NBA betting: betting on the favorite and upsets

Basketball is one of the most loved sports for betting and undeniably NBA is one of the most betted on leagues in the world. Every year, from October till April, NBA fans get to watch their favorite teams play in order to secure a place in the playoffs, which are maybe the most exciting NBA games and then all the way up to the finals. 

For bettors, the NBA is not only an interesting league, featuring the star teams and star players, who are popular all across the world, but it is also a league which offers too many different options and opportunities for wagering and pursuing profit. The amazing thing with NBA betting is that it is literally everywhere and it is quite impossible to find a sportsbook that does not feature NBA bets. NBA betting in the Philippines, for example, is so popular that basketball bets, basketball discussions and basketball articles are hyped during both the regular season and the playoffs. 

For the recreational, novice or inexperienced bettors NBA betting is quite a challenge. This is for two reasons. 

First, it is that for those bettors who decide to place a wager for entertainment purposes, picking the favorite is in most cases the most attractive choice. Especially if the sportsbooks’ favorite is their own favorite team as well, they are more inclined to select this team to back eventually. 

But betting on the favorites does not guarantee profits and on top of that, too often, the payouts of bets on the favorites are relatively low. A strategy on betting on the favorites, can be a winning strategy but chances are that the profits will not be as high as in the case of chasing more value bets. 

The second reason is that the NBA is full of upsets and game turnarounds, making the strategy of betting on the favorite less of an attractive option. In fact, the NBA has some of the most exciting upsets in the history of sports, which have surprised both fans and bettors and have made their own contribution to the importance of a simple, yet very popular saying: ‘watching out for the underdog’!

Let’s look at some of the most unexpected NBA twists since the dawn of the new millennium.

One of the biggest upsets happened in 2007 when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in an episodic game that had everything. The Mavericks came in as the absolute leaders, but they soon got to be dwarfed by the Warriors, who notably managed to make it to the playoffs only the final day. 

A second very popular upset in NBA history is the Chicago Bulls loss to the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2012. Nobody expected that the Bulls would lose to the Sixers, especially since they were led by MVP Derrick Rose. Everyone anticipated a quick victory, but Rose’s injury altered completely the dynamics of the Bulls and gave Philadelphia a kick to success. 

Four years later, in 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Warriors amidst a forecasting hype wanting the Golden State Warriors as the absolute winners. That season, the Warriors had an amazing regular run and they were actually coming off as the soon-to-be indisputable champions, but things didn’t go as expected. Although the Cavaliers were not strong underdogs, it was seen as if the Warriors could easily handle them and so everyone was anticipating to see them win. Then one of the biggest upsets happened! Cleveland won their first NBA title, leaving everybody wondering what was the turning point that eventually brought them to the top of the league. 

These huge NBA upsets simply remind us that betting on the favorites in a game like basketball, where twists and turnarounds happen and happen big, is not always the best way to go. Always consider the underdog and keep a close eye on the team that is “deemed” to lose – because as you’ve seen it, nothing is guaranteed!

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