Written by
Nikola Jekic
Last time updated
09/19/2023
The NBA is the pinnacle of basketball, so it’s no surprise that Aussies love to bet on it! Here we reveal what the top NBA betting sites for Australian punters are. The list includes sites with the best NBA betting apps, odds, and live betting features.
We also cover everything you should know about the NBA betting markets and how to place a bet. New players can take a look at the rest of the article, while experienced punters can jump straight to our recommended list.
If you are going to bet on the NBA, the most important thing is to make sure you find the best NBA betting sites, as listed above. Luckily for you, our betting experts have also looked at a depth of markets, quality of odds, sign-up offers and promotions, and the best apps for NBA betting.
PlayUp Is Our Top Choice
If you’re searching for the best NBA betting site in Australia, look no further! PlayUp provides the most comprehensive offer of NBA odds, markets and even DFS leagues too. You can also enjoy NBA live stats on their desktop site or the mobile app.
PlayUp is an overall great betting site, but when it comes to betting on the NBA, they are simply the best. We recommend you to check out our PlayUp review to learn more about this bookie or click the button below to place an NBA bet right away. We have also listed a few more reasons why PlayUp may be the perfect choice for your next NBA bookmaker, so scroll down and take a look.
For anyone wanting to find the best NBA betting app in Australia should consider the bet365 mobile app. It is one of the very best around and comes with plenty of great features. Signing up and using the app will make placing your top NBA bets fast and simple.
The latest odds will only be a few clicks away and using it to both wager and watch while on the go is a huge plus point for any serious NBA fan.
Those with Apple devices can head to the App Store to download the bet365 iOS App, while those with Android-powered phones can simply download the bet365 Android App via their mobile browser via the link on the bet365 mobile site.
The other bookies on our list also have great apps for betting on the NBA, so should also be considered to see how they suit your needs when looking for the best betting app for the NBA.
We present the list of the most important factors we use when accessing bookmakers for placing a bet on the NBA. You can use this process when picking your next bookmaker, and you’ll never end up with a subpar operator. If a betting site is way worse than the average in any of the mentioned categories, you should think about the other options.
Licenses
All the best NBA betting websites we recommend here have a valid gambling license issued by the Australian Government. This means that they are obligated to protect their customers and give them fair treatment. This isn’t the case with unlicensed and offshore bookmakers.
Quality of NBA odds
Sites from the top of our list offer very competitive NBA odds, but it’s still worthwhile to go around and shop for the best prices. Even a tiny difference in odds can make a huge difference, so always double-check if you got the best offer possible.
NBA betting apps
Having a strong mobile presence is crucial in today’s world. All the NBA betting sites you see here have native apps for iOS and Android, meaning that you can enjoy all the NBA bets and features from your smartphone. The likes of bet365 even allow you to watch live NBA games directly from the betting app.
Live betting
NBA is a dynamic league which makes it very convenient for live betting. Even though live betting in Australia works only on a click-to-call basis, you can still enjoy some in-play NBA action at every betting site you see here. Bet365 is the best option in this regard. They even stream live NBA games on their betting site.
Payment methods
All the NBA betting websites we recommend here have at least a few of the most popular payment methods like VISA, MasterCard, POLi, BPAY, PayPal etc. Having only 1 or 2 payment options is usually an indicator of a lousy betting site.
How to Bet on the NBA?
Online betting on the NBA is pretty simple. All you need to do is register an account, deposit, and find a market you like. In case this is your first time placing NBA bets, take a look at our step-by-step guide, where we explain everything you need to know beforehand.
Note that bookmakers will ask you for some personal details when registering an account. It’s a standard procedure, so there is nothing to worry about. We recommend only licensed betting sites, meaning that your personal details will be safe.
1
Register an account
Register a betting account with some of our top NBA betting sites.
2
Deposit
Place a deposit before betting. It can be as low as $10 with most bookies.
3
Find an NBA bet
Find an NBA bet you like. We explain below what markets you’ll have at your disposal.
4
Enter the amount
Pick the amount of money you’re ready to wager.
5
Confirm your bet
Click the button to confirm the bet and hope for the best!
How to Find the Best NBA Odds?
The quickest way to maximise any potential winnings from NBA bets is to find the best odds possible. NBA is very popular, so there will be no problems to finds a huge number of odds and markets at Australian betting sites. But keep in mind odds can be much different depending on a bookmaker. Assessing this aspect of betting is a great way to decide where to bet on NBA games.
