There are similarities in playing basketball on the court and at the sportsbooks. Both involve endless hustle in an exhausting full-court frenzy. NBA players are running up and down the hardwood for 48 minutes - more if it goes overtime. NBA bettors are rushing all day to collect data, keep up on injuries, analyze back-to-back spots, and then jumping on the best lines as soon as they are released.   It takes hard work and skill to win at the NBA level and at handicapping. Most of us aren't ever going to play in the NBA, but everyone can win betting on it - if you follow the correct steps, which include doing your daily homework and practicing sound money management skills.  

Why Use Free NBA Underdog Picks

Successful sports betting is about searching for edges. Maintaining a list of free underdog picks is one way to keep a step ahead and gain some essential edges. You can start to put in the work each day gathering information on teams that are playing that night and ones that played last night.   Handicappers examine how many minutes the starters just played, how good or bad a bench is, whether a team is on a road trip or a homestand, and stats relating to defense, 3-point shooting, free throws, and field goal defense. All of that paints a picture of how ready a team is to perform in the next game. Adding free underdog picks from a handicapping professional augments your knowledge, verifying stuff you've already found while keeping you informed of key things you may have missed. Just like coaches watching game film of the upcoming opponent, getting armed to the teeth with information is the first step in identifying the right betting numbers.  

Betting Value in Free NBA Underdog Picks

One should look carefully at NBA home teams as underdogs. Home court is often a significant basketball advantage as players are comfortable in their regular practice facilities, able to spend time with their families, then go to work playing in front of 12,000 people cheering you on to win. Even players on struggling teams are likely to give a great effort in that environment.   A home dog is going up against a team that is better on paper, but situational factors can come into play against the visitors. Is this their third game in four nights? Their fifth straight road game? Did 4 players top 40 minutes in the previous game that went into overtime?   The previous game may be over, but what happened can influence the next one. Coaches that demand tough defense can also have wagering value, such as low-scoring games, first-halves going UNDER the total, or keeping games close through defense as a big underdog.  

Wunderdog Free NBA Underdog Picks

The free NBA Underdog picks that I release are betting lines that have been dissected for the mathematical edges at the Sportsbook window alongside any technical edges on the court. My extensive database and decades of knowledge are behind every release. Underdogs provide extra value when lines move or when game-day lineups and information change, such as injuries or coaching adjustments. All of that happens regularly over the long grind of an 82-game regular season. I keep up with all the changes because I'm in it to win it.  

Free NBA Underdog Picks vs. Premium Picks

Free NBA Underdog Picks Pros:

  • Insight into what the serious pros are on and why
  • Putting the right odds in your favor
  • Build layers of handicapping knowledge forces you to become a better bettor

Free NBA Underdog Picks Cons:

  • The handicapper might not keep up on NBA daily changes
  • Sports betting websites may hide their losers and scream only about winners
  • Who made the selection might be unclear. Is it a real handicapper? Or a computer-generated selection?

Premium NBA Underdog Picks Pros:

  • Time, Efficiency, and Speed. The wagering professional does all the work to find the best spots
  • NBA dogs present two different ways to collect: the point spread or moneyline
  • Top selections understand line movement moving quickly to lock in the best number that day

Premium NBA Underdog Picks Cons:

  • Too much cost cuts into your betting bankroll
  • If they don't come with the reasons why you can't improve your betting knowledge
  • Too many daily selections, as not every game will have wagering value

How To Win With Free NBA Underdog Picks

Winning on a consistent basis in sports betting isn't magic. It's about gauging the expected team performance with mathematical percentages built around the odds. And you assess that expected performance by acquiring and examining information.  A key edge with backing an NBA underdog is that every dog has a reasonable chance to win the game each night. That's not very likely in college football or basketball where small schools can be a 20, 30, or 40-point dog. Those upsets garner national attention but aren't common.   Every season, many of the NBA's struggling teams will knock off a good team, not only covering the number easily but providing a betting moneyline windfall when you pick the right spot. My selections come with a two-decade track record of consistently beating the books - and will include some big dogs that are capable of winning the game. The players are available for free and I always include the reasoning behind them.  

Free NBA Underdog Picks Betting Strategy

Know Thy Schedule

There are dozens of situational spots each week that favor NBA underdogs. The NBA has taken steps in recent years to cut back the number of difficult back-to-back situational spots, but there are around 14 per team over an 82-game schedule. A rested team has a lot of potential advantages against one that just played last night.   A team playing the second of a back-to-back can find the going tough in the second half or the fourth quarter on tired legs. They can also have some minor nagging injuries that could worsen. A team with a deep bench is better suited, while one with inexperienced or unreliable players off the pine can find a tie game turn into a 10-point deficit in a few minutes.  Oddsmakers factor the back-to-back in when they make numbers, but not every team is as good at handling it as others.  

Coaching

Coaches with winning track records have a talent for using the right personnel at the right time and are very good at motivating players to perform at a consistently high level. However, even the best coaches can approach games very differently.  A recent NBA coaching trend is to pace teams over the course of a long season, giving players nights off. Talented veterans and even star players will sit by design at times. NBA underdogs going up against better teams that are sitting one or two stars can be classified as very live dogs, especially if they're a home dog.  

NBA Moneyline Underdogs

There are plenty of NBA underdogs that are more than capable of winning the game. For bettors, that can mean two wagers: one on the point spread, the other a smaller play on the moneyline. If the underdog covers but fails to win, you still end up with more money than you wagered even with the moneyline loss.  But with an upset, both bets will win providing a powerful one-two bankroll-building punch. One recent season when Boston and Golden State met in the NBA Finals, they were both a home dog three times during the regular season and each won two of those straight up.  

Free NBA Underdog Picks Subscription

My NBA picks come with a two-decade track record of consistently beating the books - and will include some big dogs that are capable of winning the game. The NBA picks are available for free and I always include the reasoning behind them. Underdogs can scare a lot of novice bettors, who feel more comfortable backing favorites.  But there are ample matchup and mathematical advantages with NBA underdogs that provide serious winning edges against the odds. I release free NBA Underdog picks regularly on my website or via email subscription. You can get involved to analyze the selections, improve your game, and digest different wagering strategies.   It's not luck. Its smarts - smart to get a documented professional in your corner to incrementally build your bankroll in the competitive world of 11-to-10.

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