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How To Bet On NBA Finals | LeoVegas

How to Bet on NBA Finals

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Betting on NBA Finals: Step by Step

The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat are meeting for the biggest prize in the NBA, so we have attached a step-by-step guide on how to join LeoVegas and begin betting on the NBA Finals.

  • Sign Up to LeoVegas Sportsbook by opening an account.
  • Once your account has been created, deposit funds via our numerous quick and easy methods, and it’s time to find your markets.
  • Find the ‘Basketball’ tab in the ‘Live’ or ‘upcoming’ section in our sportsbook if you are trying to find the NBA Finals when they begin. Alternatively, you can use our dynamic search function to find our odds by typing ‘NBA’ into the search bar.
  • Choose the pre-game on in-play betting market of your choosing, enter your stake, and place your bet
  • Wait for your bet to settle and good luck!

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NBA 2023 Finals Schedule

The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 1st and could run as late as June 18th if all games are needed. We have displayed a list below of dates for each NBA finals game.

  • June 1: NBA Finals 2023 Game 1,
  • June 4: NBA Finals 2023 Game 2,
  • June 7: NBA Finals 2023 Game 3,
  • June 9: NBA Finals 2023 Game 4,
  • June 12: NBA Finals 2023 Game 5,*
  • June 15: NBA Finals 2023 Game 6, *
  • June 18: NBA Finals 2023 Game 7 *

*These games will only occur if no team has reached four wins at their respective stage

Understanding the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals is the biggest series in the Basketball calendar. This game pits the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference in a seven-game series to decide who’ll lift the NBA Championship.

Much like the previous NBA Series’, the first team to win four matches will win the NBA Finals. This year’s final is between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat.

Types of NBA Finals Bets

Point Spread Betting

Spread betting refers to wagering on the margin of victory for a game. If one team within the NBA Finals is a -5 point favourite, that team would have to win by six or more points for your bet to come in. Alternatively, a +5 point underdog needs to avoid losing by six or more points.

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is one of the simplest forms of betting that LeoVegas offers. Simply stake on who you believe will win the individual match, and if that team is victorious, so are you! Moneyline betting only refers to a single game, not the entire series.

Totals or Over/Under Betting

Another type of bet that disregards the result of the game is Over/Under betting. This style of wager usually relates to the total amount of points that will be scored within the game. With Basketball being such a fast-paced sport, the scores tend to achieve higher over/under totals. For the NBA Finals, if game one has an Over/Under line of 205 points, you would select whether you believe the game will achieve above or below that number.

Prop Betting

LeoVegas also offers player specific markets and these are known as prop bets. Whether you think a player will score a certain amount of points, rebounds, or assists, prop bets allow you to wager on somebody’s statline for the game.

Futures Betting

NBA Futures betting prolongs your betting experience because the result of your bet will not be known immediately - hence the ‘futures’ name. For instance, in the NBA Finals, you can bet before game one on who will win the entire series or who will be NBA Finals MVP, these would be futures bets as they’ll settle at a later date.

Strategies for Betting on NBA Finals

There’s no full-proof strategy when betting on sports because anything can happen. However, over a seven-game series like the play in tournament NBA, strategies do arise that you can take advantage of. We have listed a couple of examples below to help you understand more about NBA Finals betting strategies.

Betting on the Underdog

Underdog betting provides value because the payout is higher than who is favoured. In addition, for the NBA Finals, the ‘underdog’ isn’t at a huge disadvantage because they have earnt their way to the Championship series - knocking off other contenders in the process.

Betting on the Favorite

While betting on the underdog provides a higher payout, betting on the favourite gives you a more likely chance of winning. This year’s current favourite is the Denver Nuggets at 1.26 odds with LeoVegas, you could find incredible value while betting on the favourite.

Betting on the Over/Under

Over/Under betting is a smart strategy for betting on the NBA Finals because the overall result won’t affect your bet! You simply wager on how many points total in the game and whether it will finish above or below that total. Last year’s final averaged 205 points per game - we could see a similar average in 2023.

Betting on the Halftime Score

Another betting strategy which isn’t dependent on the final result is halftime score betting. Just stake on who you believe will be winning at the end of the 2nd quarter - are some teams better in the second half? During last year’s final between the Celtics and Warriors, the home team was leading at halftime in four of the six matches, so home advantage could impact this strategy.

Betting on the MVP

MVP betting is a player-specific strategy that a LeoVegas player could use. This allows you to place a bet on who will be the MVP once the game concludes. With this strategy, a player could look at previous stats and performances to inform them on who may have a big game in the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals FAQ

Who won the most NBA Finals?

Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are tied for most NBA Championships. The pair have won 17 total titles, the closest behind these two are the Golden State Warriors with seven.

Learn more about NBA betting in our guides