Best Basketball Betting Sites in New Jersey - Jul 2024

Basketball is the one of the USA’s most popular sports to watch, with baseball and football pushing it close. However, when it comes to wagering, basketball on really falls behind football with punters being highly passionate for the sport.

New Jersey is no exception to this trend, which explains why the state’s top online betting brands all have such a strong NBA product.

In this guide, we’ll learn more about these sites and their many different lines, features and promotions. Aside from revealing the Garden State’s best basketball betting sites, we’ll also share some strategies to help you win when betting on hoops.

Best Basketball Betting Sites for New Jersey Players in 2024

Before we launch into the details, above you can find a summary of New Jersey’s best basketball betting sites, where our experts have taken the overall rankings for the sportsbooks and then applied a tighter set of criteria related totally to basketball.

What Features Do Top New Jersey Basketball Betting Sites Offer?

The list above shows who are the best basketball betting sites in New Jersey, but what’s the logic behind our decision? Well, our team of industry experts constantly assesses every sportsbook based on all kinds of criteria. Still, there are a few key features which all good basketball bookies share.

High Volume of Basketball Betting Opportunities

It stands to reason that a good basketball betting site must provide opportunities to bet on the game. Naturally, the NBA should be a top priority, with in-depth coverage of every matchup. So not just the moneyline, spreads and totals markets, but a wide variety of interesting props and lines.

A quick glance at the bet365 sportsbook page reveals there are more than 280 different wagering opportunities on the biggest NBA games. That’s the kind of detail we’re looking for in the best betting sites for basketball.

However, it’s equally important to make sure the odds are in line with the competition. It doesn’t matter how many betting opportunities exist, if the prices are terrible.

Away from the NBA, access to the world’s most popular basketball competitions is always nice to see. Whether it’s FIBA-sanctioned events like the Basketball World Cup, or leagues in exotic locations like Spain, China or even the Philippines.

Player Safety and Website Security - Keeping New Jersey Players Secure

There’s much more to a top bookmaker than simply betting on sport. We check the security features of each website, as well as their respective mobile apps, for instance. Are they protecting deposits and withdrawals with the latest encryption technology? How tight is the privacy policy? Do they offer two-factor authentication?

Even more crucial than on-site security, we ensure that each basketball betting site is properly-licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. If there’s no official accreditation, you run the risk of having payments withheld, or other nefarious practices. 

Finally, player safety also includes things like underage gambling and addiction. Strict identity verification processes help to fight these issues, keeping youngsters away and helping to identify and protect self-excluded problem gamblers. A selection of responsible gambling tools is equally important.

Rewarding Basketball Bonuses and Promotions

There are currently more than 15 legal sportsbooks in New Jersey. In such a competitive environment, the bookies have to work hard to both attract and retain our attention. That’s why the best basketball betting sites in the Garden State offer a selection of tantalizing promotions.

First of all, there should be a generous signup incentive. BetMGM is one of the best in the business in this regard, insuring your first real money bet for up to $1,500. However, once the initial welcome bonus is out of the way, we still expect to see plenty of ongoing promotions.

Enhanced odds, profit boosts, reload bonuses, parlay insurance, early payout; these are just a few examples of the many bountiful promotions offered by sportsbooks in New Jersey at the moment. We’ll dig a little deeper into these later in this guide.

Convenient Payment Solutions for NJ Players

It doesn’t matter how great the sportsbook is if you’re not able to add funds to your account. That’s why it’s necessary to offer a healthy selection of deposit methods, giving bettors the ability to get money into their wallets quickly and securely.

Withdrawals are perhaps even more vital. If you’ve had a winning bet on basketball, there’s no excuse for a site holding onto the money for days on end. You should be able to get your hands on the cash as quickly as possible. What’s more, there shouldn’t be any fees for processing your payout.

What Makes a Great Basketball Betting Product?

The aforementioned characteristics are important ingredients when cooking up a good basketball betting experience. But what is it specifically about the best sites that keeps players coming back for more? The following features are absolutely essential.

Coming up Clutch With Basketball Cash Out

In the bad old days, we had to place our bets and simply cross our fingers. Few things were more stressful than a nail biting finish when your team had previously dominated for long spells. However, there's no need to suffer in the modern era, thanks to the magic of cash out.

