Bet NBA online in WV
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West Virginia has officially legalized sports betting. If you’re a fan of the NBA, now you can bet on basketball until your heart’s content, especially if you use an online sportsbook in West Virginia.
As long as you’re within the WV state borders and at least 21 years or older, you can place legal NBA bets via any sportsbook or betting app offered by area licensed providers. The NBA season’s schedule runs through April 9, with playoffs to follow and the Finals in June.
Below, we’ll walk you through the best online sportsbooks to bet on the NBA in West Virginia and how to navigate the various types of NBA bets to find your biggest edge. You’ll find the most popular NBA bets for beginners, basic NBA betting strategies, and a guide to live (in-game) betting and more.
Best NBA Betting Sites WV
NBA Live Odds in WV
Check the odds feed below for today’s real-time NBA point spreads, moneylines and over/unders from WV online sportsbooks. Click on any odds to jump right to the sportsbook, claim your bonus bets and lock in your bet at the shown odds. On the second tab you can see all the live NBA futures odds at WV online sportsbooks including odds to win the NBA Championship, Division and Conference titles and player awards including MVP, DPOY and more.
How to Bet the NBA in WV
West Virginia was one of the first US states to launch legal online sportsbooks and betting apps with several now live for NBA betting.
WV bettors are likely familiar with DraftKings and FanDuel due to their retail sportsbook partnerships. FanDuel operates the FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier and DraftKings Sportsbook partnered with sports betting market leader, Hollywood Casino Charles Town for online sports betting.
A full slate of NBA lines and odds are available at all online sportsbooks and betting apps, including:
- NBA Futures
- NBA moneylines
- NBA point spreads
- NBA totals (Over/Unders)
- Parlays
- Props
- Round robins
- Teasers
More on all of these NBA bet types below.
NBA betting apps in West Virginia
If you want to bet on the NBA online in West Virginia, you can do so on your computer or smartphone. Most online sportsbooks have sports betting apps you can download to your Apple or Android device.
You can also access the online sportsbook via any web browser. However, the mobile app is specifically designed to fit your phone screen and is optimized for scrolling and tapping.
Online sportsbooks have app versions for:
- iOS
- Android
The iOS apps you can find in the Apple App Store, while the Android apps you’ll need to download directly from the sportsbook website.
Using the apps to bet on the NBA is straightforward, as they’re both easy to navigate and intuitive. You can lay down all of your NBA bets through the app, play around with parlay combinations and odds boosts in your bet slip and make deposits or process cash-outs.
The full lineup of NBA lines and futures is available on the apps as you’d find them in the online or retail sportsbooks.
NBA live betting (in game betting)
Online sportsbooks also offer live betting during NBA games. Live betting is something that NBA fans love for several reasons.
The most obvious is that it allows them to place bets on live games in progress. Anyone who missed getting a wager down before the game can still while the game is happening.
Another significant advantage of live betting is that the odds can get pretty attractive. Live odds change all the time during the game; if the favorite isn’t playing well at the beginning of the game, the odds will jump. That can mean better value as the game progresses.
Betting live on a favorite that’s losing can bring you a lot of money if they turn things around in the second half. Another reason NBA fans love live betting is that some sportsbooks offer live streaming of basketball games. That way, you can watch and bet all in one place.
NBA lines explained
Assuming that you’ve registered an account at an online sportsbook in WV, the next step is to find an NBA game, future or prop and place your bets. So, what kind of bets can you place on an NBA game, team or season?
- NBA Moneyline: The most popular of all NBA bets is the straight-up moneyline, which is strictly a win-or-lose bet. You put your money down on the team you think will win the game. If they win, you get paid according to the odds at the time of your bet. If they lose, you lose.
- NBA Point Spreads: The point spread is another conventional NBA bet. Each sportsbook decides on a favorite and an underdog before the game and sets a point margin. You then bet on whether the favorite will beat the underdog by more than the point margin set by the sportsbook or if the underdog will either win or be within the set number of points. The favorite has to “cover the spread” to win the bet. For example, if you bet on the Dallas Mavericks at -5.5 against the Washington Wizards, the Mavs need to win by a margin of at least 6 points for you to win your bet.
- NBA Parlays: Apart from betting on single events, you can also combine several bets into a parlay bet. The odds are multiplied together, which creates a much bigger potential win. However, every wager on the parlay ticket has to come through for you to get paid.
NBA futures and prop bets
Futures and proposition bets are extremely popular among NBA bettors. The reason is that they’re fun to speculate on and are potentially lucrative. If you’re not familiar with futures bets, here are some examples:
- Division Winners: You can bet which team will win the division (Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Northwest, Pacific and Southwest). For example, you can bet that the 76ers are going to win the Atlantic Division. Apart from wagering on the winners of NBA divisions, you can also bet on which teams are going to be the conference champions (East and West).
