We take an expert look at every NBA betting site legally licensed in New York. Our team has decades of experience in online sports betting so we know how one site differs from another. More importantly, we let you know what the differences are and why they matter. We only review 100% legal online sports betting sites. Choose to bet at the sites we review and you can feel secure that you have chosen a safe, regulated sportsbook from one of the world's top online gaming businesses.
What To Look For When Selecting NY NBA Betting Sites
When deciding on which betting site you want to select there are a number of criteria to consider that affect your decision. Specifically for NBA betting sites the criteria we'll look at include: types of bets, NBA betting lines and odds, bonuses and rewards, user interface and functionality, deposit and withdrawal options, and lastly customer support.
While all the New York NBA betting sites offer a competent product inevitably some do the job better than others. Therefore, it's important to consider all your options and take a look at what each site has to offer before deciding on where to place your bets.
Types of NBA Bets Allowed in NY
There are several different ways that you can bet on the NBA in New York State. These include money lines, point spreads, futures, and even a wide range of prop bets. The best betting sites provide many different types of bets for NBA games.
They understand that offering a variety keeps you engaged and ensures that you can find the exact bet you want to place for every game. With the ability to pick and choose which types of bets are right for you, there's something for every sports fan during every single NBA game.
NBA Betting Lines and Odds for New York Sportsbooks
Maintaining competitive betting lines and odds for sportsbooks offers NBA fans the opportunity to make online betting profitable and exciting. Finding which betting sites provide the best lines and odds gives you the best bang for your buck when placing those bets. This comes with research and checking which sites may set their daily lines and odds just above the competition. Many sports bettors find it beneficial to have several different sportsbook accounts so they can observe which sites are setting out top tier lines and so where the most profit can be made.
To better understand what is meant by betting lines let's break it down. The "line" is decided by the sportsbook maker to set the favorite and underdog teams in a matchup and this handicap between the two teams allows for wagers to be placed on either a winner or loser.
For example, if the Miami Heat take on the New York Knicks and the line for the Knicks is -150, that implies that New York is the favorite. You bet $150 to win $100. If the line was -200 you would have to bet $200 to win $100. The line matters.
NBA Bonuses And Rewards
Almost all sportsbooks offer bonuses and rewards for using their betting site. All the sportsbooks recommended here offer some type of welcome bonus or risk-free bets for new users. The money spent by online sports betting marketing teams in New York will reach into hundreds of millions of dollars.
These rewards and bonuses are what will help keep a sportsbook competitive. Promotions are one way betting sites can differentiate themselves from the competition. These bonuses and rewards include promotions run by the sportsbook such as boosted parlays or odds boosts in New York on games, but will also be given out just for using a specific betting site like a free $20 bet or a risk-free bet. Finding the best bonuses and rewards particularly for the NBA will be key to selecting which betting sites you want to use.
NBA Betting Apps
You have several options for betting at the new NBA betting sites. You can use your desktop or laptop and bet using your web browser; you can use your tablet or smartphone and do the same or you can download an Apple iOS or Android app and bet on your mobile device.
Using your web browser on a mobile device is not as enjoyable as using the relevant app. The mobile apps are designed to work with smaller screens and to use the tap and swipe commands you are used to. Nowadays as much as 80% of all sports betting is done using a mobile. No surprise that many New York sportsbooks now see their mobile app as their primary platform. The best NBA betting experience is arguably now available on your smartphone.
When looking at what makes an NBA betting app great factors like app response time, usability and functionality, or accessibility across different devices all need to be taken into account. Specifically for NBA betting sites and their apps, we'll look at how the sportsbook adapts to mobile and if they do a good job of highlighting their basketball content with a simple and navigable interface. For all of our recommended sportsbook sites, you can expect to find associated New York Mobile betting apps that will appeal to NBA bettors.
Is Betting On NBA Games Legal In New York?
Yes, it is 100% legal at all nine sports betting sites that are licensed in New York State.
