NBA Prop Bets
There was a time when the only basketball odds you could get were the three classic “straight” bets: point spreads, moneylines and totals. Today, when you visit the NBA odds page at Bodog Sportsbook, you’ll find hundreds of different ways to bet on basketball – thanks to the rise of proposition bets. NBA prop bets are some of the most popular wagers here at Bodog, falling into these three general categories:
- Player props
- Team props
- Game props
Each of these three categories contains multitudes of different NBA props. Let’s take a closer look at them, starting with the most popular category of them all.
NBA Player Props
Basketball may be a team sport, but the NBA’s rising popularity since its birth in 1946 has been driven by individual talents, passing the torch from George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain, then to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James. With the help of their capable supporting casts, these players have captured the imagination of basketball fans from across the globe.
They’re also the focus of the most popular NBA props at Bodog. Proposition bets allow you to wager on something other than the outcome of the game itself, like how many points a certain player will score that day. And NBA player props like this have become increasingly popular thanks to the rise of fantasy sports, which also emphasizes individual performance over team performance.
With that in mind, here are a few examples of what you’ll find when you browse the NBA player prop list here at Bodog Sportsbook:
Points Scored Props
Making buckets is what the NBA is all about. Each matchup on the calendar at Bodog has a list of player props attached; open the Player Points menu, and you’ll find Total Points props for each of the featured players in that contest. For example, a past game between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers had LeBron James’s total at 25.5 points, with the Over slightly favoured at –125 and the Under available at –105.
Combined Props Scored
Of course, there’s more to basketball than just scoring points. NBA fans also want to bet on rebounds and assists, and you can bet on all three of these at the same time by opening the Player Combos menu at Bodog. This is where you’ll find the NBA props for Total Points, Rebounds and Assists, once again featuring the star players for each matchup – like LeBron James, who was assigned a combined total of 42.5 (Over –120) heading into that game against the Raptors.
3-Pointers Made Props
The 3-point shot has taken over the NBA. It was rarely used when it was first introduced in 1979, having proved popular in the ABA before the 1976 merger, but the teams eventually learned how valuable it is – and exciting, too. Open the Assists & Threes menu for your chosen matchup at Bodog, and you’ll see NBA props including Total Made 3-pointers. LeBron James had a total of 1.5 made threes (Over –190) for our example game versus Toronto.
Double Doubles and Triple Doubles
Here’s another way you can bet on multiple categories at Bodog. A “double-double” is when a player reaches at least 10 in two different stats, usually points and rebounds, and a “triple-double” includes a third category, usually assists – although blocks and steals also count. In our Lakers-Raptors example, LeBron James was priced at –150 to record a double-double, and +600 to record a triple-double. You’ll find these NBA props under the Player Combos menu.
Defensive Props
Let’s give some love for the defence while we’re at it. Preventing the other team from scoring is just as important as putting the ball in the net yourself. Open up the Blocks & Steals menu, and you’ll find totals for both those key categories. Did we mention LeBron James is a five-time NBA All-Defensive First Teamer? His posted totals heading into this Raptors matchup were 0.5 (Over +115) for blocks and 1.5 (Over +170) for steals.
NBA Team Props
As talented as these individual players are, it’s still the name on the front of the uniform that matters most. NBA team props are exactly what you’d expect: prop bets where you bet on whether a certain team reaches a certain goal. The most popular of these at Bodog is the regular-season win totals – the Raptors’ total was floating around 36.5 heading into the 2023-24 campaign, while LeBron’s Lakers were available at or around 47.5.
NBA team props are also on the board at Bodog for each matchup. Check out the Team Totals category on our main menu, where the Lakers had a total of 122.5 and the Raptors 110.5 for their upcoming encounter.
NBA Game Props
Finally, we have our last category, which you can access by opening the Game Props menu at Bodog. NBA game props cover just about everything we haven’t discussed already, as long as they’re specific to a single matchup, like our Lakers-Raptors example.
Speaking of which, one of the most popular NBA game props is the Race to 20, where you bet on which of the two teams in question will be the first to score 20 points during the first half. The Lakers were –225 favourites in our example, with the Raptors at +160 and “Neither” a +10000 long shot.
Prop Betting Tip
NBA props might be the most entertaining way to bet on basketball, but they’re even more fun when you win. If you want to improve your chances of cashing in, do some research before the game in question; see how many points, rebounds and so on that your chosen player is putting up every game, but also pay attention to how well their opponents play defence, and which players are on the injured or suspended lists. Pro tip: Some teams push the tempo more than others, so make sure to include pace (measured in possessions per game) when you do your research.
NBA Prop Betting at Bodog
Now that you have the skinny on NBA prop bets, it’s time to visit the NBA odds board at Bodog Sportsbook and see what’s on tap. Like we said, there are hundreds of props available for each matchup; just click/tap the “+ Bets” arrow beside the game in question to view all of the different wagers on the board, and don’t forget, you can bet on NBA props live while the game is in progress as well as before tip-off.
NBA Prop Betting FAQ
What are NBA Prop Bets
Unlike spreads, moneylines and totals, NBA prop bets (short for “proposition” bets) are wagers that don’t involve the outcome of the game itself. You can bet on NBA player props, like LeBron James scoring Over or Under a certain number of points; NBA team props and game props are also available at Bodog.
How do you Read Odds for Prop Bets?
By default, Bodog Sportsbook uses the “American odds” format for NBA prop bets; for example, if you select Over –120, you’re betting $120 to win $100 (or $12 to win $10, or any multiple thereof), and if you select Under +120, you’re betting $100 to win $120. You can switch your settings from American odds to decimal odds or fractional odds if you prefer.
When do Prop Bets Come Out?
NBA prop bets for individual games are usually posted at Bodog Sportsbook on the day of the contest, several hours before tip-off. Season props like win-loss totals are released during the preseason, well in advance of Opening Day, and props for live NBA betting are refreshed as the game progresses.