Betting on the top NBA players is a popular option at legal online sportsbooks across the US. For those who haven’t gotten on board with NBA player props just yet, it’s easy to do so, and there are plenty of ways to bet.
If you think daily fantasy sports are fun, then these could be for you. Here’s a deep dive into everything you need to know about betting on NBA player props at legal online sportsbooks here in New York.
Today’s NBA Player Props
Search any NBA player below to see their current prop odds. Click on any odds to go directly to the sportsbook, claim the posted bonus, and get started.
Which legal NY sportsbooks are best for NBA player props?
Props odds are posted for dozens of players when any NBA game is on. Check the latest props from top New York sportsbooks via the links below.
What are the different kinds of NBA props that you can bet on?
Props provide bettors with additional wagering options for every NBA game. A prop goes beyond which side will win or lose a game or by how much. These are bets that let you dive into the game within the game on the court.
You’ll find props for the game in its entirety and the individual teams playing in it. For the former, you can place a bet on whether the game will go to overtime, for example. On the team side, meanwhile, you could bet on which side will have more rebounds in the game. Beyond those two types of props are some of the most popular options for NBA games: player props.
A player prop is a bet on what an individual player may or may not do during the course of a game. Beyond providing you with even more rooting interest, player props also give you even more chances to win.
Where can I find NBA player props online?
All of the top sportsbooks have NBA player props on the menu, but some do it better than others. Here are the legal online sportsbooks in New York that do it right:
- Caesars NY: The emperor has a simple betting platform that lets you get down to business quickly. Odds boosts, bet insurance and special prop promos for the biggest NBA games are regular occurrences.
- BetMGM NY: You’ll find a clean listing of all of the available props for each NBA game. BetMGM also has custom one-game parlay options for each contest that include popular player props.
- FanDuel NY: Player props are a big draw on the FanDuel betting app, and you’ll find virtually every option that you can think of. The single-game parlay feature lets you combine multiple player props on one ticket with ease.
- DraftKings NY: This site nails it when it comes to listing all of the available props for a slate of games. Be sure to check out the betting pools, as player props are a big part of the action.
- PointsBet NY: This book pays careful attention to the odds for all bets, including NBA player props. You’ll find a host of over/unders for star players and multiple-choice prop options for each game on the PointsBet app.
- BetRivers NY: Not only can you bet on NBA player props on the BetRivers sports betting app, but you can also do a ton of research on who’s in or out and the latest stats. That’s a massive time-saver when you’re looking to get your bets in before tipoff.
Most popular NBA player props
There are plenty of NBA player props to choose from for each game throughout the season. Naturally, some are more popular than others. Here are the three that tend to attract the most attention at legal online sportsbooks:
- First basket scorer: Place your bets on who you think will score the first basket in the game.
- Points, rebounds, assists: Over/under bets on the top statistical categories for various players.
- Player doubles: Wager on a player to hit the over/under on certain benchmarks for points plus rebounds, points plus assists, etc.
Note that the popularity of these wagers doesn’t mean that they’re easy to win. Anything can happen on the court, so there are no guarantees. That said, those who build a solid research routine may generate some success betting on NBA player props.
Other NBA player props to keep in mind
As you get more comfortable with NBA player props, you may want to take a deeper look at some of the following:
- Double or triple-double: Place your bets on players to hit double digits in two or three major statistical categories.
- Threes, blocks, steals, turnovers: More over/under bets for other top stats that you can track throughout the game.
- Player to score: Benchmark numbers such as 10-plus or 20-plus points, with the odds shifting based on the likelihood of it happening.
There’s no need to try to tackle everything at once, nor do you have to place a prop bet on every game that you plan to watch. Instead, take a selective approach and look for clear-cut advantages as you work to build a solid win percentage.
How do you find NBA player props at online sportsbooks?
When you visit an online sportsbook, you can click on your sport of choice from the menu of options. If you click on the NBA or basketball link, all of the upcoming games will then appear in the main betting lobby. Over at Caesars, it’ll look like this:
The default listing is for the main pregame bets. To see what other options are available, just click on the arrow next to the team names.
It’s the same concept at all of the other top sportsbooks. Clicking a game listing will show the other available bets for that contest, including player props.
From there, it’s just a matter of scrolling through the available options to find what you want. When you’re ready to bet, just click the odds for your selection to add it to the betting slip.
Next, add in your stake, verify that everything is correct, and click submit to place your bet. You can track the progress throughout the game in the open bets section.
What are the odds like for NBA player props?
The odds for NBA player props will vary based on the type of bet and other factors. As with any other wager, the numbers can move due to game news, market action or the feelings of oddsmakers.
