With NBA money line betting you are simply picking which team will outright win the game. NBA Money Line odds will list the the favorite in a given game as a negative number (example -200) that means you will have to bet that amount to win $100. Money line odds list the underdog as a positive number (example +500) that means you will win that amount on a $100 bet. An NBA money line bet can not “push” because NBA games can not end in a tie. 

The odds for an NBA money line bet typically range from -110, which would be considered a small favorite all the way up to -1200 which would be considered a massive favorite in basketball betting. It can be difficult to find value on NBA money line bets because a majority of bettors know who is going to win and the sportsbooks wouldn’t be making money.

NBA Moneyline Example:

The Miami Heat are taking on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center and the Warriors are favored to win. The Heat odds are listed as (+400) while the Warriors are (-250) this means if you bet $100 on the Heat moneyline and they somehow win the game you win and cash your ticket and you win $400.

If you bet $100 on the Warriors moneyline and they win the game you would cash a ticket for $40. The easier way to figure out the favorite team’s odds payout is to do the inverse. If the Warriors are (-250) you would need to bet $250 to win $100 on a moneyline bet.