBA an 18-point first-half lead can be erased quickly. Pick your spots wisely here when in-game betting, and you will be rewarded. The moneyline is often the way to go when expecting a comeback.
NBA Betting Bonuses
Different sportsbooks offer different boosts on different days, and there is no predicting who will have the best offer on any given night. This is another reason why you should wait until 15 minutes before tipoff before wagering. You'll have time to shop around for bonuses, stay up to date with news, and wager wisely.
I suggest using first-deposit bonus bets in the awards futures markets, allowing that money to ride throughout the season.
User Experience
Sportsbooks have generally gotten better about making their laptop and app versions easier to navigate because that is where customer loyalty is built. My advice is to put up with the difficult-to-navigate sites no matter how frustrated you get, because lines are different at different books, and patience is a virtue. So is winning.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Every book uses online banking and PayPal; some books have other variants including gift cards, credit cards, Venmo, etc. Putting money in is very easy, but withdrawing can be more difficult depending on their customer service. Every sportsbook must pay in a timely manner to stay legally compliant. This is why legalized sports gambling is better than the alternative.
Customer Service
If there a sportsbook makes its agents available by phone, keep that in mind. E-mail and chat, especially bots, can be impersonal, confusing, and frustrating. Some are OK with e-mail communication; others want a human on the other end of the phone. Experience has shown a human on the phone can get things done much faster than a bot or moderator.
Generally, the bigger the book, the better the customer service is. Brand loyalty comes from here as much as anything else. If an agent does a good job, I suggest giving them five stars. Those ratings matter to those folks.
Mobile NBA Sports Betting Apps
The importance of checking app ratings before downloading varies from person to person. These ratings can be artificially influenced by complainers when it comes to a rating score.
It's more helpful to read specific comments to see what actual users had to say about their experience. Remember: People who are satisfied with a product generally do not rate it; they just use it. So take these ratings with a grain of salt.
Rules differ between states. You may want to look for comments from New Jersey users, for example, because NJ has the most customer-friendly regulations in the U.S.
How To Download Apple iOS NBA Betting Apps
Here's how you can download NBA Betting Apps to your iOS device:
- ✅ Open the Apple App Store on your iOS mobile device.
- ✅ In the search bar, type the name of the app you would like to download.
- ✅ Select the app, then click "Get" (the apps are free to download)
- ✅ Set up a username and password; write them down in a safe place. Many sports betting apps will lock you out after three unsuccessful login attempts.
How To Download Android NBA Sports Betting Apps
Here's how you can download NBA Betting Apps to your Android device:
- ✅ Open the Google Play Store on your Android mobile device.
- ✅ In the search bar type the name of the app you would like to download.
- ✅ Select the app, then click "get" (the apps are free to download).
- ✅ Set up a username and password and write down your password in a safe place. Many sports gambling apps will lock you out after three unsuccessful login attempts.
How To Bet On The NBA Odds Online
Rule No. 1: Try to win more than you lose. If you follow Rule No. 1, you will be a happy gambler. Find a system that suits you, even if it is by trial and error.
If you are OK with the book picking your same game parlays, that'll make things very easy for you. If you like spreading parlays across different games—some on player props, some on points spreads and money lines—you'll find that lucrative parlays can be built using just one unlikely outcome.
It's important to stick to your limits. Keep it fun.
More: How to Bet on Sports in Kentucky
How do NBA odds work?
The favored team will be giving points, but favorites do not always win.
When they lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Miami Heat last season, the Boston Celtics were favored by 7.5 points. The Heat were +239 on the moneyline in that game, meaning a $100 win bet paid $339—$229 in profit plus the $100 that was wagered is returned.
Player prop bets put a line on how many points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks or 3s a player will record an any given night. Futures odds deal with long term outcomes.
NBA Moneyline Betting
A heavy favorite is one for a reason, so when the expected outcome happens, the payoff is small. But parlaying several moneyline bets, even with heavy favorites, can produce much better returns. If you likes three heavy favorites to win outright and one underdog to join them, you can enjoy games without worrying about point spreads.
Therein lies the beauty of moneyline bets: It is a win or lose proposition, simple as that. If some player makes a meaningless bucket at the buzzer that makes the spread bettors go crazy, the moneyline better can remain aloof.
NBA Spread Betting
This is where you learn about bad beats, and their distant cousins, lucky shots. If Team A is favored by 1 1/2 points over Team B, and Team A wins by 2, everyone who wagered on Team A wins, and vice versa. But if Team B loses by 1 point, everyone who wagered on Team B wins their bets.
NBA game spread generally changes over the course of one or two days after they are first posted, based primarily on how much action is coming in on each team. Sportsbooks set lines anticipating that equal action will come in on both teams, but that is not always the case. That is what makes lines move, and that is also why we advise waiting until 15 minutes before tipoff to make a bet. You will know who is playing, and you'll have an advantage over those who locked in their bet earlier.
NBA Over/Under Betting
The point total of an NBA game determines whether the over or the under hits.
