NBA Head-to-Head Player Betting

February 28, 2022
mark.ohare
NBA Betting

In the most simple terms, NBA head-to-head player betting is selecting the performance of one player to better that of another. Similar to selecting a standard win bet in teams sports. Obviously in some sports like singles tennis, snooker or boxing this type of bet is a given with typically only two competitors participating in each. However, in basketball and the NBA it is a much more unique and niche type of bet.

NBA

We have a whole host of articles with betting tips and insights into the NBA which you can read here. As you probably already know the NBA consists of 30 franchises split into two conferences, East and West. There are 29 franchises dotted around cities in the United States and one here in Canada, the 2019 NBA champions Toronto Raptors.

Each team can have a roster of 15 players with 12 of these available to suit up on gamedays and take to the floor. The most common bets for NBA games are moneyline, spread (handicap) betting and over/under points totals. Player totals are also included in betting markets on a game-by-game basis. For futures markets, bettors typically look at team and individual awards. For example, some of the popular markets this year are Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.

NBA Head-to-Head Player Betting

A newly added wrinkle to the futures markets has been the introduction of NBA H2H player betting. In these markets, players are pitted against each other and given odds of achieving a performance better than their opponent. This usually centres around the most important columns in the statsheet i.e. points, assists or rebounds.

One of the most common bets in these markets would the points per game H2H. This can be between players on opposing teams or teammates.

Decided across the duration of the season, this can be a good bet for someone who wants to maintain their interest in the league over the year. This can be particularly appealing when the market consists of two teammates on the franchise you support like the example shown below.

NBA Head-to-head player betting - New Orleans Pelicans

Here we can see New Orleans Pelicans teammates CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram in a head-to-head battle to see who will rack up the most points per game in the NBA season. Of course, McCollum began the season with the Portland Trail Blazers and was only recently traded across to the Pelicans. It will be an intriguing battle over the coming weeks to see who holds the upper hand on court in terms of the scoring mantle.

At the time of writing Brandon Ingram is averaging 22.1 points per game with McCollum lagging slightly behind with 21.7 points per game. The odds above maybe indicate that the linesetters think CJ McCollum will be the chief scorer over the next few weeks as the Pelicans look to make a run at the play in tournament. In the 7 games McCollum has played since joining the franchise he has averaged 28 points so this may well be a true reflection of what we should expect for the remainder of the season.

Assists Per Game

There will also be markets offered on other stats like assists per game. To increase interest in these markets we usually see some of the top players in this category going head-to-head. Chris Paul and James Harden regularly lead the league in this category. The former teammates are both averaging over 10 assists per game in 2021-2022 NBA season.

Two of the more recent arrivals to the league, LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey, have been receiving plenty of plaudits for their passing and they will be two to watch out for in the coming years. Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey’s teammate, is also known for filling up the statsheet and he would be a popular choice in any H2H player betting market.

Head-to-Head vs. Team Bets

With any betting market, there are many benefits and disadvantages to selecting one bet type over another. Taking a random NBA game as an example, say the Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors. After reviewing the game odds, you can beging analysing and predicting the outcome of the game based on a number of factors.

Match up advantages e.g. Kyle Lowry or Fred VanVleet.
Recent form of the two teams.
The strengths and weaknesses of the two teams.

When it comes to head-to-head betting you can follow a similar pattern. We suggest you examine the recent performance of each player in the market, any potential match up advantages or disadvantages they might face and the potential for any minutes restrictions or fitness struggles based on team schedule.

Once you have the basics covered you can go a bit more in depth with your research. Take things like home court advantage, previous performance against teams/opposition players and playing styles.

Placing NBA H2H Player Bets

Sometimes the markes are just too close to call. Obviously the idea of these games is to win more than you lose so if you are really unsure who to back in one market then maybe it’s time to pass on making that bet.

However, if you have done your research and you are confident that you have a good insight into the final outcome then maybe it’s a chance to place your wager. As with any bet though, you should always be mindful of market changes and any movements in the odds listed in the time between placing your bet and the game going live.

The NBA is not the only game we offer head-to-head betting on here at VIPCasino. Keep an eye out across our other sports markets for more opportunities to place your H2H player bets.

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