There are props with just two choices to make, similar to moneyline betting, and others with lots of options like what you would see in futures betting for the winner of the next NBA Finals. Let’s run through an example of each.
Total points for James Harden
- Over 23.5 (-102)
- Under 23.5 (-120)
There’s a pretty tight range between the two options for this wager, just like what you would see in a pregame bet on the spread or total. As market action flows in or other news develops, the numbers could shift even further. At times, you may find two-sided props with a wide range between the two sides or equal numbers for both options.
On the multiple-choice front, examples include which player will score the first basket in the game. Here’s what the odds and options for that wager might look like at FanDuel.
While this can be an incredibly tricky wager to project with accuracy, there are great potential returns for those who make the right call. That said, remember to always prioritize wagering based on your confidence level as opposed to how much you might win if everything breaks your way.
One final note to remember about NBA player prop odds: different sportsbooks will likely have different numbers. This is a scenario that you can use to your advantage, provided that you shop for the best line prior to placing your bets. If you take the time to look around, you can find the best available numbers and pounce.
Placement and settlement rules for player prop bets
Sportsbooks will consider NBA player props that you place in advance of a game to be action once the game tips off. There’s one notable caveat to that rule: If a player is ruled out in advance of game time, books will void bets on that player.
Unfortunately, there can be a lot of last-minute injury news in the NBA. Be sure to keep this in mind as you’re researching your bets. For a solid rule of thumb, just take a pass on any players who are questionable for a game.
Once the bets are live, you can track them right on the sportsbook site. It’s a good idea to do so as you may receive an early cash-out offer if things are breaking your way. Sportsbooks will settle all player prop bets based on official league data and statistics.
In other words, the book will not entertain disputes that go against the official numbers. Legal online sports betting sites will officially spell this out in their rules. You should always take the time to review the rules wherever you play.
Once books have graded the bets, settlement happens quickly. You’ll receive credit on your account for any winnings right away. The bet itself will move over to the transaction history or settled bets section of your account.
NBA player prop betting examples
Player props are easy to get started with. Once you sign up for an account at a legal online sportsbook, you can jump right in. However, it’s going to take some practice before you get up to speed. To that end, let’s take a look at a pair of examples of common NBA player props.
For this bet, you simply have to choose the over or under for how many points Kevin Durant will score. If you go over and he drops 29 or more, you win. Under bettors, meanwhile, are hoping for him to notch 28 or fewer.
For a typical over/under bet on a player’s stats, the odds will be in a pretty tight range, at least at the initial release. To get back $100 on a correct bet, you’d have to bet $106 at odds of -106 or $116 at -116. Next, let’s take a look at a prop with more choices to consider.
For this bet, you’re trying to nail the player who will make the first bucket in the game. As you would expect, the top offensive options are the favorites to make it happen.
This is a tough bet to hit, but the returns can be fantastic. For example, if you land on Spencer Dinwiddie and he goes on to make the game’s first basket, a $20 bet would bring back $170 in profit.
Tips for betting on NBA player props
If you know the NBA, then you have a solid knowledge base to build on for betting on the NBA games. However, finding success with player props goes deeper than simply knowing which players have game or not.
There’s certainly a place for having a feel for who might go off and when, but you should also be backing that up with some solid reasoning for the calls that you make. Here are a few tips that can help:
- Stay on top of injury news: Few things are more frustrating than preparing to watch one of your favorites in action and learning that he won’t be playing shortly after you tune in. There’s no way to completely avoid these surprises in the NBA, but you can stay on top of the day’s news and notes for clues. If a star looks questionable, take a pass and explore who might benefit from that player’s absence.
- Use the spread and total as a guide: You can quickly calculate the expected score of a game by looking at the spread and total, and there are also plenty of sites that do this for you. This will give you a ballpark of what kind of game to expect. When you compare the projected score to what the team produces on average, you can then focus on who may over- or under-perform on expectations.
- Look for big differences with season averages: Player averages in key stats can be a solid starting point for your research. While many of the numbers will be right in range, there may also be some outliers that you come across. When you do, dig into why that may be the case. There could be a good reason for it, but it’s also possible that the book simply made a mistake, and you might be able to capitalize.
Can you make money betting on NBA player props?
There are absolutely no guarantees when it comes to sports betting. With that public service announcement out of the way, it’s possible to build your skills up to the point where you can find some consistency with betting on NBA player props.
First and foremost, you have to be willing to put in the work. That can be as simple as researching the opinions of sources that you trust or going deeper into advanced statistical research. The approach that you choose is up to you.
You’re not going to be right every time no matter what you do, but you can get to the point where you win more than you lose. If you can do so while getting your bets in at the best possible odds, then profits could follow.