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NBA Betting in Maryland

On this page, you will find all you need to know about how to bet on the NBA in Maryland. This includes some of the top betting sites you can use to place your wagers, how to read NBA odds, and much more.

Dan Bradley By: Dan Bradley
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Table of contents

Best NBA sportsbook promos in Maryland

Fan Favorite
1 Caesars
Caesars review
Second Chance Bet Up To $1000
GET BONUS
(+7)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.
Editor's Choice
2 DraftKings
DraftKings review
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
GET BONUS
(+7)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.
New Maryland sportsbook
3 Crab Sports
Crab Sports review
Second Chance Bet Up To $500
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(+1)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.
4 BetRivers
BetRivers review
Second Chance Bet Up To $500
GET BONUS
(+5)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.
5 FanDuel
FanDuel review
Bet $5 Get $150 in Bonus Bets
GET BONUS
(+5)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.
6 BetMGM
BetMGM review
Second Chance Bet Up To $1500
GET BONUS
(+7)
Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+ years of age.

In this guide to NBA betting in Maryland, we’ll highlight several of the top gambling operators in the state, walk you through how to get signed up, explain how to read betting lines, and provide some expert tips and tricks when betting on the NBA.

Which are the best Maryland sportsbooks for NBA betting?

Every Maryland bettor will have different features and traits that will appeal to them in picking the “best” Maryland sportsbooks for NBA betting. However, for the purposes of this list, these four are top options based on their reliable performances in-person, online, and through mobile apps, their strong selection of betting markets, and their frequency of NBA-specific bonus offers.

FanDuel Maryland Logo

FanDuel

FanDuel is one of two official betting partners of the NBA, along with DraftKings. This operator sets the standard for same game parlay markets.

DraftKings Maryland Logo

DraftKings

DraftKings is a top operator for daily fantasy sports, with many free-to-play and paid-entry contests available daily during the season.

BetMGM Maryland Logo

BetMGM

BetMGM has one of the top loyalty programs in the betting industry, and with the chance to earn rewards points for every dollar you wager, the benefits of BetMGM don’t stop when you withdraw your bankroll.

Caesars Maryland Logo

Caesars

As the official betting partner of the Washington Wizards, Caesars rounds out our list of bet Maryland sportsbooks for NBA betting. Be sure to take advantage of Caesars’ welcome bonus, as it is frequently one of the top promotions at any operator in the state.

Maryland sportsbooks may offer NBA-specific Maryland betting promo codes throughout the season, as well as other more generic options that are not tied to any sport but can be used on NBA bets. Here are some of the most popular options.

  • FanDuel Bet and Get: FanDuel offers a promo where new players can bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets. Additionally, the offer comes with a three-month trial of NBA League Pass.
  • DraftKings: Another excellent promo is DraftKings’ NBA Second Chance same game parlay. In this offer, bettors who lose an SGP wager are given a bonus bet in the amount of their first wager if the first parlay they place towards the bonus settles as a loss.
  • Multiple Operators: Several Maryland operators have profit boosts available that enhance the payouts on winning wagers. These boosts are typically around 25-30%, but we have seen some boosts get as high as 50%.

Getting started betting on the NBA online in Maryland

There are a few steps you’ll need to follow to get started betting on the NBA online in Maryland, regardless of the operator(s) you choose to utilize to make your wagers. The registration process will look something like this.

  1. Find a licensed operator: Legal, licensed Maryland sportsbooks are the only operators you should use. Offshore books put your personal and financial information at risk, and using them offers you no legal protection in case the unlicensed operators engage in unfair, shady betting practices. If you’re unsure whether a bookie is legal, check the listing on this site - if you don’t see it on MDBetting.com, stay away!!
  2. Look for a bonus code: There are loads of available registration bonus offers available when you first sign up with a bookmaker. Some of these offers will require you to use a bonus code while others may be automatic or require an opt-in. We list all available bonuses on the specific operator’s review page on our site.
  3. Enter your account information: Next, you’ll need to pick an email address and password you would like to use, as well as a cell phone number to use for two-factor authentication. You may also be prompted to create and answer a security question to help add an extra layer of protection to your account.
  4. Type in your identifying info: After that, you will be required to provide your legal first and last name, birth date, street address, and the last four digits of your social security number. This information will be used to verify your identify and betting eligibility, as well as to send you any required tax paperwork, as gambling winnings are taxed in Maryland.
  5. Final steps: Finally, you’ll need to agree to the terms of service, complete your registration, and make a real-money deposit with the banking method of your choice. Then, you’ll be free to make all the NBA wagers you wish.

Wagers you can place on the NBA in MD

Sportsbooks will offer a multitude of betting lines for you to choose from, and the wager types available may vary as well. Here are some of the most popular wagers you can place on the NBA in MD.

