NBA Sportsbooks in Canada

NBA Betting Guide for Canadians

Whether you’re a Raptors fan or prefer a team south of the border, NBA betting online is an exciting pastime. In fact, NBA betting in Canada is becoming increasingly popular, among NBA fans and sports enthusiasts alike.

If you’re looking to do some NBA betting online, we’ve got all the info you’ll need. From finding the best online NBA betting sites to determining the best NBA betting strategies, our NBA betting guide has got you covered.

To get started, choose one of the NBA betting sites listed above. By placing your bets on these sites, you can guarantee safety, legitimacy and that you’ll have the best online betting experience.

Selecting the Best NBA Betting Sites 

To help protect your personal information and for a safe and enjoyable experience, our team sifts through the numerous NBA betting sites online and suggests only the best. 

To bring you the best betting sites, our team looks at the following aspects. We recommend players keep these in mind when choosing online NBA betting sites.

High NBA Odds

When betting on an NBA game, high odds offer an advantage. Therefore, you’ll want to find a site that offers the best odds. 

To find a betting site with the best odds, you’ll need to understand how NBA betting odds work and how they impact your winnings.

Here’s an example of how NBA odds work:

• In a game between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics, let’s say the odds of the Raptors is 2.5 and the odds of the Celtics is 1.5. 
• If you bet $2 on the Raptors and win, you’ll get a total return of $5 ($2 x 2.5). This means your profit will be $3 ($2 x 2.5 - $2 initial bet) plus you’ll get your initial $2 stake back.  
• Betting $2 on the Celtics, if you win, will earn you a $1 profit ($2 x 1.5 - $2 initial bet) and a $3 total return ($2 x 1.5). 

There are three different ways that NBA betting odds may be displayed. If comparing different odds formats seems challenging, make use of an online odds calculator. Here are the different formats that you’ll come across: 

1. Decimal (2.0) 
2. American (+145)   
3. Fractional/UK (¼) 

In Canada, the decimal betting odds format is most common, and it is one of the easiest formats for calculating the betting margins that bookies "charge" you to place a bet.

Protection of Personal Information 

Protecting sensitive information, such as personal and financial details, should always be at the top of the list for NBA betting sites in Canada. To make sure the site you’re betting on is safe and secure: 

• Follow the recommendations of betting guides like this one 
• Research a site’s reputation 
• Read online reviews about the NBA betting site

Legal and Licensed NBA Betting in Canada 

We recommend only NBA betting sites that are legal, licensed and safe for Canadians.

Betting on a licensed site will ensure: 

• Your rights are protected 
• Odds and outcomes are fair 
• Responsible betting is encouraged 
• Legal betting ages are upheld  
• No illegal activity is permitted 

Mobile Ability and Apps 

Want to wager on an NBA game but too busy to be tied down to a desktop? 

Consider the mobile capabilities of Canadian NBA betting sites. Many sites will be optimized for your mobile web browser, allowing you to play on-the-go. Additionally, if you have the space on your device, you can use online NBA betting apps.  

If you’re planning on using your mobile device to do some NBA betting in Canada, keep in mind the following tips:

• Keep your phone charged, with a charger nearby (a portable charger, if you’re really on the go)
• Use WiFi when possible
• Use a safe and secure network

Live NBA Betting Action 

You can always place your bets before a game begins. But, it’s much more fun to get in on the action. With NBA betting sites that offer live betting, you can: 

• Place bets as the games unfold
• Take advantage of changing odds throughout the game

If you enjoy the excitement of live NBA betting, look for a site that offers in-game wagering. 

Incentives 

When looking for an online NBA betting website, be sure to compare various sign-up bonuses.

New sign-ups can often benefit from free bets and other promotions.

Don’t sign up with the first NBA betting site you come across. Take the time to do some research. Look at several sites at their welcome incentives. Or, follow our advice on the best NBA betting sites above.

Common incentives include: 

• Free bets 
• Free credit based on a percentage of your initial deposit - the larger the initial deposit, the more free money you get 
• Guaranteed free cash credit (e.g. sign-up and receive $100 credit)

Payments Methods

When determining whether an online NBA betting site is right for you, take a look at how easy and effortless their payment methods are. Most importantly, be sure that the payment options they offer work for you, as a Canadian.  

Consider which payment methods are available, how fast the payouts are, and what withdrawal fees are charged. We’ve tested all of the NBA betting sites we recommend so you can rest assured you’ll be able to easily deposit and withdraw funds.

The best online NBA betting sites provide ample payment and payout options including:

• Interact 
• e-transfer 
• PayPal 
• Credit Card, and more.  

Friendly Customer Service 

Canadians are known for their polite and friendly nature. Therefore, it’s appreciated in return when it comes to customer service. 

When wagering real money with high stakes, knowing that technical difficulties and other malfunctions can be solved quickly and efficiently is vital. Friendly service is also a benefit.

Before signing up, check to see how a site’s customer service works. When are they available? How can they be reached?

Consider customer service hours of operation and methods of communication. For example, customer service that is available 24/7 is ideal. Also, being available by phone, email, or online chat gives customers options to get the information they need in the most convenient way possible.

Online NBA Betting Types

Before you start placing your bets, it’s important to understand the various NBA betting options. Becoming familiar with these options will offer you a definite advantage.

Some of the most common types of online NBA betting options include:

• Game total betting - this type of betting allows you to wager on the game total. That is, you are predicting whether the combination of both team’s points will be more or less than the line (the total) set by the book.  
   
