NBA futures betting can be both exciting and profitable.

Key Points

• NBA futures bets can offer more favorable odds and result in bigger payouts.

• Betting on the future NBA champion is the most popular NBA futures bet, but there are others including conference champs, division champs, and more.

Betting on NBA games is one of the most popular forms of sports betting these days. It’s fun, exciting, and can produce some nice profits if done right.

Bettors can also bet on future events during an NBA season. These NBA futures bets, like ones on the NBA champion for example, can produce some really big wins. Even favorites can be given favorable odds and lead to some large payouts.

NBA bettors can find plenty of futures bets. You may even find some winners from our free basketball picks. Here’s how you can have success in NBA futures betting.

NBA Futures Betting Example

Typically, NBA futures bets for a given season will be released once the previous season is complete. The most popular NBA futures bet is on the next champion.

NBA Championship to Win

Lakers +250

Celtics +700

Sixers +2000

We can use the above as an example. We’ll use just three teams. The Lakers are the overall favorite and are given +250 odds to win. If you place a $100 bet on the Lakers to win it all and they do, you would win $250.

You can see that Boston is not that far behind Los Angeles. A $100 bet on the Celtics would pay out $700 if they were to win. The longshot in this case is Philadelphia. A Sixers win would pay out $2000 on a $100 bet.

There have been a number of cases where sleepers with more favorable odds have come through and won an NBA championship. NBA bettors are wise to seek out teams with upside and through a bucks on some longshots.

Betting NBA Title Futures

When betting the NBA championship futures at your offshore sportsbook, timing is everything. The odds will change throughout the season. In our example, if the Lakers have several of their best players injured for long periods of time, their odds are going to lengthen.

Likewise, the Sixers may go on a run where they win 25 of 30 games. Instead of +2000 NBA odds, the 76ers odds may shorten to +1000, for example.

As an NBA futures bettor, when you pull the trigger on a bet can mean a big difference in payout. Picking a winner before the season has even started is difficult. The only things to consider are how the team performed the previous year and their offseason pickups.

Once a season has started, you will have some information based upon games played. At some point though, you have to make a decision and that choice will affect your payout.

Other NBA Futures Betting Options

While the NBA championship is the most popular futures bet, it is not the only one. Bettors can wager on the NBA MVP, conference champions, division champions, and even on the NBA draft.

One of the best things you can do if you are going to be betting NBA futures is to open accounts at multiple sportsbooks. This will allow you the opportunity to shop for the best prices on your bets.

Remember, timing is crucial and you may find more value at one sportsbook as compared to another.

Did you take a look at our most recent publication? We talked about betting the 2021 NFL Playoffs. Go check it out now and see what we thought.