NBA Bettors Preparing to Get Right Back in Action

Unlike past years when the NBA season would come to an end in June, the 2019-2020 season didn't end this year until October 12, 2020, when the Los Angeles Lakers won the Championship over the Miami Heat. Obviously, the late end of the season was necessitated by the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an effort to get back to some level of normalcy, the NBA is planning on returning to action after a break of only 70 days. The 2020-2021 NBA season is officially slated to begin on December 22, 2020.

As evidence that the new season is starting to heat up, U.S. online and retail bookmakers are starting to post lines for opening day games as well as opening up the wagering boards for prop and future odds bets related to which team will win the conference titles, the NBA Championship, and the over/under on wins per team.

What U.S. NBA Bettors Need to Know

By the time the 2020-2021 NBA season officially gets underway, as many as 21 states will have licensed bookmakers in position to accept bets from sports bettors. Of those 21 states, about half of them will be promoting mobile sports wagering options.

With the pandemic still wreaking havoc in the U.S., this season will be starting with a format that is unlike any other format that has come before in recent decades. Here's what bettors will need to know.

1. The NBA season is slated to run 72 games as opposed to the 82 games played during recent NBA seasons. The change was necessitated by the league's late start. Past NBA seasons started in late October. This should be of particular interest to bettors who are looking to place win total over/under bets.

2. Due to the short rest period, a number of NBA veterans are making clear they may be taking occasional games off in an attempt to stay healthy. This is something bettors will need to consider before wagering on games. It's very likely pregame lineups will be getting more attention than ever before.

3. The 2020 draft is officially complete, making it reasonable for bettors to start handicapping for potential future odds wagers. There will also be a number of veterans returning to action after opting out of the "tournament" format that was used to finish the 2019-2020 season in the bubble.

4. The COVID-related protocols used to finish the last season will remain in place for the upcoming season.