How To Bet on the NBA Online
There is no doubt that as online betting has become legalized around the country there has been a rapid rise in NBA betting. This growth has come partly because of the improvements that online sportsbooks have made to the betting process. Sports betting is now more entertaining than it has ever been. Online sportsbooks make sports gambling more accessible for all and easier to understand for fans new to NBA online betting. Online sportsbooks mean you can sign up with several different sportsbooks which increases your chances of finding great odds and lines. Not so easy at a brick and mortar casino!
Let's go through the steps on signing up for an NBA betting site:
- Choose the first sportsbook you want to sign up with and create an account. Follow the links on this page or our review pages. Enter your details in the online registration form. If we list Promo Codes for New York Sportsbooks enter the code of choice in the space provided.
- After they've verified your info and before you can begin betting, the sportsbook will want to check your location to ensure you can bet legally and could require you to download a location checker to confirm your whereabouts.
- More often than not the sportsbook website or mobile app will have a location checker installed that can track your location while using the app to ensure you can bet legally from your current location.
- Before placing any bets you'll need to fund your account. This can be achieved in several different ways including with a debit or credit card, via an online bank account, or even through an e-wallet.
Additional Tips
Before you start betting take the time to explore the software so you seer where everything is and what bets you can make. The best NBA betting sites list the available NBA bets prominently. You can click on the NBA menu and filter to only show the NBA games and NBA teams that interest you.
It is also worthwhile to check out the responsible gaming features. These let you set betting limits and deposit limits to help you control your gambling. You get the best NBA betting action when you bet money you can afford.
Finally make sure you understand the terms and conditions of your welcome bonus. Free bets and deposit match bonuses are all valuable incentives but you do have to follow the rules to earn the money. Typically a free bet must be used within a short time period. Releasing a deposit bonus normally means you must bet the amnount of the bonus at least once.
Most Popular NBA Bets
While there are many ways to bet on the NBA, here are some of the most popular:
- Moneyline
A Moneyline bet in New York is a wager on who will win a particular matchup with a handicap placed by the sportsbook to decide how much is paid out if that team wins the game.
For example, when the Brooklyn Nets faced the Chicago Bulls recently, the moneyline was set with Brooklyn as favorites at -140 and Chicago +120 as an underdog. With the Chicago Bulls pulling out a 111-107 win, those who placed a $50 moneyline bet on Chicago won $60 with a payout of $110.
- Live Betting
Live betting offers you the chance to bet on games and their outcome as they are occurring. So, as the lines and odds shift throughout the Nets vs. Bulls game with Brooklyn forward DeAndre' Bembry on the brink of a first career double-double Live Betting lets you bet on him to secure his tenth rebound. All of the New York NBA betting sites offer live betting. However they vary in two ways; what bets they offer during the game and what streaming information they provide. This is why having more than one sportsbook can be valuable. You get to see different bets or the same bets at different odds and you get different live stream game information to help you make your bets.
- Parlays
NBA Parlays give fans the opportunity to mix and match bets they like to create the perfect combination to win big on game day. These combinations can include anything from moneylines to player props and pool together odds from all the bets to determine how much is paid out. While winning on one bet is fun it often only provides a small payout, parlays are for those looking make a slam dunk instead of cashing in on smaller individual bets. Parlays are connected bets where the odds are multiplied together. If one of your picks loses, you lose the whole bet but if you get all the bets right you make a lot more money even from a relatively small stake. Parlay Bets in NY are legal and available through most major sportsbooks in the state.
- Spread Bets
Betting the spread or a spread wager would be a bet on an NBA game where the outcome depends on the score. The favorite team is given a 'point spread' they have to cover for the bet to win out. This is contrasted by the losing team who despite the loss can remain within the point spread and therefore would cover meaning those who bet the spread on the losing team won their bet. While the odds on the spread won't be as good as the moneyline odds, you can still win money betting on your favorite team even if it loses.