Every top basketball betting site in New Jersey now allows you to lock in your profits early. It’s also possible to abandon a losing bet and salvage what’s left of your stake if your pick is underperforming.

Information and Insights - Let the Basketball Data Inform your Wagers

They say that 'knowledge is power', and this certainly rings true in the betting world. It’s perfectly fine to blindly support your favorite team with a wager to further increase the excitement around a game. But if you want to make consistent profits, you need access to detailed statistics and expert insights.

A common feature of the best basketball betting sites is that they all offer a goldmine of historical information to bettors, free of charge. They also provide live updates, with key stats, play-by-play commentaries and visualizations of what’s happening on the court.

This data is provided by safe, secure and trusted sources, such as Stats Perform giving you accurate info to work with.

Bypass League Pass With Basketball Live Streams on NJ Betting Sites

When there’s money on the line, you’ll want to follow the action as closely as possible. But NBA streaming packages like League Pass can be expensive. 

A cheaper way to watch games is to take advantage of the many live streams found at New Jersey’s betting sites. bet365 is arguably the best basketball sportsbook for live streaming.

Common Basketball Betting Bonuses for New Jersey Players

As we alluded to previously, the state’s best basketball betting sites know how to look after their customers. In this section of our guide, we’ll highlight the most common promotions for basketball bettors.

Second Chance Bet Bonuses

These are usually given out as welcome bonuses, such as those seen at Caesars and BetMGM. The idea is simple. Create a new account and place your first real money bet. If it wins, life is good. But if it loses, you’ll have the stake returned in the form of bonus bets.

The two aforementioned sites provide four-figure refunds to unlucky first-time losers. Basketball bonuses don’t come much bigger than that.

Early Payouts - Pioneered by bet365 and Offered in New Jersey

Blowouts are inevitable in basketball. Sometimes, you just know that a game is over by the third quarter, or perhaps even earlier. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just collect the inevitable winnings right away?

At sites like bet365, that’s possible, thanks to their Early Payout promotion. If your pick goes 20 points clear in a game, the bet is automatically settled as a winner, regardless of the end result.

Odds Boosts - Driving Value for the NJ Bettor

Many sportsbooks in the Garden State enhance the prices of selected basketball lines, offering regular bettors a little extra value. Some even let you choose your own lines to boost.

BetRivers is a great example of a sportsbook that provides regular price boosts on basketball markets.

Major Basketball Tournaments for Betting

Professional basketball is played all around the world, and the best sportsbooks in New Jersey accept bets on most of these games. In this section, we’ll run through some of the major basketball betting events.

NBA Playoffs

The NBA is unquestionably the biggest basketball competition in the world. However, with 30 teams playing 82 games each, there are guaranteed to be some unattractive matchups. 

By the time April arrives, though, we’re into the business end of the season. There are no bad teams in the Playoffs, and the action comes thick and fast. Every game has something on the line, and for basketball bettors, there’s no more exciting time of year.

FIBA World Cup Betting Opportunities

Since 1950, basketball’s regulatory body, FIBA, has organized an international tournament that showcases the world’s best players. 

Although there is often resistance from basketball fans in the United States, the combined global television audiences for the tournament reach more than three billion. The USA has managed to capture the gold medal on no fewer than five occasions.

EuroLeague Wagers are Possible Too

Widely regarded as Europe’s strongest basketball competition, EuroLeague features 18 professional teams from across the continent. 

Dominant teams like Fenerbahçe, Olimpiacos and Anadolu Efes have produced a number of talented players, with some even showing up in the NBA. Luka Doncic, for instance, started out playing for Real Madrid.

For proper basketball fans, this is a great league to see the future European NBA stars come to the fore.

Top Basketball Betting Strategies for New Jerseyans

There are no guaranteed money-spinning tactics when you’re placing basketball bets. However, you can still give yourself the best possible chance of success by following these tips and tricks.

Bet as Early as Possible

The bookmakers are at their most vulnerable immediately after releasing their basketball lines. If they’ve made an error, which they don’t do very often, this is the time to strike. 

If the lines have been up for a while, and more sites have released their odds, you can be sure the prices are correct. DraftKings is usually among the first to drop NBA odds.

Stay on Top of Team Tactics

Different coaches have different styles. Some teams play at a very high intensity, for instance. Check the stats and analyze the average time in possession for each team. This is useful to know when betting on totals.