So the only way to be 100% sure that you’ll be getting the highest possible value for your money is to look around and compare. That is exactly what we did while writing this review, just to give you an idea of what it should look like. NBA odds are changing all the time, meaning that you can’t ever be sure who’s offering the best terms before doing an odds comparison test.
NBA Odds Comparison
As you can see from the table below, it really does pay to check the prices being offered by different bookies. A $10 bet on Golden State to win 2023/24 NBA Championship would return $150 with PlayUp, but only $130 with Unibet and bet365. Just by shopping around, you have boosted potential returns by $20 for the exact same bet.
We looked at the top 15 in the market to give you an idea of how odds aren’t the same with every betting site. Other teams are available at bigger prices. Odds will also shift as the season progresses, so it’s always worth double-checking before you bet.
NBA Winner Odds 2023-24
Team
Denver Nuggets
5.5
5.5
5.5
Boston Celtics
5.5
5.75
6.5
Milwaukee Bucks
7.0
7.0
6.5
Phoenix Suns
7.5
7.5
7.0
Miami Heat
11.0
11.0
9.0
LA Lakers
13.0
13.0
15.0
Golden State Warriors
15.0
13.0
13.0
Philadelphia 76ers
19.0
16.0
19.0
LA Clippers
19.0
17.0
17.0
Cleveland Cavaliers
21.0
29.0
26.0
Dallas Mavericks
23.0
19.0
26.0
Memphis Grizzlies
26.0
26.0
26.0
New Orleane Pelicans
41.0
41.0
51.0
Sacramento Kings
51.0
41.0
41.0
New York Knicks
67.0
41.0
51.0
*Odds correct at the time of writing.
NBA Best Bets – Top NBA Markets in One Place
NBA newcomers and veterans alike will find plenty of useful information in this section. In the next few paragraphs, we will look at some of the key betting markets you can get involved in with NBA bookies from Australia. From match betting to player market and everything in between, if you are wondering how to bet on NBA games you should definitely keep on scrolling.
Outright/Futures Betting
Future betting markets allow you to place bets even before the season has started. For example, here you can back up a team you believe will eventually win a title or a conference. Outright odds on NBA are usually available months before the season begins, meaning that you’ll have enough time to contemplate. Since NBA is so popular, outright odds will be available at both big and small Australian bookmakers.
The earlier you place a futures bet, the better price you will usually get. The key to placing winning offseason futures bets is to keep abreast of all the latest NBA news.
For instance, the NBA draft is massively important and if you think a team has recruited well and is under the radar, you could get a nice price by backing them in one of the outright markets. Also, keep an eye out for trades, too as those also have a big effect on odds, particularly in the outright NBA Championship winner market. Here are a few of the most popular NBA future bets:
NBA future markets
League Winner – Back a team who you think will bring the championship home. This is the most common future market wager, so almost every bookie will provide NBA title odds.
Conference Winner – Place a bet on a team to come out on top of their conference. They don’t need to win overall for you to secure this bet.
NBA MVP – Bet on who will be the next MVP. Keep in mind that players who play alongside other superstars rarely win the MVP, because they tend to split the numbers with teammates.
Defensive Player of the Year – As you’d expect, this is all about backing the player you think will excel at keeping the opposition at bay as the campaign progresses.
NBA Rookie of The Year – This is where you can back up a young player who you think will get the award for the best newcomer to the league. Watch the NBA draft and listen to the scouts if you want to win here.
Coach of the Year – Which NBA coach will claim this award for his man-management and tactical skills.
NBA Prop Bets – These are bets on certain teams to achieve certain goals. Short for “Proposition Bets”, an example would be backing a team to reach the play-offs before the season starts.
Money Line/Head-to-Head/Match Betting
This is the simplest market for when the season has started and the action is well underway. In other sports, this market is known as the match betting market but will often be seen as the Money Line bet in basketball. Some bookmakers also call it head-to-head betting, but it’s basically the same thing. You just simply backing one team to beat another.
There is no option for a draw, so if the result is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, the game will go to five minutes overtimes until one side comes out victorious. This is the easiest market of all to understand, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable!
Handicap Betting
Handicap betting can help you get shorter or longer odds on your chosen match winner selection depending on the advantage or disadvantage you give them. Handicap betting is also commonly known as line betting, so don’t be surprised if you see that term also. It works in a way that bookies will give a points advantage to one of the teams before the match starts.
