More than other sports, people who bet on basketball like to bet on totals. These over/under bets are very tempting as it is usually easy to predict whether a game will score high or low. Of course, the bookies know this too, and that makes it a bit more difficult for the players: the set lines are usually quite close to the number. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when betting NBA totals can’t be profitable.

NBA totals or over/under bets are pretty easy to bet on. On any given night, each game will not only be assigned a point spread, but also a total. Bookmakers will list the lines in a format that looks like this:

Los Angeles Lakers 186.5

chicago bulls -3

This small amount of information tells you everything you need to know to bet the total or the spread on that game. The Bulls are favored by three points, while the total is 186.5.

When betting on the total, you only have to predict whether the combined scores of the two teams will be over or under the indicated total. If the teams combine to score 187 points or more, the higher bet wins; if the total score is 186 or less, the lower bet wins. This total includes any points that may be scored in overtime. If the total posted is an integer then the bet may result in a tie if the total score is equal to the over/under total.

There are many strategies for betting NBA totals. It is important to see how many points the two teams involved in each game tend to score and allow. This will give you a solid baseline from which to work on other factors. Other things to look out for include previous games between the two teams, the styles they play, and their recent schedules. If both teams have scoring threats that they will be facing weak defenders at their positions, then you can expect a high score for that game. If both teams have busy schedules (a game the day before, or both teams recently played on the other side of the country and just got back), this means the teams could play a relatively slow game.

One strategy I have found useful is to simply bet below the lowest total offered on any given night. Most of the public money will be at the top, meaning when the line was set it was probably set knowing that more money would be bet at the top, so the bottom is actually the smart play.