Last season, the best team on over/under (in terms of going over) were the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz, who both went 47-33-2. The worst was the Charlotte Hornets, who went over only 34 times in 82 games. But if you were an under better, you hit nearly 60 percent of the time by playing Hornets under.
Some sites, such as DraftKings, show you teams' over/under trends.
NBA Parlay Betting
In a parlay, two or more bets are combined. On a 10-game NBA slate, any book will let you parlay over/unders and spread bets on as many of the games as you would like, but a 10-team parlay card is especially difficult to hit.
I suggest doing your homework and only picking the games that you feel are highly likely to hit. If you play four-pick parlays seven nights a week and are hitting on four of seven nights, you will be operating at a profit. That is the name of the game.
NBA Player Props
Player props have to do with individual statistics such as points scored, rebounds grabbed, assists given out, etc. Every game will have numerous individual player props, but substitutes often do not have lines listed, which can diminish your chances if a starter is not playing and his replacement is not on the board.
The trick here is to know your favorite teams inside and out, and to shop around with all of your accounts to see which books are listing substitutes along with starters.
NBA Team Props
Team props are usually referenced when talking about futures odds, such as odds to make the playoffs or win the NBA finals, etc. But point totals, alternate point totals, and alternate spreads are always available.
So if you think the Pacers are so overmatched that they will lose by at least 15 points despite being 8-point underdogs, you can click on "alternate spread" and lay 14.5 points, increasing your odds. This is another example of why waiting until shortly before tipoff is so important.
NBA Futures
There are player futures, tied to awards and statistical races, and there are team futures, which we discussed above. I have an affinity for player future markets, because there is tremendous value during the preseason on certain markets, including Most Improved Player. This is an award that often is not decided until the final month of the season, and odds fluctuations can be huge over the course of the a season.
Do yourself a favor and bookmark NBA Player of the Year at your favorite sportsbooks, and remember that odds are usually not adjusted until 9 a.m. Las Vegas time, which is 12 p.m. Kentucky time.
Get Started Betting On The NBA
You will want to determine a strategy when you start betting, and you will want to have a Plan B if Plan A is not working. If your are new to NBA betting, start slowly with one to three picks per night and small wagers. The season is 82 games and six months long, so there is plenty of time to let trends develop and to make money. Remember, injuries happen and expectations change.
Last season, the Dallas Mavericks punted their final game to be in the lottery and keep their pick rather than be in the play-in tournament. In instances such as that, think like an owner: What is best for the team's long-term prospects, and how will that manifest itself in tonight's game?
NBA Betting Apps FAQs
Yes, you can bet on the NBA online on your phone or your laptop, but you will have to be registered with every sportsbook you wager with, and you must comply with geolocation software. You'll have to be physically located in a state with legalized sports betting and be above the legal betting age.
That is up to the user and what the user prefers to wager on. Every sportsbook is the best in one way or another, and every user needs to pick a favorite for whatever reason each individual chooses. But every user should also keep multiple accounts to keep options open. The best app is an app that you win with.
This depends on the game and/or the market, and odds are constantly changing. No app always has the "best" odds. Some apps have longer odds than other, which is why you want multiple accounts. You may like BetMGM's odds one day, Fan Duel's the next. There is no right or wrong here.
The most trusted NBA betting apps in Kentucky will be BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars, among othersAll apps for companies licensed in Kentucky must be compliant with state regulations, and there are harsh penalties for non-compliance. So as long as it is a legal app in Kentucky, you can trust it.
The most common odds are point spreads and over/unders. Bettors pick a team based on the expectations for a high- or low-scoring game. Nobody wins and nobody loses every single night, so manage your expectations. There will be good days and bad days.
Typically the point spread is the most commonly wagered NBA bet, and the over/under (or totals) bets come in second. In futures markets, the NBA MVP Award winner and NBA Finals winners are also among the most popular bets.
This is a wager on a particular team to win. If the favored team wins, the moneyline will pay less than even money. If the underdog wins, the payoffs are bigger. For example, is a +325 underdog wins, a $100 bet pays $425 -- $325 in winnings, plus the $100 that was wagered.
This is a bet in which a team must cover the spread in order to reward its backers. If the Bucks are favored by 7.5 and win by 8+, everyone who took the Bucks wins. If the Bucks win by 7 or less or lose, everyone who bet them on the spread line loses.
This is a bet that combined the point totals of the two NBA teams will be more or less than a given number. In every NBA game, the "under" is winning if and until the over/under number is eclipsed.
Combining at least two wagers into one bet makes a parlay. But in a parlay, whether it is two bets, 5 bets or 12 bets, all of them have to hit in order for the wager to be graded as a winner.
These are bets that usually involve a player or a team achieving a particular statistical milestone that don't have anything to do with the game's final score. This can include an individual player's point total or a team's total number of three pointers made. Prop is short for "proposition."
These are bets that have to do with who will be successful in the future. Who will win the championship is a popular futures bet, and there are multiple variants. This is the best place to wager if you believe you are sitting on a sleeper player or sleeper team.
Author
Chris Sheridan is a veteran NBA writer who has been covering the league since 1992, with a specialty in international basketball after being credentialed for every Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta. He has been covering sports gambling since 2018.
