Oftentimes, a team will play on the and then return home the next night, so even though a team is playing at home, it doesn’t mean that they will be comfortable and well-rested-they may have played a grueling game in another city just 24 hours’ prior. Teams also play back-to-backs, meaning two games in successive days. As you could imagine, by the fourth game, the team from the East could be travel-weary and also rest players. Teams from the east coast may go play four Western Conference teams over the course of five or six days.

Pay Attention to Schedules. The NBA can give teams some rough patches in their schedules.

For this reason, it’s best not to place bets on NBA games until right before it begins. In addition, teams usually come out with their lineups shortly before the game starts, so these are crucial pieces of information to follow.

Look for Late Injuries and Lineup Changes. Since only five players start NBA games and anywhere from eight to 13 players get playing time at all, if a key player is missing a game, that will have a huge impact on the line.

Betting odds and spread explained