Getting familiar with NBA props can offer a different opportunity to find betting value outside of the standard spread, total and money line markets. Here’s everything to know about NBA props, including the most common types of prop betting in the NBA.
A prop bet (short for proposition bet) is a wager on an event or specific occurrence in an NBA game aside from those involving the final result, including money lines, run lines and run totals. Instead, prop bets deal with particular outcomes for players or teams, often focusing on game statistics, as well as events that could happen during an NBA game.
NBA player props involve wagering on statistical outputs in some form or fashion. This could involve going over or under a total set in a statistic by sportsbook oddsmakers, having more or less of a statistic than another player, being the first to reach a statistical benchmark or even being the game leader in a particular statistic.
The most common NBA player props involve wagering on a specific player to go over or under the amount of points, rebounds and/or assists set by the sportsbooks. These markets can be offered in different combinations, putting two together like points + rebounds or rebounds + assists, or combining all three and wagering on a total number of points, rebounds and assists added together. Other statistical outcomes commonly offered in wagering include 3-pointers, blocks and steals, with the two defensive metrics sometimes offered as a combined market as well. Bettors can also wager on whether a certain player will accomplish a double-double (10+ in two different statistics) or triple-double (10+ in three different statistics). Another market involves Race to X, where bettors can wager on which player in the game will be the first to reach a particular statistical marker like 20 points or 10 rebounds. Some of these markets will also offer an option where no player will hit that statistical benchmark.