- Totals
Totals betting is when the sportsbook sets a line for the total points to be scored in a game by both sides. You gamble on whether the total score will be over or under that line. Most sportsbooks will give you an opportunity to increase or decrease the total line which will increase and decrease the payout odds respectively and allow you to select what you feel the best line is for your money.
- Futures
These are bets in which you place far in advance of the event even taking place. During preseason these are often popular as sportsbooks will set odds for things like future NBA Champion, future MVP winner, or future Conference leaders. The greater uncertainty of future events makes for long odds and big pay outs. Of course, they're also not easy to get right.
- Prop Bets
Simply put, prop bets are wagers that aren't directly tied to the final score or outcome of a game such as total points scored by a player, free throws made, or who will win the tip-off. These bets allow for a more in-depth look into a game than just a final score and gives the opportunity to place your confidence in one player or moment as opposed to a whole team. When looking outside of the NBA, prop bets are popular around Super Bowl Sunday and you'll often hear people discussing prop bets such as the half-time performance or the winning teams Gatorade color.
NBA Handicapping
Handicapping refers to the various ways in which somebody betting on a particular matchup can look to quantify and forecast the results of a sports matchup. When it comes to sports betting, handicapping can be an important tool to help you decide which side you want to wager their money on. This is done by reviewing the stats of teams and whatever data you can get to try and give yourself even the slightest edge when making those bets. Many sportsbook sites will flash data alongside a particular matchup such as win probability or season-long cover percentages and this is done with the intention of providing the bettors with a slight handicap.
Let's take a look at some of the stats and trends to check out when looking into teams or matchups to bet on:
- Betting Trends – How a team has performed historically in this matchup, when they were favored and when they were underdogs.
- Consensus – In a particular matchup, which side is the public currently favoring, and who is being seen as the underdog.
- Free Picks – What are the sports betting supercomputers predicting for this game.
- Stats – From game to game how each team is performing both offensively and defensively.
- Referee Data – How those in the stripes can shift the outcome of a game and which referees are known for making good or bad calls.
- Database – Taking a look at factors such as how a team fares at home vs on the road or when they're a favorite vs when they're an underdog.
- Standings – Where does each team in a particular matchup currently sit in their conference and divisions standings.
- Team Reports – Everything you need to know from injuries to stats, to previous matchup numbers, and all in between.
- Power Rankings – A weekly in-depth look at each team and where they rank among the league, maybe in spite of what their records might show at the time.
NBA Playoffs and Finals
The NBA Playoffs and Finals take place following every NBA season usually between April to June and is the pinnacle of sports betting for those who follow the NBA. And with the recent addition of the play-in game to the NBA's playoff format, bettors have even more opportunities to win big with a multitude of games to watch. With that, there will be lots of sports betting coverage and strategy advice that comes out around the NBA playoff games so make sure to take advantage of what's available to make the most of your betting.
Basketball betting sites vary in how much data they provide to help you make your bets. Usually the game live stream provides some high quality data but for non-live games very little is available. Some sites offer data such as a history of the results between the two teams in a game, but this is not common.
NBA Betting Strategy and Tips
While the things we've discussed such as handicapping, picking the right bets, and betting with multiple sportsbooks are key, maintaining a strategy for your betting can provide an advantage that you can apply to any NBA matchup. Going in with a set of guidelines on how you will spend your money and which games are best for wagering on will promote smart betting while helping you to turn a profit.
There are several already established strategies that any bettor should try next time they place a few wagers as these tips help you manage money while teaching some of the sharpest ways to gamble on sports.
Bankroll Management
Learning to manage your NBA betting bankroll properly bankroll is crucial to long term profitability and success. Depositing funds and setting daily or weekly spending limits will help you to stay within your budget. Part of this strategy includes avoiding bets that are large compared to your bankroll. Betting a large part of your bankroll on a single bet is an easy way to lose money quickly. Making smaller wagers while staying within your budget is a great way to turn a profit over time.
