If you enjoy betting on basketball, you will likely be familiar with wagering on the NBA. However, the NBA is not the only option when it comes to basketball betting.
Big3 Basketball is another hugely exciting league for those looking to diversify their betting portfolio. Below, we explain how to bet on Big3 Basketball, break down the league’s unique rules and share lots of useful information.
How Does Big3 Basketball Work
Founded back in 2017 by legendary rapper Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, Big3 Basketball is a 3-on-3 basketball league comprising 12 teams. Many of the teams’ rosters contain both former NBA stars and international players, adding to the excitement of betting on Big3 Basketball.
The Big3 rules feature deviations from the official FIBA 3-on-3 rules. In fact, Big3 uses a unique rule set known as “Fireball3”. With that in mind, it is important that basketball bettors learn the new rules before partaking in Big3 betting.
The first thing to consider is that Big3 games are played on a half-court. While standard two-point and three-point shots are allowed, there are also special four-point zones.
Unlike the NBA and other basketball leagues, Big3 games are won by the team that reaches 50 points first, with a lead of at least two points. Although Big3 games are shorter, the thrilling climaxes lead to lots of exciting betting opportunities.
It is also worth noting that hand-checking is allowed, while this defensive strategy is banned in the NBA. On top of that, each team is permitted two timeouts per half with no carryovers.
Popular Big3 Basketball Betting Markets
Now that you’re up to speed on the rules and regulations, you need to know how to bet on Big3 Basketball. In this section, we cover the most popular Big3 betting markets and explain how they work.
Big3 Point Spread Betting
A point spread is the number of points (set by the bookmaker) that a team must either win by or stay within for the bet to pay out. Essentially, point spreads are handicaps that make games more even from a betting perspective.
For example, Trilogy (-4) is the favorite, while Power (+4) is the underdog. If you back Trilogy, you will need the favorite to win by five or more points. If Trilogy wins by exactly four points, the bet is refunded as a “push”.
Big3 Game Total Betting
The next Big3 Basketball betting market to consider is the game total. As the name suggests, the game total enables you to wager on the total number of points scored by both teams in a game.
The sportsbook will set a total and you have to decide whether you think the teams will combine for over or under the number of points given. It is worth pointing out that game totals typically have odds of -110 odds or similar.
Big3 Moneyline Betting
The moneyline eliminates the point spread and focuses solely on the winner of the game. All you need to do is look at the bookies’ odds, analyze both teams and predict which side will win the game.
For example, Trilogy (-200) is favored to beat Power (+180). Naturally, the favorite has lower odds, while the underdog has higher odds. You can back either team based on form, head-to-head, key players and other aspects.