The internet has made a lot of things easier, and it has made second half NBA betting a must for any serious bettor. In the past, you may not have been able to bet on the second half of an NBA game for a number of reasons. Internet speeds may not have been fast enough or the game might not have even been broadcast live, being shown on tape delay instead.
Those problems are a thing of the past, and betting on NBA second halves can give you a big advantage over the books. Injuries, coaching staffs, referees, fatigue, and fouls are some of the various reasons why a bet on an NBA second half could be a very advantageous one.
Second Half NBA Betting
You won’t find NBA second half betting available for long. Lines are released just after the first half ends and halftime begins, and they are closed just before tip-off of the second half. Generally speaking, there is a correlation to what the game line originally was for second half betting, but there are times when you can see a marked difference if a game has not gone according to plan.
Second Half NBA Pointspread
It’s pretty simple to bet on NBA second halves. Just log in to an online sportsbook and place a wager on one team or another to cover the second half spread. For example, if you think the Washington Wizards were unlucky in the first half and primed to turn things around in the second half, you want to make a bet on the Wizards. In that case, Washington might be -2, and the Wizards would have to win the second half by 3 points or more in order to win your bet. Remember that overtime does count for second half bets!
Second Half NBA Total or Over/Under
Betting on NBA second half totals is the other common option for second half bets. When you bet on a second half total, you are placing a bet on the two teams involved to combine for more or less than the total released by the online sportsbooks.
For instance, if there is a second half over/under of 111.5 in a game between Houston and Denver, the two teams would have to combine for 112 points or more in the second half (and overtime) for the bet to win.
Keep in mind that NBA second half lines tend to move quickly as bettors look to get down their cash as quickly as possible.
Second Half NBA Money Line
Betting on NBA second half moneylines just entails which team will score more points in that half. This is a good option if you think that a team that’s already up won’t let up in the second half, or if a team just has better value on the moneyline than the second half spread.
When to Bet Second Halves
There are a lot of reasons that you might want to bet NBA second half spreads. Injuries are a big part of second half bets. A team may have lost an integral part of its unit for at least the game in the first half, so you might want to go against them and back their opponent.
Another reasons for betting NBA second halves is if you believe a coaching staff is significantly better at making halftime adjustments than an opponent. That team is more likely to adapt and find a way to win in the second half.
Fouls and refereeing decisions are also solid reasons to bet on second halves of NBA games. A team could be shorthanded because some of its starters are in foul trouble and won’t play significant second half minutes as a result. Also, some referees might have a propensity to blow the whistle more or less often in the second half than in the first, so that can factor into your decision making.
Fatigue is probably the best reason to bet NBA second halves. The NBA season is a grueling six-month affair, and there are moments throughout the season where one team has significantly more rest than its opponent. Teams do wear down in the second half of back-to-backs, especially on the road, as the season goes along. Long road trips and late night flights have a major impact on fatigue too.
Check out the latest second half NBA betting odds at online sportsbook.