Example
For example, if in a clash between the Nuggets and the Jazz, you decide to back up Nuggets on the +3.5 points handicap markets, you’ll need them to lose by no more than 3 points in order for you to still win the bet. Look at it like you gave Nuggets a 3.5 points boost before the game has even started.
Over/Under Betting
One of the most interesting player markets is the over/under total points market. In this NBA market, you bet on the total number of points a player will score in an NBA match. Both Bet365 and Palmerbet have extensive markets available for over/under points total.
If you want to win an over/under bet, you simply predict whether a player will score more or less than the specified points total set by the bookmaker. Apart from that, you can also bet whether a single team or both teams combined will score more or fewer points than the bookie’s margin. This market is very popular with other sports as well. You’ve probably seen it already if you have been betting on soccer ever before.
Player Markets
With player markets, the focus is on a single player’s performance rather than a whole team. Similar to over/under bets, the bookmaker will set a margin, and then you try to guess whether a certain player will score more or less than the limit. Note that player markets aren’t limited to only points. You can also bet on many other state lines, like rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers etc. Here are how player NBA bets look in real life.
Example
Damian Lillard will score over 28.5 points against Utah Jazz
Nikola Jokic will grab under 12.5 rebounds against Los Angeles Lakes
Russell Westbrook will have over 3.5 turnovers against Toronto Raptors
Note: Margins are set as half of a point or a rebound, so it’s always clear whether a player scored over or under the limit.
Players betting requires a different approach than match betting. Here you should focus on individual matchups and style of play. For example, LeBron James likes to score in the paint, so he usually puts fewer points when playing against a team with a dominant rim protector. So when his team plays against the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s a smart move to bet that LeBron will score fewer points than the set margin.
Winning Margin
With winning margin markets, you try to predict not only a winner of a game but also the eventual points difference. This is a great way to boost your potential winnings since odds on winning margin markets are always higher than on similar head-to-head markets.
Aussie bookies offer a plethora of different margins to bet on. You have very wide margins at lower odds, like when you say that a certain team will win with a 10 to 20 points difference. But you also have shorter margins that promise much greater profits, for example, a win difference between 14 and 16 points.
First Basket Betting
With the first basket market, you have to choose who you think will score the first basket of the game (or for their team). Some bookmakers also form first basket scorer markets for every quarter. The best thing about first basket scorer bets is undoubtedly the odds as they can be very rewarding. However, there is a big reason for that.
Truthfully, first basket scorer markets can be very unpredictable. If you are looking to make a consistent profit, it might be better to look elsewhere.
Top Points Scorer
Another interesting NBA player market is the Top Points Scorer market. You bet on whichever player you think will amass the most points during the game. For example, if you spot a player with an excellent record in the past against a certain defence, backing them to score the most points is a no-brainer.
History often repeats itself not only in the NBA but in a host of other sports too. That is why so many shrewd punters almost religiously use head-to-head stats.
NBA Multis
Multi betting is one of the most popular ways of wagering on NBA matches. Punters love it because it significantly boosts the potential winnings. With multi betting, you pick two or more NBA bets and combine them in a single wager. The best thing is that the odds multiply for each selection you pick. This means that the final odds for the whole multi bet will be significantly higher than for single bets separately. Check out the example below to learn how this works in practice.
Example
Let’s say you want to combine three single bets into a multi bet. You have the following selections:
Boston Celtics to win against Philadelphia 76ers at odds of 2.00
Brooklyn Nets to win against Los Angeles Lakes at odds of 1.85
Phoenix Suns to win against Golden State Warriors at odds of 2.50
The final odds on your multi bet will be 9.25 because 2.00 x 1.85 x 2.50 = 9.25. The process works the same regardless of the number of bets you combine.
Note that risk is also increasing as you add new picks to your multi bet. All the legs have to win for you to have a successful multi bet, which means that the risk rises significantly with each new selection. The key is to find the right balance between risk and potential reward.
Also, keep in mind that multi betting isn’t limited only to match bets. When betting on NBA, you can combine winning margins, handicap markets, double markets, player markets, first basket etc.
NBA Same Game Multi
Same game multis work pretty much the same as regular multi bets, with the main difference being that you can now combine multiple legs across the same NBA match. This gives you much more freedom to find the winning combination.
You also need all the bets to win to have a successful multi, but in this case, odds aren’t just simply multiplied. This is because bookmakers take into account that different legs in the same game multi are mutually connected, meaning that you’ll end up with slightly lower odds. Bookies usually offer a feature on their sites that’ll help you calculate final odds for the same game multis.
