Today’s NBA Betting Trends
The following ae NBA betting trends featured on VSiN and qualified for the NBA games of Thursday, February 1, 2024. This report is meant to emulate the process that Steve Makinen and other members of the VSiN Analytics team undergo when handicapping each day’s NBA board.
Strategies Using NBA DraftKings Betting Splits Data
One of the most touted features on the VSiN.com website, and a feature that we believe to be a fantastic resource for bettors is the betting splits pages. These are the pages that we have built utilizing the data that DraftKings so graciously provides to us detailing the breakdowns of the money and ticket splits for point spreads, money lines, and totals.
In an article published on the VSiN.com website on opening day, Steve Makinen outlined 14 different systematic strategies for successfully using the DK Betting Splits Data that developed in the 2022-23 season. Here are the systems and qualifying plays for today’s games as of 12:00 PM ET. These can AND WILL change, so continue to track and qualify the systems up until tip-off for best usage. These systems have been updated to show midseason records as well.
DK NBA Betting Splits system #1: When 63% or more of the handle was on the home side of an ATS wager, this supermajority group was 115-88 ATS (56.6%) last season. For this season so far, that group is 88-83 ATS (51.5%). If you see nearly 2/3 of the handle backing a host in an NBA game this season, it’s a solid bet to follow it.
System Matches (PLAY ALL): NEW YORK, UTAH
At this point, unlike the football studies I conducted, it’s safe to assume that being part of the majority handle of DraftKings bettors on ATS wagers is a relatively sound strategy.
The following two systems show some successes that majority groups at DraftKings enjoyed when looking at bet volume:
DK NBA Betting Splits system #5: We saw earlier that the supermajority benchmark for handle success on ATS was wagers at 63%. It is a touch higher and a completely opposite result when analyzing the number of bets. When 69% or more of the number of bets was on a side of an ATS wager (home or road), this supermajority group has gone just 92-114 ATS (44.7%) this season, well below the overall performance of all majorities.
System Matches (FADE ALL): NEW YORK, CLEVELAND
DK NBA Betting Splits system #6: In NBA Non-Conference games (East versus West) of the last season and a half, DK majority number of bets groups have been successful, as they are 225-199 ATS (52.8%). If you consider that the overall majority numbers showed a 50% success rate, they were 2.8% improved on these rarer contests.
System Matches (PLAY ALL): BOSTON, CLEVELAND, PHILADELPHIA
The overall numbers shown earlier detailed that majority bettors have won significantly on moneyline wagering this season. Here are some more detailed specifics, with some losing angles too:
DK NBA Betting Splits system #9: When the majority handle was on underdogs for a moneyline wager, this majority group has struggled this season, going 16-28 for -9.31 units and an R.O.I. of -21.2%. This doesn’t seem to be a real significant amount, but when compared to the overall wins of +27.4 units, it represents a significant cut out of the profits. Favorite betting has certainly prevailed so far in 2023-24.
System Matches (FADE): LA LAKERS ML
These last three systems involve totals.
DK NBA Betting Splits system #11: One of the best and most frequent angles I have been able to uncover is when less than 60% of handle bettors were backing the Over in an NBA game. I told you earlier that most NBA bettors love taking Overs. When less than 60% of them favored that total option over the last year-and-a-half, you could almost conclude that they didn’t like it “as much,” regardless of whether or not it was a majority. Only 520 of about 1400 games fit this criteria, but the results have been strong, with Under the total on these games going 287-231-2, good for 55.4%.
System Matches (PLAY UNDER ALL): IND-NYK, CLE-MEM
DK NBA Betting Splits system #13: The average NBA game total this season has been a touch over 230. In NBA games with extremely low totals, or those less than 220, majority handle bettors are an impressive 49-25 (66.2%), whole majority number of bets groups are a bit worse but still strong at 43-31 (58.1%).
System Matches: CLE-MEM has majority HANDLE favoring UNDER, but majority NUMBER of BETS favoring OVER
DK NBA Betting Splits system #14: In NBA games with extremely high totals this season, or those 240 or higher, majority number of bets groups have gone just 31-53 (36.9%).
System Matches: PLAY UNDER instead in LAL-BOS
Schedule Situations Crucial for NBA Handicapping
The following is an expanded version of the article published in this year’s VSiN NBA Betting Guide, detailing scheduling situations in which teams have shown definitive patterns over the last few seasons. Typically, there are reasons that teams perform at varying levels based on their schedules, whether that be from the amount of rest they’ve gotten before a game, how fatigued they are from a string of games, or how they deal with injuries/workloads based upon the schedule pressures.
We will be tracking 50 top scheduling situations all season long!
* Home teams playing on 2 Days Rest are 27-8 SU and 22-12-1 ATS (63.6%) hosting teams playing in an H2A b2b game over the last two seasons.
2/1: MEMPHIS vs. Cleveland
System Match: PLAY MEMPHIS (+8 vs CLE)
* Under the total was 86-53 (61.9%) over the last two seasons when the road team was on One Day Rest and the host was playing a 3rd Home in 4 Days game.
2/1: Under the total in BOSTON-LA LAKERS
System Match: PLAY UNDER the total (o/u at 241.5)
Top Team-Specific Scheduling Situation Trends
The following are some of the top team-specific NBA betting trends that have developed in the NBA over the last few seasons when considering scheduling situations. Like the league-wide systems introduced earlier, naturally, there are reasons that certain teams perform at varying levels based upon their schedules, whether that be from the amount of rest they’ve gotten before a game, how fatigued they are from a string of games, or how they deal with injuries/workloads based upon the schedule pressures.