If both teams like to run down the clock, the chances are it will be a lower-scoring game than average. But if you’re looking at a couple of fast-paced teams, expect to see a flurry of points.

Avoid Parlays to Improve Winning Chances

Unpopular opinion time. Look, we know that parlays are fun. Who doesn’t want to turn a couple of bucks into a month’s salary? But if you want to transition into a serious bettor, you have to ditch the parlays.

Every basketball bet contains an in-built edge for the bookmaker, known as the 'vig' or the 'juice'. Yes, parlays do combine the odds to promise weighty returns. But they also multiply the bookmaker’s advantage.

If you're a more casual bettor, then we still think that parlays and same game parlays can be immensely entertaining, but for those determined to turn a regular profit, then need to be left alone.

Most Common Basketball Betting Markets

As we mentioned earlier, good basketball sportsbooks in New Jersey offer all sorts of interesting props and lines. You can wager on literally every aspect of a game these days. 

However, there are some lines which bettors constantly return to, time and time again. Let’s now take a look at the most commonly played basketball wagers.

Moneyline Betting in NJ

The simplest betting market of all, there are just three options on the moneyline. All you need to do is predict which team will win the game. If it goes to overtime, the bet remains live until there’s a winner. 

Guess correctly and you’ll be paid according to the odds at the time you placed the bet.

Points Spread Wagers

Basketball is one of those sports where mismatches are fairly common. If one team is far superior to the other, the moneyline will be unattractive. You could back the favorite for a near-guaranteed win, but the returns would be paltry. That’s why the best basketball betting sites offer points spreads.

Basically, the underdog receives an advantage. For your bet to win, your pick has to cover the spread. This is where you may be able to find value in an underdog that over-performs for a game and doesn't allow the spread to be covered.

Total Points Basketball Markets

This popular basketball line doesn’t involve picking the winner. Instead, the odds compilers suggest a fictional points total. Bettors only have to decide whether the real total will be higher or lower than the set line.

For example, if the line is 209.5, a final score of 108 to 101 would mean that Under bets win. The total number of points in the game is 209, lower than the imaginary line.

Live Basketball Betting at New Jersey Sportsbooks

Technological improvements over the last two decades have fuelled a massive spike in mobile sports betting. In turn, this has driven a rise in live betting, as in placing wagers on games that have already started.

Whether you’re watching at a local bar, or simply sitting on the couch, you now have dozens of in-play markets available at your fingertips. 

The standard moneyline, totals and spreads remain available, with the odds updating in real time as events unfold on court. However, the best basketball betting sites offer all kinds of unique live betting lines.

Parlay Betting and Basketball

One of the most popular bet types with all sports bettors is the parlay. By combining multiple selections into a single bet, you’re increasing the difficulty, but also the potential financial rewards.

Imagine this scenario. Let’s say you bet $100 on the Knicks at +205, which returns $305. A separate wager of $100 on the Nuggets at -188 would return $153.19. If both bets win, you’re looking at $458.19 from your $200 stake.

However, if you were to parlay these two picks and stake the full $200, the potential return would be $734.46 As you can see, that’s far greater than in the first example. And that’s the appeal of a parlay.

All of the best basketball betting sites accept parlays, while many offer teasers as well. These are similar to parlays, except you can move the spreads in your favor in return for slightly lower odds.

Basketball Same Game Parlays

Traditionally, sportsbooks wouldn’t allow you to parlay lines from within the same game. For instance, you can’t combine Steph Curry’s 'over 3.5 threes' odds with Steph Curry’s 'top points scorer' odds. 

Why? Because if the first bet wins, Curry’s already got 12 points, making it much more likely that the second bet also wins. One directly affects the other. This is known as a 'related contingency.

However, thanks to the recent innovation of Same Game Parlays, you can now mix and match lines from the same basketball game. All top betting sites in New Jersey accept such bets.

Conclusion

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in America, and the good people of New Jersey are no different. That’s understandable, with two major NBA franchises right on the doorstep. However, residents of the Garden State also love to bet on their beloved sport. 

Luckily, there’s a plethora of top-quality sportsbooks available, with over 15 currently licensed by the DGE. If you’d like to get involved, we’ve showcased the best basketball betting sites right here on this page.