Note that the same game multi may not be available at every betting site and for all matches. BlueBet is one of the bookies that allows the same game multis for almost all NBA games. You’ll notice the SGM logo next to valid matches.
Our basketball betting experts will bring you their top NBA tips ahead of the new season. We will look to highlight who can secure championship success in 2023-24. These will be based on squad strength and key match-ups. Check back to see our value picks ahead of the new campaign.
Geo restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to …Read more
NBA Strategies
Betting on the NBA is no joke. It’s probably the hardest basketball league to catch up with. There are 82 regular-season games plus the playoffs, meaning that you’ll have more than enough chances to try out all the strategies you want when thinking how to bet on the NBA.
But instead of learning everything by yourself, we advise you to check out our top 5 NBA betting tips to maximise your chance of winning. This advice can also be applied to general basketball betting, not just the NBA.
Top 5 NBA Betting Tips
Team News – Make sure to check for team news to see if any star players are injured. Also, because the season is so long, some players will take an occasional night off to rest.
Check Stats – Head-to-head stats and current form is very important, and backing teams that are playing with confidence can be very profitable.
Assess Markets – There are a massive amount of markets to choose from, but take time to check as many as you can, because a value bet can be found in unusual places.
Don’t Be Too Ambitious – Try to stick to single bets rather than big accas. Finding one winner is a lot easier than finding three or four, especially when starting betting.
Three-Point Shooter Form – Teams that tend to shoot a lot of threes can easily become hot and beat even much stronger opponents, but at the same time, they can go cold and lose easy home games. Be mindful of their top shooter’s form.
NBA Live Betting
Basketball is one of the highest-scoring and fastest-moving sports around. That makes live betting a really exciting way to wager on NBA matches. There is a catch, though, as due to regulations, Australian betting sites cannot offer in-play NBA betting directly via their desktop or mobile websites. However, they can display live odds on their sites and accepts bets over the phone.
You’ll see a phone number displayed prominently on their desktop and mobile sites, and all you have to do is pick up the phone, and an operator will place a live bet for you. It may sound confusing, but it’s actually very straightforward once you get the hang of it.
NBA live betting is very popular among Aussie punters, so you can expect 30+ in-play markets for every match, including the ones we list below.
Win a quarter or half
Over/under on team points/rebounds/assists in a quarter/half
Over/under on player points/rebounds/assists
Will a player score a double-double/triple-double
Over/under on 3-pointers
Over/under on free throws
Not all bookies offer live betting, but bet365 and Unibet are great choices. Bet365 has all the NBA games available for live betting and an excellent range of in-play markets. You can enjoy live stats and game visualisations and even watch live NBA games directly on the bet365 website or mobile app.
Betfair may not be as equipped as bet365, but they have one huge advantage. Since Betfair is a betting exchange, you can bet live on NBA without calling. All you need to do is enter their site and place a live bet like any other wager. No phone is required!
We mentioned that PlayUp is the most comprehensive NBA betting site, which offers a bunch of markets and specials. But when it comes to finding the best live streaming betting site, bet365 are one step ahead of all the others. It seems that American sports are very popular among Aussie punters. There are plenty of options for all of you who want to watch live games and bet on baseball or the NBA.
As well as having a great mobile app, bet365 also offers numerous HD streams, with the possibility to place bets with just a few clicks, without interrupting the game. Plus, they are known as the site with one of the top NBA betting offers, meaning that they have to offer much more than just live streams. Just sign up, have a positive account balance and start streaming NBA matches live on bet365 Australia app or desktop site.
Bet365 Live Streaming
Bet365 streams thousands of events every year, bringing you top sporting action including games from Europe’s top domestic Soccer leagues and Grand Slam Tennis tournaments, as well as Horse Racing from selected Australian, UK and Irish tracks.
Only available to eligible customers. To watch live sport, UK and Irish racing covered by Racing TV or US racing covered by At The Races, all you need is a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. To watch any other racing, you must place a qualifying bet of at least $1.00 Win or $0.50 Each Way on your selection(s). This applies to singles and Multi bets. Minimum stakes apply to Tote and other pool betting.
Any fixture/event on bet365 which has the Play or Video icon next to it is scheduled to be shown via Live Streaming.
Live Streaming is only available to eligible customers, and availability may be determined by the status of your account. If you are unable to watch live sport with bet365 and you are unsure of why this is, please contact customer support.
