Bet on the NBA in Indiana

How to Bet on the NBA in Indiana

Legal Indiana sports betting (as licensed by the Indiana Gaming Commission) launched on Sept. 1, 2019, and allows for single-game NBA wagering and betting on NBA futures markets and prop bets.

Anyone at least 21 years of age and older and inside the borders of Indiana can now:

• Bet on all individual NBA games at licensed retail and online sportsbooks.
• Wager on NBA futures markets and NBA props at licensed retail and online sportsbooks.
• Bet on individual NBA games, props and futures on licensed sports betting apps.

All Indiana online and mobile sports betting operators must employ age verification and geolocation technology to comply with state requirements.

Note: You don't need to be a resident of Indiana to bet on the NBA in Indiana. You only need to be within state borders to place a real-money bet.

Online NBA betting vs. retail NBA betting

Betting on the NBA online versus in-person at a retail sportsbook will require you to sign up for an online account.

Fortunately, this is a simple process. Online sportsbooks don't ask for more than a login and minimal personal information, usually no more than the last four digits of your Social Security number.

This process is how Indiana sports betting sites ensure you're at least 21 years old. Once you have your account set up, you're free to make bets via your computer or the sports betting app from anywhere in Indiana, 24/7.

Why choose an NBA betting app?

If you've only made your bets at a retail sportsbook before, using an online sportsbook will be a revelation. The interface is incredibly user-friendly and you can navigate through different sports and betting lines at a glance.

You can search through dozens of NBA betting options, play around with total payouts for your bets before you finalize your bet and you never spend time waiting in line at a betting window.

Indiana sports betting sites and mobile apps allow you to take full advantage of all the bets you can, especially in-play NBA betting in real-time.

How to get your money online

Once the sports betting site verifies your age and location, it's only a matter of getting money on the site for betting. Indiana sports betting websites and apps make this an easy process as well.

Most accept a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, including:

• ACH (electronic check)
• Debit cards
• Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Amex)
• Neteller
• Online bank transfers
• PayNearMe
• PayPal
• Prepaid casino cards

If you prefer to deal in cash, you can head to the cage at your local sportsbook and make your deposit there.

Indiana sports betting websites and mobile apps are all affiliated with local casinos, racetracks and OTB parlors. You can deposit cash into your online wagering account at these locations.

Third-party payment processors, like PayNearMe, are great; you can walk into a 7-Eleven or CVS Pharmacy and deposit cash into your account as well.

NBA lines and odds explained

NBA futures

NBA futures are just what they sound like: NBA bets involving something where the outcome will be determined in the future. That means betting on who will win a Division, Conference or NBA Finals with an Indiana sportsbook before or during the NBA season. You can also bet the over/under on how many wins a team will have at the season's end.

Indiana sportsbooks will adjust the odds on teams who are still in contention as the season rolls along. That means the earlier it is, the better the odds you’ll get on genuine contenders, while some teams will emerge as major long shots as the season progresses.

The IGC also allows sportsbooks to take bets on NBA awards and the NBA draft. Ultimately, that means Indiana sportsbooks will take futures bets on all kinds of things, including:

• Division Winners: Including if the Indiana Pacers can win the Central Division.
• NBA Win Totals: Including whether the Pacers will win more than 48 games.
• NBA MVP, Rookie of the Year and Other Awards: Including if Victor Oladipo can win the MVP Award.
• NBA Playoffs: Including if the Pacers can win the Eastern Conference.
• NBA Finals: Including if the Pacers can win the Finals.

NBA betting favorites in Indiana

Indiana Pacers

Most NBA teams represent a city. The Indiana Pacers represent an entire state.

The Pacers are an old ABA team, established in 1967, which joined the NBA when the two leagues merged in 1976. Now the team plays in the Eastern Conference Central Division.

The Indiana Pacers play home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis and have called the arena home since 1999.

The Pacers have won three titles, but they were all in the ABA. Since the team joined the NBA, they have made the NBA Finals only once, winning the Eastern Conference title in 2000. The Western Conference champion, Los Angeles Lakers, beat the Pacers 4 games to 2 in the Finals.

Guard Reggie Miller led the team to the 2000 NBA Finals and played his entire 18-year Hall-of-Fame NBA career with the Pacers. He remains the team's all-time leading scorer and his No. 31 jersey was retired on March 30, 2006.

Check our complete guide to betting on the Indiana Pacers here:

• Indiana Pacers Betting Guide

Out-of-state teams

Chicago Bulls

Chicago's proximity to Indiana makes the Chicago Bulls one of the state's favorite NBA teams. Of course, the Bulls are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, making them a favorite across the country, too.

The Bulls compete alongside the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Central Division. The team plays home games at the United Center in Chicago.

The Bulls won six NBA championships between 1991-98, including winning three consecutive championships twice. All six championship teams were led by Hall-of-Fame players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and Hall-of-Fame coach Phil Jackson. Jordan is widely considered the best NBA player of all time.

Check our guide to betting on the Bulls this year here:

• Bet on Chicago Bulls

Basic NBA bets in Indiana

The following basic, single-game wagers are available in Indiana:

Moneylines: Pick any team to win using odds set by an Indiana sportsbook.

Spreads: Pick the favorite NBA team to win a game by a set number of points or line, or the underdog to lose by fewer points than the spread.

Totals: Pick whether the total score of the game will be over or under a line set by Indiana sportsbooks.

The IGC also allows in play betting. Also known as live betting, this means you can place any of the basic bets during a game as the odds adjust throughout the game.