Bet High Totals
With the average points per game scored by NBA teams consistently on the rise over the past 10 years betting the over/under on total points has become easier with matchups hitting the over more than 60% of the time. But as sportsbook makers have perceived this trend they've been able to adjust the lines to ensure the over/under isn't as predictable given this rise in scoring. With that, there is still value and profit to be turned on NBA games with a particularly high total-point projection as this rise in scoring continues.
Shop The Lines
As discussed previously, finding the best lines and odds will allow you greater opportunities to place successful wagers that pay out larger winnings. Maintaining multiple different sportsbook accounts to shop the lines and research which sportsbooks are offering the best betting odds is an excellent strategy to make a profit on your sports wagers. This is something that every sports bettor should do to try and get the most money out of each bet they place.
Get Familiar With The Schedule
Understanding a team's schedule and which opponents they play week in and out can help to familiarize you with which games you want to bet on and which matchups to avoid. Following a team's schedule and picking their winners and losers can ensure some stability in sports betting and allow you to turn a profit with your knowledge of the team's past and future matchups. Those who study the schedule and break down each game put themselves in a great spot to make consistent and knowledgeable bets that the average bettor won't.
Bet The Blowout System
Specifically in the NBA, you would expect teams that win by large margins of 15+ points would maintain momentum into their next matchup. However, data often points to the opposite being true in that according to Sports Insights, a home favorite coming off a victory by a margin of 15-points or more will cover the spread just 42.5% of the time in their subsequent matchup.
For this reason, look to bet against home favorites who are coming off of a high-scoring win as this statistical anomaly provides bettors with a chance to cash in on the oddsmaker's mistake.
Martingale System
The Martingale strategy is all about trying to minimize losses by quickly earning back on bets that don't win out. Initially, you make a bet of $10 on the New York Knicks (who average 104 points per game) to score 107 points in a particular matchup and when it hits you'll turn a fairly small profit. But if it loses, in the Martingale system you would then place a bet on the Knicks to score 108 in their following matchup but double your initial total so this time $20. This is done so that if the bet hits you'll make your losses back and turn a small profit.
However, if the bet fails to hit again, this system claims you must then double your money again (so this time $40) and place it on the same bet the following night which will then again clear up your losses while turning a small profit.
Sounds good, doesn't it? In reality, this system is doomed to failure. The doubling of your bet size will bankrupt your bankroll if you hit a losing streak. One thing human beings are really bad at is estimating the probability of a long streak of random outcomes. Psychological research shows that we all underestimate how many times a coin toss is likely to produce a long run of heads. The Martingale system is one to avoid like the plague.
The Tunnel Betting Strategy
Taking advantage of sportsbooks offering competing lines for game totals while still offering the same odds for a particular matchup is the goal of the tunnel betting strategy.
A good example would be if sportsbook A was offering New York vs Brooklyn at 220 points, while sportsbook B lists the line at 210 points but with both sportsbooks, the spread is set at -7 in favor of Brooklyn. In the tunnel strategy, you would bet the under at sportsbook A with 220 points and the over at Sportsbook B with 210 points creating a "tunnel" which if the point total lands between will have you cash in on two separate bets. However, even if the point total is outside the tunnel you'll still hit on one of the bets, meaning you'll cover your losses and in some cases turn a profit.
When Does The NBA Season Start and End
A typical NBA regular season will begin in mid-October and run until mid to late April with each team playing 82 games throughout its duration. The season culminates with the playoffs which includes a four-round best of 7 tournament with the top six teams from each conference qualifying.
This is preceded by the Play-In tournament where the 7-10 seeds compete using a three-game format for the final two spots in the NBA Playoffs. Ultimately the more competitive portion of the season comes in the playoffs with the winner being crowned the NBA Champion for that season which provides some great matchups to wager on.
The best NBA betting sites offer all of these fixtures with hundreds of prop bets available for live betting. Any betting site that doesn't give the NBA full coverage would not last long in the New York NBA online betting market.
