Basketball

To bet on basketball, tell the ticket writer the bet number of the group you wish to bet, with the point spread, and the amount you wish to wager. The payout, unless stated otherwise, is figured at odds of 10/11. This means that a wager of $11 would win $10 and return $21.
This is called a straight bet.
The Point Spread: When betting on basketball, the team you bet on must»cover the spread.» In other words, the team must win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points.
Example:
Bet No. Team Line Total
201 Bulls -3
202 Lakers 198
Note: The bottom team is always listed as the home team unless otherwise noted.
The point spread is always placed to the immediate right of the team that is favored. In this instance, if you bet the Bulls, the Bulls must win by 4 points for you to win your bet. If you bet the Lakers, any of the following will declare you a winner.
(a) The Lakers win the game.
(b) The Lakers lose the game by not more than 3 points.
If the Bulls win by exactly 3 points then the wager is declared a push and all money is refunded.
Point spreads change constantly. The listed point spread the time you make your bet may be different from the point spread once the game starts. The point spread that is listed on your ticket is your official spread.
Total: Total points scored in a game. Also called the over/under.
You may wager that the total score of the match will be more or less than the amount recorded. It makes no difference which team covers the spread. Just add the final score of each team. The payout, unless stated otherwise, is figured at odds of 10/11. (-110)
Basketball Parlays: More than 1 team on the exact same bet.
You may combine several teams into one wager. All teams totals must cover the point spread to win the bet. Odds and the number of teams differ from casino to casino. The following are approximate odds:
2 groups 13-5
3 groups 6-1
4 groups 11-1
5 groups 22-1
6 teams 44-1
Seven groups 90-1
Any game that results in a push reduces the parlay one team. A two-team parlay would become a straight bet.
Basketball Teasers: A wager that improves the point spread, but at reduced odds.
«Teasing» the point spread is done by adding points to a underdog or by subtracting points from a favorite. This raises the probability of winning your bet but decreases the odds of the parlay. Odds and the amount of points available to»tease» vary from casino to casino. The following are approximate odds:
Amount of teams 4 points 4.5 points 5 points
2 groups 10-12 10-13 10-14
3 teams 8.5-5 7.5-5 7-5
4 teams 3-1 5-2 2-1
5 teams 9-2 4-1 7-2
6 teams 7-1 6-1 5-1
7 teams 10-1 9-1 8-1

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