The NBA futures market in Indiana lets you bet on a team to win the:

• Division
• Conference
• NBA Finals

You can also wager on how many wins a specific team will wind up with at the end of the season. Indiana sportsbooks set odds on these futures markets prior to the start of the NBA season and adjust the odds as the season continues.

Also, the IGC allows betting on individual NBA awards and the NBA draft.

NBA moneylines

Moneyline bets pay according to what Indiana sportsbooks consider a team’s probability of winning. Making a moneyline bet means picking an outright winner. Indiana sportsbooks post the odds on each team as either a negative (-) or positive (+) number.

If it’s negative, that team is the favorite. The number represents how much you must bet to win $100, plus your bet back. If it’s positive, then that team is the underdog. The number represents how much each $100 you bet will pay.

• Negative = Favorite
• Positive = Underdog

The Indiana Pacers may be at -120 to beat the Chicago Bulls.

If you bet on the Indiana Pacers to win, you'll have to bet $120 to win $100 plus your $120 back. At the same time, the Bulls line might be at +115. If you pick the Bulls, you'll win $115 for every $100 you bet, plus each $100 back.

NBA spreads

An NBA spread is the number of points Indiana sportsbooks think the favorites in a particular game will win by. In most NBA games, the home team is a standard 1.5-point favorite. Check the line and then try to make the correct prediction of who will win the game with that line factored in.

Taking the home favorite means you'll need to subtract the line from the team's final score to determine a betting winner. If the Pacers are 1.5-point favorites over the Bulls and you take the Pacers, you will when they win by 2 points or more.

Bets on the underdog Bulls win when the Bulls win the game outright, or the Pacers win by just a single point. Indiana sportsbooks book NBA spread bets at posted moneyline odds.

NBA totals

NBA totals ask you to pick whether the total score in a game will land over or under a line set by Indiana sportsbooks. Indiana sportsbooks also book NBA spread bets at posted moneyline odds.

A Pacers-Bulls totals line might be 200 points. If the Pacers beat the Bulls 102-100, over bets will pay. If it's 100-98, under bets pay.

NBA parlays

Put together two or more of basic NBA bets into one, and you’re betting an NBA parlay. Parlays pay much better than individual bets. The more bets that are part of your parlay, the higher it will pay. However, you must win all the legs of the parlay for it to pay anything at all.

NBA live betting

Indiana sports betting law allows for live betting (in play betting) on NBA games. This type of betting means you can make basic NBA wagers at odds that change as the action does in a game.

It’s an excellent option for those that watch games and have a sports betting app handy on their phone. With the odds continually changing, it's kind of hard to get in-game bets down at retail sportsbooks where you must line up at a window.

Beginner NBA betting tips

It's pretty straightforward to learn the basic NBA bets you can make at an Indiana online sportsbook. The hard part, of course, is picking winners.

The most successful bettors follow proven betting strategies, manage their betting bankroll effectively to limit exposure and slowly grind out a profit.

Finding value in the daily NBA lines posted at Indiana sportsbooks is steady work. With just a little bit of practice and dedication, you can find some great betting spots.

The following tips might help you develop a solid NBA betting strategy and find the value you seek:

Get a good price on favorites

The best team almost always wins in the NBA, especially when they are at home. Shop around for the best price on home favorites and you may find some value.

Superstars = Wins

The NBA is a player’s league, and superstars lead their teams to victory. Read box scores to see who is hot and injury reports to see who is in the lineup before you start picking sides.

Look for big spreads

Most NBA games are close; in fact, just a single basket decides many. If you see a big spread on a game with an underdog that usually plays close games, jump on it. Oddsmakers are not above overvaluing a team's edge.

Bet on local knowledge

You should bet on teams you know. Sports betting is a war of information. You'll almost always have more information about local teams and the ones you follow daily simply because it's available. Use it to gain an edge when betting.

Dig into details

Assess the situation. Look at things like whether a team is coming off a long road trip or playing the back end of back-to-back games, so they may not play their best. Coaching and roster changes can be big motivators as well. Look at the various situation a team might be in before deciding whether to bet on them or not.

NBA betting mistakes to avoid

There are a few errors to avoid when betting on the NBA:

Betting on Home Team, Always: We know you love the Pacers, but you can't will them to win 82 games in the regular season and the NBA title. Instead of just betting on teams that you have an undying belief in, find stats and data to back up your choices. In other words, bet with your head, not your heart.

Chase Losses: Losing streaks happen but going for big wins to recoup losses is a fast way to go broke. Keep your bets the same affordable size, ride out a losing streak, and ensure you're still in the game when a winning streak comes around.

Always Bet on Home Favorites: Home teams win a lot, as we mentioned, but always betting the hometown favorite to win is a mistake. There are times when every team is set up to lose. Look for those weak spots and either avoid betting the game or pick a road underdog primed to upset the home team occasionally.

Bet on the WNBA

You can also bet on the WNBA women's pro basketball league and the local Indiana Fever WNBA franchise at Indiana sportsbooks.

The Indiana Fever joined the WNBA as an expansion franchise for the 2000 season. In 2009, the Fever made it to the WNBA Finals for the first time but lost to the Phoenix Mercury. The Fever won its first WNBA Championship in 2012.

The Fever will play games at Butler University Hinkle Fieldhouse for 2021 and part of the 2022 season with renovations moving forward at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The WNBA season runs from the end of May to early October and can be attractive to sports bettors because most of the season takes place during an otherwise slow time in sports.

Sharp sports bettors also like the WNBA because there's not enough casual public betting on games to move lines. That means line movement is often an indication of sharp betting and easy to follow.

With far less media coverage than the NBA, following the WNBA requires a bit more effort. That means it's more difficult for oddsmakers to set lines, and sports bettors that do their WNBA homework might find an edge.