NY Teams And NBA Betting Odds In New York
- New York Knicks
Based out of Madison Square Garden in New York City, the New York Knicks were founded in 1946 and have since won the NBA Championship twice. Alongside the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of only two NBA teams still located in their original city. Now coached by 2 time NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks' last playoff appearance came in 2020-21 to end a seven-year playoff drought.
- Brooklyn Nets
Formerly known as the New Jersey Nets before moving to the Barclays Center in 2012, the Brooklyn Nets are New York's newest NBA team and have established themselves as a league powerhouse. After finishing second in their division and losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020-21 conference semifinals, the Nets made the playoffs in 2021-22 but were swept in the first round.
Stream Basketball Games Online
Streaming the NBA online is becoming more and more popular especially for fans who want to watch every game or those who want to be able to see their bets hit in live-action. With streaming on the rise let's take a look at some of the best options on the market that are currently available to help NBA fans to catch all the content they want.
Hulu
Hulu and its plethora of live TV selections offer all the channels you need to watch every nationally broadcast NBA game while being available on practically any media streaming device. Not to mention all the bonus added content that Hulu provides such as their Hulu Originals which can provide endless hours of enjoyment alongside all their live sports.
YouTube TV
With the majority of the channels needed to stream national broadcasts for every NBA team, YouTube TV is an excellent choice for NBA fans looking to catch as many games across the league as possible. And with an easy-to-use but robust DVR system, YouTube TV allows you to record any game you want so you'll never miss any of the on-court action.
Fubo TV
With tons of live sports and on-demand sports entertainment content, Fubo TV is the perfect package for any sports fan fanatic looking to get the most for their buck. With an easy-to-use interface that makes finding all your teams or games easy and simple, Fubo TV is an excellent place to get started with live tv and sports.
Everything You Need To Know About the Best NBA Sportsbooks
With the launch of online sports betting in New York just around the corner now is the perfect time for fans to familiarize themselves with some of the best NBA betting sites. With so many enticing options out there, finding which sportsbooks and online betting sites suit your needs and interests will be key for when the NBA sports betting kicks off.
Be sure to keep an eye out for some of the features discussed such as a simple interface, competitive lines and odds, and of course things like free bets, bonuses and rewards which can all make a top-tier sportsbook.
Develop a betting system or strategy that works for you and how you like to bet and you'll be ready to go the second online bets can be placed in the state of New York.
If you want to start betting but are still new to sportsbooks, or, don't know where to start, Caesars Sportsbook NY or BetRivers Sportsbook NY are two suitable options for sports betting in the state.
NY NBA Betting FAQ
Yes, at all nine sportsbooks that have been licensed by New York state. Those are BetMGM, FanDuel, WynnBET, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, PointsBet, BallyBet and Resorts World. They are available online and also all have apps that you can download for your phone.
As the 20223 NBA PLayoffs opened, both the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were listed as underdogs in their opening round series. At BetMGM NY, the Nets were +600 against the 76ers. The Knicks, meanwhile, were +165 against the Cavaliers. NBA title odds were +10000 for the Knicks and +50000 for the Nets.
With several different sportsbooks on the market to pick from this really comes down to you and how you want to bet. Be sure to test out a few different options to decide which online sportsbook is best for you. Most regular sports bettors have accounts with three or four different basketball betting sites
The NBA season began on Oct. 19 for the Nets and Knicks, with the last regular-season game before the playoffs scheduled on April 9 for both teams.
Once New York launches online sportsbooks you will be able to select a sportsbook to register with and begin placing bets on NBA matchups through their app or website.
By shopping the lines across multiple different sportsbooks. This is done to find who's offering the best odds and lines and is why maintaining multiple accounts across different sportsbooks can be very beneficial.
Author

Riley Frain is constantly in search of competitive odds and lines across the top US sportsbooks and their apps to find bettors the best available opportunities to wager their hard-earned money with.