NBA vs. College Basketball Betting: What’s The Difference?

Basketball is basketball, but there are some major differences between college and pro hoops. In fact, there are so many differences between the NBA and NCAA basketball that you should take different approaches to each one’s betting markets.

Here’s a one-to-one comparison of betting on the NBA and NCAA basketball, what sets each apart, what makes them similar, and the pros and cons of betting on each.

Key betting differences: NBA vs. College Basketball

This chart illustrates many of the key differences between NBA and NCAA basketball and their impact on betting:

NCAA basketball is more suited to beginners

Several of the key differences between NBA and NCAA basketball make the college game a little easier to predict. Therefore, it’s better suited to beginning bettors. The shorter schedule, fewer games per week, less travel, and talent disparity are all key factors in making college outcomes slightly easier to predict than in the pros.

You might even find your knowledge of a local team gives you an edge over a sportsbook with so many college teams to cover. That said, picking winners at either level can be hard for novice and experienced gamblers.

Your sports betting should always be limited to times when circumstances appear to be in your favor. Plus, since no outcome is ever truly predictable, you should bet only what you can afford to lose.

Different bet types in NBA vs. NCAAB

The same standard bet types are generally available for both college basketball and the NBA. That means you can bet on moneylines, spreads, and totals for most games. How do betting lines work? A standard set of lines for an NBA game or NCAA basketball game might look like this at DraftKings Sportsbook Texas or Caesars TX Sportsbook:

Here, you’ve got the game’s point spread and the odds on spread bets, followed by the moneyline odds, and then the totals line with the odds on over and under bets. Let’s define those terms quickly, just in case you need clarification.

• Point spread: Take the favorite minus the spread or the underdog plus the points.
• Moneyline: Pick the outright winner with no spread.
• Total: Pick the over or under on the total number of points compared to the line.

You may also find props where you can bet on player stats in a game. Props will almost certainly be available for NBA players. Texas has yet to determine whether it will allow prop betting on individual college players or prohibit such bets as some other states have. Player props can include bets against a stat line, head-to-head matchups on specific stat categories and yes-or-no questions about a certain player’s achievements in a game.

You may also find the same standard lines available live, allowing you to bet on both NBA and NCAA basketball in real time during games. The basketball lines will move as fast as the game does, so you’ll want a Texas sports betting app to keep up.

Spreads and totals are the two most popular NBA bets, while NCAA basketball spreads seem to be liked by bettors best. NCAA basketball sees some big favorites, and that means big point spreads that level the odds compared to the moneyline. These massive spreads can keep things interesting even if an outright win for the favorite is never in doubt.

Does NBA or NCAAB betting have more profit potential?

There are two ways to look at this question. With a longer schedule and season, the NBA may offer more basketball betting opportunities and, therefore, more potential for profit.

However, the larger number of teams in college basketball means the chances of mistakes by oddsmakers are greater. You should be able to find consistently more favorable lines, leading to the potential for a greater profit. Granted, there will be variance in both, and the edges you find will always be small enough that no profit is ever guaranteed.

Public betting differences between the NBA and NCAAB

The fewer games on a typical NBA betting slate compared to college basketball makes the public action easier to track. In other words, it’ll be easier to see who is betting on what teams based on how the lines move ahead of a game. Tracking this kind of movement can provide great value. You’ll often be able to bet what oddsmakers originally and almost always accurately predicted will happen in a game at a better price.

That may be harder to do when it comes to college basketball, where the public action is a little more spread out. However, most betting often surrounds marquee matchups featuring nationally ranked teams. You can just as easily track movement and public betting for the lines on these games.