- NBA Win Totals: Pick a team and bet whether they will win more or fewer games than the number set by the sportsbook. For example, you can bet on whether the Brooklyn Nets will have more or less than 40 wins during the regular season.
- NBA MVP, Rookie, MIP, Defensive Player or Coach of the Year: Bet on which player will be crowned the most valuable player at the end of the season, rookie of the year, most improved or defensive player of the year. You can even bet on the coach of the year.
- NBA Playoffs: Once the regular season is over, the NBA playoffs march its way through four rounds to declare a champion. You can bet on which teams will win individual games, which teams will win each series, which will make the conference finals, the finals and win the title. You can also bet on props, e.g., how many games will be played in a series.
- NBA Christmas Day Games: There are five NBA games on Christmas Day, and all of them get huge viewership. They’re also popular among bettors. You can bet on the winners of the games but also notable props during the games. Prior to the release of the NBA schedule, you can even place a futures bet on which teams will be in the Christmas Day games.
Beginner NBA betting strategies
You might be an ardent basketball fan, but that doesn’t necessarily make you an expert at NBA betting.
You’ll likely develop your betting style over time as you gain experience. Meanwhile, here are a few of the most important things to consider in NBA betting as you get started.
1. Bet on teams you know
Instead of focusing on odds or shopping for NBA lines, it’s easier to focus on the teams and players.
If a team has several superstars on the roster, it’s might be best to forget about the odds and bet with the best team to start.
If you can’t follow all the best teams and get to know their players and betting trends, focus on the teams that you know and love.
NBA betting is a game of information. The info you glean from watching your favorite team over and over can mean the difference between losing and winning wagers.
2. Start with basic bets: Moneylines, point spreads and over/unders
When you’re a beginner at NBA betting, it’s best to keep it simple. Instead of betting on exotic props or multi-team parlays, focus on basic bets.
If you’re confident your team is going to win tonight, go with a moneyline bet. The same goes for point spreads, over/under point betting and so on.
There is no need to complicate things. You can usually find good value betting on most common NBA markets.
3. Things to check before the game
Information is your best asset.
Check whether key players are injured, learn about the teams’ home/away performances, head-to-head results and so on.
Also, pay attention to situational factors such as player fatigue, travel, back-to-backs or lingering chemistry issues in the locker room. All of the above can have surprising effects on performances on the court.
NBA betting mistakes to avoid
Here are a few simple rules to stick to when betting on the NBA:
- Don’t Bet with Your Heart: We all love our home team but defer to stats and data to make your betting decisions rather than relying on your home team bias.
- Don’t Always Bet on Your Favorite Team: If you think your favorite team is going to lose, bet against them even if your heart says otherwise.
- Don’t Chase Big Wins to Recoup Losses: Losing is an integral part of betting. Even the most successful bettors lose from time to time. Don’t let a loss make you chase a bad bet with enticing odds.
NBA Betting FAQ
It all depends on the team. There are some teams that love playing in front of their fans. Some, on the other hand, feel more comfortable when playing on the road. Check a team’s home/road splits before every game to see which way they might be trending. Generally speaking, though, the home team wins about 60% of all NBA games—the highest percentage of the 4 major sports. That percentage gets even higher in the NBA playoffs.
The sportsbook will set a point margin that the favorite needs to overcome in order to win in their eyes. If the point margin on the favorite is -5.5, they need to win the match with at least 6 points more than the opponent.
Picking against the spreads means betting against the favorite. You’re putting your money on the bet saying that the favorite will not cover the point margin set by the sportsbook.
Oddsmakers are generally pretty good at setting the over/under numbers for a regular 48 minute game but if a game goes to overtime, bettors who took the over are usually very happy. If you’re looking for a major factor when it comes to hitting the over, teams tend to shoot much better at home than on the road.
The NBA Draft happens once a year, when teams get to pick young players from college basketball or teams in Europe. The 2020 NBA Draft occurred on Wednesday, November 18 at ESPN Headquarters in Connecticut.
Once the regular season is over, the NBA Playoffs are played to determine the season champion. The top 8 teams from each NBA conference (East and West) get to take part in the Playoffs.
In a regular season, each NBA team has to play a total of 82 games over the course of one season—41 at home and 41 on the road. Those that get to the NBA Playoffs play even more with up to 28 additional games if they make the Finals and every series goes the full 7 games. In total an NBA team can play a maximum of 110 games.
The 2020/21 season will be condensed with 72 games – 36 at home and 36 on the road, with playoffs and Finals to follow.
Online betting is perfectly legal in West Virginia at a sportsbook that’s licensed in this state. As of fall 2019, only DraftKings and FanDuel have online sportsbooks open for WV players.
Mountaineer Casino has partnered with William Hill and will launch their online sportsbook in the very near future.
There are offshore sportsbooks that may offer betting to West Virginians but it is always recommended to use a licensed and legal online sportsbook so your bets and accounts are guaranteed to be secure.