How to Bet on Basketball in Ghana? Beginner Guide for 2023

This Basketball betting guide is designed to tell you everything you need to know about betting on hoops. Whether it is the NBA, the college basketball game, or other leagues from around the world, betting on basketball is very easy to pick up, so read on to find out how to bet on basketball.

How to Bet on Basketball?

The first thing to understand when it comes to basketball betting is that it is just the same as any sport. The process of actually placing a bet is identical to placing a bet on football.

You just need to know about the different markets and options. We will take a look at that in a moment. But first, let’s go through the basketball betting process.

1. Sign Up for a Customer Account

Before you learn how to bet on basketball you will first need to register for a betting account. There are plenty of online sports betting sites to choose from, so once you have decided, sign up for your customer account.

2. Fund Your Account

You can’t bet on NBA basketball – or any other basketball game – without depositing money into your new betting account. Put money into your account and then you will be able to move to the next step of the basketball betting process.

3. Find the Basketball Betting Markets

You may have to use the search function on your betting site, but locate the basketball betting markets and take a look at the options.

There will be a good choice of betting options, including spread bets, outright winners, and game winners. When you have chosen your market you will be able to place your bet.

4. Place the Bet

Tap on the odds next to your selection (for example NBA odds) and your pick will automatically be added to the betslip. You can then decide how much your stake will be.

Most online betting sites will show you your potential winning returns when you enter a stake. So, if you are happy, confirm and place the bet. Then you just have to wait to see if it is a winner!

Best Basketball Betting Sites

These are the best betting sites for betting on basketball, in our opinion.

Even though many of the bookmakers are very similar in what they offer, there are small differences that can make them stand out. For basketball betting, these are the ones that we think you should take a look at.

Basketball Betting Odds

When you visit one of the betting sites we have recommended, you will see that the odds are presented in a particular way. The three main types are Decimal, Fractional, and American odds.

You will be able to change your settings to the one you prefer, but they all present the same information – just in a different way.

Decimal Odds

This is probably the most popular way of presenting odds unless you are in the United States. Here, the odds are presented as a decimal and show you how much you will receive if you bet one unit of your chosen currency.

For example, the money line odds for NBA games might look like this:

For every unit of currency you bet on Miami to win the game, you will win 4 back.

Fractional Odds

As the name suggests, the odds here are presented as a fraction. It is a slightly old-fashioned way of offering odds, but you will see it on some betting sites – especially British ones.

As we mentioned before, if you want to change the way the odds are presented you just need to change your settings.

The same example shown above would look like this with fractional odds:

The way to work out these 3/1 odds is that you will receive three times your stake for every bet. You will also get your stake back as well.

American Odds

These kinds of odds are much more common in the US, unsurprisingly. But you may see other betting sites presenting their odds using the American odds style.

Again, the same example would look like this:

Here the odds with a + show how much you will win with a $100 bet. The – odds show how much you will need to stake to win $100.

Basketball Betting Markets

You should have some idea about the basketball you are betting on.

So if you are a Lakers fan, you will know about the players and whether they can beat the New York Knicks, for example. But you will see that online betting sites have a wide range of betting options for their customer account holders.

We are going to look at just some of the more popular betting markets when it comes to basketball betting. Once you get more used to betting on the sport, you can explore even further.

Spread Bets

This is sometimes referred to as handicap betting and is a very popular way of betting on basketball in the United States. To make both options interesting for a money line (or game-winner) bet, the bookmaker will offer odds with points given or taken away from the teams.

For example, the odds may look like this:

With these odds you are betting that Denver can win the game by nine points or more. If the final score is Miami 110 Denver 115 – and you bet on Miami – you will win your bet as the 9 points are added to their score = Miami 119 Denver 115.

Handicap bets are very straightforward when you are used to placing them but may seem confusing to newcomers. If you have never bet on basketball before it may be a good idea to try something else first.

Over/Under

This is sometimes called the totals market. With this bet you are not interested in who is going to win the game – just how many points are going to be scored. Your betting market odds will look something like this:

If you bet on the over, there needs to be more than 219 points scored in total, by both teams, for your bet to win. Obviously, the underbet would be for fewer points to be scored.

Money Line

This is not as popular a bet in basketball as in other sports. But you can always find a market offering prices for which team will win the game.

We gave you some examples of money line odds earlier when we were talking about the different kinds of odds presentations.

Outright Winner

You will sometimes see the outright winner markets in the futures section.

This is when you are not betting on what will happen in a single game but for an overall championship or series. You are essentially betting on who will win the league or tournament.

Prop Bets

This is another kind of bet that is popular in America and can be found quite easily when basketball odds are offered at a betting site. ‘Prop’ is short for ‘proposition’ and these are markets that cover everything apart from the actual result of the game.

It could be as random as what colour shoes LeBron James is wearing. But more common prop bets will ask you to predict how many three-pointers a player will make, how many points they will score in the game, or how many rebounds they might make.

Basketball Betting Tips

There are no guaranteed tips for being successful with your basketball betting.

But there are some things you can do to give yourself a better chance – and to make more informed wagers. Here are some things to consider when it comes to your basketball betting.

Do Your Homework

This is a lesson that should be heeded for any kind of betting. You should know what you are betting on – and the players and teams involved.

Otherwise, you are just throwing money blindly at a game. Research into the individuals involved and the history of the game.

The more information you have, the better bet you can make, especially for high-profile games like the NBA finals.

Home Team vs. Away Team

Teams that play at home will usually be more favoured in any sport. Playing in front of your own fans gives teams a better chance of winning – and it will definitely have an effect on the odds for the game.

In basketball, the consensus is that home-field advantage is worth just over two points. So you should factor that in when you are predicting how a game might go.

Look for Clutch Players

A lot can happen in a basketball game and there is a lot of back and forth over the quarters and halves. But you should always take into account the players available that can really come through in the final two minutes of a basketball game.

That is when things get really serious a lot of times. So you want players that can really come through in those clutch moments and not give into the pressure.

Three Point Specialists

Tactics change all the time in basketball and different kinds of offenses and defences go in and out of vogue. But there has been a change in recent years to more players trying three-point shots.

Obviously, they are more difficult to make, but if you have a player that has a good record, you might want to back their team to win.

Compare Players

Basketball games are played between two teams. So you should analyse the two by matching up the players in their positions and see who comes out on top.

In many leagues the teams play each other repeatedly as well, so you can get a good idea of how the teams will match up from previous meetings. As with any basketball bet, the more information you have to use, the more likely you are to be able to win.

Basketball Betting Review

Hopefully, you will now have a good idea of how to bet on basketball. It is an increasingly popular sport in Ghana and there are plenty of betting sites to choose from when it comes to making your selections.

Although there are some similarities, there are some important differences in how to bet on football, for example, so gaining as much information is important.

We have given you the basics of basketball betting, so go and find a good site and put your newfound knowledge to the test.

How to Bet on Basketball in Ghana – FAQs