Under Australian law, we are required to inform you that Live Streaming on bet365 is exempt from Parts 3 and 4 of the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018.
How to Bet on NBA Playoffs & Finals?
Do you know what is the only thing better than the NBA regular season? The NBA Playoffs of course! That’s the time when the real action starts. The top eight teams from each conference will face each other in the best-of-seven game series for the right to go to the next playoff round and eventually reach the Finals.
Do you remember how we mentioned that some players don’t care too much about every single regular-season game? Well, playoffs are the time when everybody brings their A-game because now one bad performance can send you home early. The same goes with the NBA Finals, when things get even more intense with the championship on the line!
NBA Playoffs Betting Advice
Before you start placing your wagers, note that NBA Playoffs betting is a bit different, so you should keep in mind a few more things on how to bet on the NBA and the later phases of the season. Everything we mention here applies to NBA Finals betting as well. The first thing you need to know is that once the elimination phase starts, referees will allow much rougher playing. It means that there will be fewer fouls, fewer free throw attempts, and you’ll see many players won’t score as many points as before.
But on the other side, superstars always come to the fore when they are needed the most, so the likes of LeBron James and Kawai Lenard could well have several high-scoring games when the heat is on.
Another important thing is the home court. It’s always a big deal, but in the Playoffs and Finals, it’s even more crucial. Good teams will rarely lose in their town, and almost never two consecutive home games. When it comes to betting markets available, they are pretty much the same as usual.
Every Aussie bookmaker will provide both NBA Playoff odds and NBA Finals odds, meaning that every operator from our list will do the trick. However, don’t forget to shop around for the highest prices, because sometimes one bookmaker may be offering much more favourable terms than the others.
The first-ever NBA Championship game was played in 1947, and the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors) were the inaugural NBA Champions. They have enjoyed more success in recent years too, appearing in five of the last seven finals, winning three of them. However, that run has been quelled lately by the Raptors, Lakers and Bucks all enjoying title glory.
Golden State also has a long way to go to catch the two leading all-time NBA Franchises. The Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers lead the way with 17 NBA titles each, 10 ahead of the Warriors.
Kobe Bryant is a huge legend in the NBA and his points haul of 81 vs the Raptors in 2006 is a modern-day record. But, the highest all-time tally scored by a player was by Wilt Chamberlain against the Knicks. He ended the game with 100 points, a record that will be difficult ever to surpass.
Not Recommended NBA Betting Sites
NBA is widely available at almost every Australian betting site, but not all of these bookmakers are equally good. Some of them are simply bad, they offer only a handful of markets and lousy odds. The others aren’t even safe to use, so we highly recommend you stick with the recommended sites you see at the top of this page.
Not Recommended NBA Betting Sites
BetDeluxe
Poor selection of NBA markets
Live betting isn’t available
Poor design
RealBookie
Low BBL odds
Focused on racing not sports
Only a few payment methods
TopSport
Poor selection of live BBL markets
Odds aren’t competitive
App doesn’t work properly
Conclusion
You won’t be short of options when it comes to NBA betting markets and odds in Australia. However, it is vital you bet with the best bookie possible. This is why we rated and reviewed the top options to bring you our recommended list.
The best NBA betting websites have not only competitive odds but also offer great live streaming, fantasy markets, betting apps, and superb customer service.
The NBA is available at all of the top betting sites. We have listed 5 of the best ones at the beginning of this article.
We have rated and reviewed the best NBA betting sites for Aussie punters. In our opinion, PlayUp is one of the very top choices. They have a great selection of NBA markets and offer very high odds. On top of that, PlayUp has a partnership with Draftstars, in case you want to try fantasy NBA.
Where can I get the best NBA betting app in Australia?
When looking for the best app for NBA betting it is worth considering bet365. They have a host of great features and an app that makes placing bets quick and easy from wherever you are. However, all of our recommended bookies have impressive NBA betting apps, so consider what suits you best.
What betting site has the best NBA betting odds?
As our odds comparison table neatly illustrates, odds can vary a lot between Aussie betting sites. This is even more true for player markets and it again shows how important it is to shop around for the best price.
Do any Aussie NBA betting sites have NBA live streaming?
If you want to stream NBA basketball matches live in Australia on your desktop or mobile device, it is easy with bet365 Australia. If you sign up and make even a minimum deposit, you will qualify to stream NBA matches throughout the season. You can stream lots of other sports with bet365 too.
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