• Moneyline bet - this is one of the simplest options. With a moneyline bet, you are simply choosing which team you think will win, and which will lose.  

A team that is more likely to win (the favourite) will have “minus-money” odds. When betting on the favourite to win, you will have to bet more than you will get in return. For example, you may bet $200 and win only $100.

Conversely, the odds of betting on the team less likely to win (the underdog) are considered “plus-money” odds. Winning a bet on the underdog will give you a return greater than your initial wager. For example, you may bet $100 and win $200.

• Betting on the spread - this involves betting on the margin of victory. To be successful in betting on the spread, the NBA team you choose will have to win (or lose, in some cases) by a given number of points or greater.

Similar to a moneyline bet, your success will depend on whether you bet on the favourite or the underdog. When you bet on the favourite, you win only if the team you bet on wins by the number of points you predicted or greater. When betting on the underdog, you win whether your team wins or loses by the point spread.

Here’s an example: 

• If you choose to “lay” 5.5 points (-5.5) on the Raptors (in this case the favourite team), you will need the Raptors to win by 6 points or more to win your bet. 
• If you choose to “take” 5.5 points (+5.5) on the Celtics (in this case the underdog), the Celtics will have to win or lose by less than 6 points for you to win your bet.
• Parlay - a parlay bet involves combining multiple wagers. This type of bet can be seen as all or nothing. If all of your wagers win, you can expect a major payout that is greater than your original bet. However, if any of your wagers lose, your entire parlay bet is lost along with your original wager.

NBA Betting Online Strategies

Similar to other methods of gambling, such as online casino card games, skills and knowledge can increase your chances of success when betting on the NBA.

Here are some tips:

• Best Time to Place a Wager - when betting on the NBA online, there are two moments that are considered to be the best time to wager.

1. As soon as the betting lines open - at this point, the betting lines are considered “soft”, meaning that a low number of bets are being placed. During this period, professional bettors have not saturated the betting lines.
2. Moments after a key player is injured - it’s no doubt that a devastating injury to a team’s top player can have a monumental effect on the game’s outcome. It is common for injured or resting players to be announced at the last minute. Discovering this information as early as possible, and acting on it quickly, will give you an advantage.

• Team Rankings - knowing how well a team has been doing throughout the season can help guide your decision on who to place your wagers on. Use online resources to check team rankings and make informed decisions.
• Home Court Advantage - an interesting fact is that, on average, the home team can expect a 3 point advantage over the visiting team. This is attributed to several factors from players getting to sleep in their own beds and in their own time zone, to refereeing biases that favour the home team.
   
• Betting Platform Diversity - have you ever heard the saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? This can be said for NBA betting online too. In other words, it can be advantageous to utilize multiple “outs”, or places to bet.
   
• Informed Bets - one of the best, and most successful, strategies is to educate yourself. Take the time to make informed betting decisions that are based on facts rather than a gut feeling. Use online resources and take into consideration NBA team rankings, player injuries, home-court advantage, odds, etc.

How the NBA Works

New to the NBA? Here’s a breakdown of the sport and how it works. This information should help you decide how and where to wager.

NBA Teams

There are a total of 30 teams in the NBA. These teams are broken down into two conferences, each with three divisions.

1. Western Conference 

The Western Conference is made up of 15 teams and the following divisions:

• Northwest Division 
• Pacific Division 
• Southwest Division

2. Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference also consists of 15 teams. Its three divisions include:

• Atlantic Division 
• Southeast Division 
• Central Division

NBA Games

If you’re completely new to basketball, here’s an NBA game at a glance:

• A single game is made up of four quarters 
• Each quarter is 12 minutes long 
• Teams have a total of five players on the court at a time 
• If overtime is required, each overtime is 5 minutes

NBA Pre-Season

Before the NBA regular season begins, teams play in a pre-season.

The pre-season normally begins in late September or early October. It typically consists of approximately six games per team and occurs over two weeks.

Pre-season games are strictly exhibition games. Game outcomes have no impact on the regular-season standings. In addition to playing other NBA teams, some teams may also play international teams during the pre-season.

NBA Regular Season

The NBA regular season runs from October to April. Each team plays 82 games during the regular season.

At the end of the season, the top eight teams from each conference continue on to the NBA playoffs.

NBA Playoffs

During the playoffs, the top eight teams from each conference play one another in a series of rounds.

In each round, competing teams play in a best-of-seven series. That is, the first team to win four games wins the series and moves on to the next round.

Game matches are determined based on each team’s seed. Teams are seeded based on their performance throughout the season. The first-place team in each conference becomes the first seed (No. 1), the second-place team the second seed (No. 2), and so on. The last-place team in each conference is deemed the eighth seed (No. 8).

Each series uses a 2-2-1-1-1 format to determine home court. This means that:

• 2 games are played at the top seed’s home court, then 
• 2 games at the lower seed’s home court, then  
• 1 game at the top team’s court, then 
• 1 at the lower team’s, then 
• 1 game at the top team’s home court

This pattern is followed until one of the teams wins four games.

In the first round of the playoffs, teams face off as follows:

• No. 1 seed vs No. 8 seed 
• No. 2 seed vs No. 7 seed 
• No. 3 seed vs No. 6 seed 
• No. 4 seed vs No. 5 seed

Once the playoff rounds are complete, the top team from each conference moves on to the NBA finals.

NBA Finals

The goal of the NBA finals - to be named the best team in the league and to win the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Like the playoffs, this final round also follows a best-of-seven format. The first team to win four games is crowned NBA Champion.