NO QUALIFYING TEAM SPECIFIC SCHEDULING TRENDS TODAY
NBA Team Strength Systems
The following handicapping information details five NBA betting trend systems for teams based upon some various team strength indicator or line scenarios. Unless noted, these are from the last three NBA seasons.
NBA Team Strength Betting System #4:
Double-digit NBA favorites in non-conference games have gone 125-27 SU but just 59-91-2 ATS (39.3%) over the last two seasons.
System Matches: FADE BOSTON (-12 vs LAL)
NBA Team Strength Betting System #5:
Double-digit NBA games have produced some definitive results on totals over the last three seasons, dependent upon what type of matchup it was. In divisional games featuring double-digit lines, Under the total has gone 71-57 (55.5%). In non-conference games, Over the total was 130-107 (54.9%). And finally, in non-divisional conference games, Over the total was 173-123 (58.4%).
System Matches: PLAY OVER in LAL-BOS (o/u at 241.5)
NBA Extreme Stats Next Game Systems
These NBA betting trends systems search for extreme statistical performances in NBA games and detail the results of the follow-up game for the teams. These systems are from the last three seasons unless noted.
NO QUALIFYING EXTREME STATS PLAYS TODAY
NBA Streak Systems
The following handicapping information details nine NBA betting trends systems for teams on winning or losing streaks of at least four games in the NBA.
NBA Streak Betting System #5:
There has been a 5.3% swing in ATS success rate when teams that have lost their last four games or more have taken on losing teams (143-163 ATS, 46.7%) versus when they’ve faced winning teams (195-180 ATS, 52%) over the last three seasons.
System Matches: CONSIDER FADING PHILADELPHIA (+4.5 at UTA)
NBA Streak Betting System #6:
Teams having lost their last four games or more have been a solid wager when they are a capable offensive team, as those scoring 114 PPG or more are on a 55-47 SU and 59-41-3 ATS (59%) surge.
System Matches: PLAY PHILADELPHIA (+4.5 at UTA)
NBA Streak Betting System #8:
Teams reaching winning or losing streaks of seven games or more become play against teams in general, going 162-202 ATS (44.5%) in the next outing since 2020, and in particular, teams on losing streaks of seven games or more have been terrible in road games, going 20-93 SU and 47-63-3 ATS (42.7%).
System Matches: FADE NEW YORK (-2.5 vs IND)
NBA Streak Betting System #9:
Teams reaching an eight-game winning streak have become profitable fade opportunities, going 34-53 ATS (39.1%) in the next game, including 15-29 ATS (34.1%) on the road over the last three seasons.
System Matches: FADE NEW YORK (-2.5 vs IND)
Today’s NBA Strength Ratings
The following are taken from today’s MAKINEN DAILY RATINGS page under the NBA tab on VSiN.com. Listed by team, current line, and difference between rating and current line (in parenthesis).
Today’s Top 2 UNDERPRICED UNDERDOGS according to the Makinen POWER RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. INDIANA +2.5 (+1.8), 2. PHILADELPHIA +4.5 (+1.2)
Today’s Top 2 UNDERPRICED FAVORITES according to the Makinen POWER RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. BOSTON -12 (+1.6), 2. CLEVELAND -8 (+0.8)
Today’s Top 2 UNDERPRICED UNDERDOGS according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. INDIANA +2.5 (+2.0), 2. PHILADELPHIA +4.5 (+1.1)
Today’s Top 2 UNDERPRICED FAVORITES according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. BOSTON -12 (+2.8), 2. CLEVELAND -8 (+1.3)
Today’s Top 3 BIGGEST TOTAL PROJECTIONS FAVORING OVER according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. PHI-UTA OVER 238 (+1.3), 2. IND-NYK OVER 236 (+0.4), 3. LAL-BOS OVER 241.5 (+0.3)
Today’s TOTAL PROJECTION FAVORING UNDER according to the Makinen EFFECTIVE STRENGTH RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: CLE-MEM UNDER 215.5 (-0.2)
Today’s Top 3 UNDERPRICED UNDERDOGS according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. INDIANA +2.5 (+1.2), 2. PHILADELPHIA +4.5 (+0.7)
Today’s Top 3 UNDERPRICED FAVORITES according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. CLEVELAND -8 (+2.3),2. BOSTON -12 (+1.8)
Today’s Top 3 BIGGEST TOTAL PROJECTIONS FAVORING OVER according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: 1. PHI-UTA OVER 238 (+1.7), 2. IND-NYK OVER 236 (+0.7), 3. CLE-MEM OVER 215.5 (+0.3)
Today’s Top 3 BIGGEST TOTAL PROJECTIONS FAVORING UNDER according to the Makinen BETTORS RATINGS projections:
Ratings Matches: NONE TODAY
Top Daily Head-To-Head Series Trends
Here are the top head-to-head series NBA betting trends in play for all of today’s games:
(505) CLEVELAND at (506) MEMPHIS
* Over the total is 3-0-1 in the last four of the CLE-MEM series
System Match: PLAY OVER the total
(501) INDIANA at (502) NEW YORK
* The last four games of the IND-NYK series went Over the total
System Match: PLAY OVER the total
(503) LA LAKERS at (504) BOSTON
* Over the total is 10-2 in the last 12 of the LAL-BOS rivalry
System Match: PLAY OVER the total
(507) PHILADELPHIA at (508) UTAH
* UTAH has won the last three ATS hosting Philadelphia
System Match: PLAY UTAH ATS