Banners, bumper stickers, and face paint aside, a favourite way for New Zealand’s NBA fans to show their support for their favourite US basketball teams is to bet on them. Many players do this easily and conveniently by placing their bets with online bookmakers.
Reliable online bookmakers offer a range of markets and bet types, secure facilities for depositing and withdrawing NZ$, 24-hour support, and betting guides that contain useful information. All punters need to do to make use of the services is to sign up for an account and make a deposit.
About the NBA
The NBA or National Basketball Association is the United States of America’s elite men’s basketball league. It was established on 6 June 1946, and was first known as the Basketball Association of America.
The name was changed in 1949, when the association merged with the National Basketball League. The league is comprised of 30 teams. Of those teams, 29 are from the US, and one is from neighbouring Canada.
Punters in New Zealand do the majority of the NBA betting during the regular season, which runs from October to April. The pre-season in September is known for training camps, although games on which punters can bet are played.
Each of the association’s teams play 82 home and away games during the regular season, which is then followed by playoffs in April. The playoffs then culminate in the June NBA Finals.
Punters in New Zealand have a few extra betting opportunities during the regular season. Special events are held, such as the All Star Game and rivalry games.
The All Star Game is known for its inclusion of some of basketball’s most famous players, while rivalry games such as those between Knicks and Nets, Celtic and Heat, and Lakes and Clippers are known for a charged atmosphere and engrossing sporting action.
NBA Online Betting Options
New Zealand’s best online bookmakers offer an array of NBA bets. However, certain bet types stand head and shoulders above the rest, in terms of popularity among punters.
One of the most popular online betting types is the Money Line or Win bet. It’s a simple and straightforward bet on the team that the punter thinks will win either a specific game, or the Final.
Prop bets, which are made easier to place when punters are familiar with teams’ and players’ performances in the NBA or when punters make use of basketball betting guides, are also popular, as are Total or Over/Under bets.
Point Spread bets are also placed with regularity by punters in New Zealand. Many online bookmakers level wagering numbers by spreading points, which often range between 190 and 210.
Using Online Bookmakers to Place NBA Bets
Punters need to sign up and deposit NZ$ into their accounts at online bookmakers before they can use their services to place bets on NBA games.
To place bets, punters usually need to select the relevant market, and then select bets they want to place. Selected bets are added to punters’ bet slips, which they can edit before submitting.
Punters can place futures and live bets this way. Any winnings will be paid into their accounts, and can then be withdrawn.