Basketball betting strategy: Bet the Under if Over seems to happen

Basketball betting strategy: Bet the Under if Over seems to happen

Basketball betting strategies: Under/Over
Autor betsonly 10 Apr 2018

We give some tips on one of the most recognised basketball betting strategies: Bet the Under if Over seems to happen. Check it out!

In terms of betting on the sport, one interesting basketball betting strategy takes place during a live game at the end of the third quarter. This concerns over/under betting where the punter is making a bet on the total number of points scored by the two teams taking part at the end of the match.

In such instances, with one team leading the other by a large margin, it would appear that the final combined score is likely to exceed the threshold established by the betting house. Logically then the odds on a score over that threshold will diminish and those on a score under that line increase. One recognised basketball betting strategy in such circumstances is to bet under – in other words, to predict that the final combined points score will be less than predicted by the sports book.

This is not as perverse a move as it may first seem. Firstly, if one team is dominating another at the end of the third quarter, the coach of the winning team is likely to use the final quarter to give his star players a rest, using fringe players off the bench instead. These players tend to score less than the established starters, and the intensity can drop, as the team leading do not have to try too hard and just want to see the game out.

From the point of view of the trailing team, there is a tendency in such situations not to try too much either and conserve their energy, recognising that they are chasing a losing cause. They too will introduce players from the bench, both to give them experience, and also to rest their star players for the next game.

As a result of these issues then, the 4th quarter can become a relative quiet, low-scoring affair, and bring the total combined points score under the total predicted by the sports betting site.

There are several basketball betting tips over/under. Firstly, make sure that the two teams are not evenly matched and that one is clear favourite to beat the other. Secondly, there needs to be a sufficiently big margin between the two teams at the end of the third quarter – 15 to 20 points at least – to suggest that the chances of a comeback by the underdog in the 4th quarter are unlikely.

This basketball betting strategy also is more likely to work when the favourites are playing at home against a lesser team – Toronto against Atlanta, for example, or Houston against Phoenix – and the match is a run of the mill affair, with nothing extra at stake, such as a play-off or an end of season eliminator.

The odds also quoted also are important for basketball betting tips over/under. If they are too low, then it is just not interesting enough for the punter to make a bet, whilst if they are too great, then the level of risk implied is too great. Consequently, it is recommended that odds in the range of €2.50 to €3.00 offer a good incentive to make such a bet.