  • Totals: Totals wagers are a great choice when two teams are evenly matched and it’s difficult to pick an outright winner, or for when the betting value isn’t quite there on the moneyline or spread. Also called “over/unders,” totals involve the sportsbook setting a projected combined point total with bettors tasked to choose whether the actual total will be over or under the sportsbook’s mark.
  • Props: Props bets for the NBA cover all sorts of facets and can include wagers on which team will score first, the halftime spread, or a player’s combined points + assists + total. In each of these cases, you’ll notice these props aren’t dependent on either team winning or a certain final score. Props aren’t tied to correctly picking a winning team, so in some cases, you’ll know whether your wager hit well in advance of the final buzzer.
  • Parlays: Parlays take multiple wager types and combine them into a single wager with multiplied odds for each outcome (or leg) that is included as part of the bet. Most of the time, parlays will be between 2-5 legs, though sportsbooks will often allow up to 10 legs on a single slip. NBA same game parlays are also quite popular as they allow you to focus your research on a single contest when crafting your betting slip.

Betting on NBA finals & playoffs

One of the best ways to bet on the NBA Finals and the playoffs is to place a futures bet before the season even starts. Futures bets are long-term wagers that spans the course of either the regular season or the full season.

Oftentimes, these can be picking a team to win a championship, but it could also be a wager on a division or conference winner, whether a team will make or miss the playoffs, and season long awards like the MVP or Rookie of the Year.

Usually, the earlier you place a futures bet, the better the odds are that you’ll be able to get. However, as the season goes on, the odds will shift, and as the field gets narrower, you’ll be more likely to pick a winner.

Once the playoffs start, you can also choose to wager on series winners or on the individual games. This is also a fun time for live betting, where you can place wagers with odds constantly changing as the games unfold. Live/in-play betting can be played during the season as well, but there’s an extra element of enjoyment during the postseason.

How can you read NBA odds?

Knowing how to read NBA odds is one of the most important skills to master when learning to bet. It is often a bit challenging for novice players to grasp the concept, but with a little practice, you’ll be a pro in no time!

Reading NBA odds consists of two parts: understanding the favorite/underdog and calculating a payout. Favorites and underdogs can be determined by looking for a “+” or “-” symbol in front of the odds number. The favorite (the option most likely to win) will carry a “-” sign ahead of the number while the underdog will have a “+” sign designation.

Though it is somewhat rare, there will be some cases where you will find both sides of a betting market have a “-” symbol. If that’s the case, the outcome with the higher number after the “-” is the favorite.

Next, you’ll need to know how to project the payout to see if the odds are favorable enough for your liking. The easiest way to think of the odds is to base around a $100 figure.

For the favorite, you may see a moneyline posting of “Washington Wizards -140.” In this instance, Washington is the favorite, so you would need to wager $140 to win $100 and earn a $240 payout. Conversely, if the line were “Washington Wizards +140,” the Wizards would be the underdog, and a $100 bet would win $140; that would also mean a $240 payout, but the profit would be different for those scenarios.

You won’t be required to wager $100 on every bet. The profits and payouts for winning wagers will scale proportionally to the size of the stake you place, When betting online or through a mobile app, these calculations will be done automatically once you decide on a stake amount.

Tips when betting on the NBA

MDBetting.com has asked its experts for their tips when betting on the NBA. Here are the top tricks the gambling pros use so that your betting experience will be more fun and more profitable.

  • Practice line shopping: If you were to shop for a new car, you’d want to be sure you were getting the best deal possible before making a purchase. Odds shopping works the same way. Sportsbooks will have differences in the odds they post, and even small differences can make a big difference for your long-term profit margins. Spending time shopping the lines will help you find hidden value and make more money for the same winning stakes.
  • Study the schedules: Load management has been a major talking point in the NBA in recent years, and players may see large shifts in their minutes per game on the second leg of back-to-back games or with several contests in a short timespan. Travel can be a factor as well, especially for inter-conference play where teams commute over multiple time zones. Knowing recent results will also help you understand the recent trends, so checking the schedule should be an important part of your betting prep.
  • Projections are guidelines, not gospels: Looking at projections from betting experts or industry insiders can help you get a pulse on the general attitude towards the betting lines, but a player finishing with the exact stat total set by the sportsbook doesn’t happen very often. It’s ok to tail betting sharps, but it’s more important to do your own research and set your own strategies before you make a bet.

FAQ

Is betting on the NBA in Maryland legal?

Yes, betting on the NBA in Maryland is legal. Sports betting in MD was legalized in 2020, and you can bet on the NBA on any of the state’s legal sportsbooks.

Do you need a promo code for NBA promos in MD?

No, you don’t always need a promo code for NBA promos in MD. Many times, a promo will just require you to deposit or opt in without the need of a promo code.

Author Details

Dan Bradley

Dan Bradley

Dan Bradley is a researcher and betting expert at MD Betting. He has spent more than 10 seasons as a hockey broadcaster for junior teams in Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio, and can often be found at the rink when not writing or cohosting his NHL podcast called Pod Snipe Celly.