Olympic Basketball Betting Online

Olympic Basketball

While the NBA is obviously the world's most prestigious basketball league, the game is now truly global especially when it's an Olympic year.  Learn the ins and outs of wagering on the planet's fastest growing game as it plays out on the world's hardwood.   

While there are a couple dozen domestic basketball leagues across the globe, none is as massive as the NBA.  That's true whether you are watching games on the telly or wagering at a UK sportsbook and casino online.  Olympic basketball fans know that college level hoops is more prominent than any other global basketball league outside of the NBA, which is an American league aside from a lone Canadian franchise in Toronto. 

As basketball grows, it's likely that the NBA will expand to Europe.  You can expect a franchise in London and plenty of basketball bookmaking at online casinos.  Olympic basketball interest continues to grow globally.  We also wouldn't be surprised if new top-tier leagues emerge in Asia, Africa, and even in the United Kingdom.  Until then you'll need to get your global basketball fix by following foreign players in the NBA and watching Olympic basketball.

Olympic Basketball Background

Basketball has been a staple at the Olympic Games since 1936, although its first appearance came as a demonstration event in 1904 a full century before the rise of casinos online. Olympic basketball is dominated by a small number of competing nations who are consistently the best, with the United States regularly competing for the gold medal. Even if you like to root for your home team, the United Kingdom isn't a great bet.  Yes the British squad has a win-loss ratio of 2-11 in Olympic basketball.  The UK is actually improving but so is everyone else it seems.

Olympic basketball is more lopsided than it used to be.  That's because NBA players have been eligible to play since 1989.  That means that the United States has outright dominated since 1992.  That's when the so-called Dream Team featuring Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and a cast of other now hall of famers humiliated their opponents.  In fact, Team USA won by an average of 44 points per game and never bothered calling a time out.  The competition has tightened in recent years, but the US still dominates and then some.  Just look at the odds at any casino online.  Olympic basketball bettors know that every other nation aside from the USA is a longshot. 

Betting real money on the USA in Olympic basketball is as close to a sure bet as you're likely to find, and because payouts won't be all that great on such bets, you may always take advantage of available parlay wagers to increase your overall payouts.

Online Casino Olympic Basketball Fun Fact

Only three teams apart from the United States have ever won gold at the Games. The Soviet Union holds two medals, while Yugoslavia and Argentina have each won the championship once.

Betting At A Casino Online: Olympic Basketball Tips

British gamblers are spoilt for choice when the Olympics roll around. There are so many sports to gamble on, you might wonder why we think the seemingly quite one-sided sport of basketball is one of the best choices at online casinos.  Olympic basketball deserves your attention. Here are a few of the reasons:

  • The action takes place over a short space of time. This means there's less chance of injuries or personnel changes than betting on the NBA.
  • Clear favourites, usually including the USA, emerge early so that you can score some top odds sooner rather than later in the UK.
  • Betting on the USA is closer to a sure thing than anything you'll find in an online casino. Olympic basketball sports betting is worth a punt for that reason alone.

Where To Bet On Olympic Basketball

Olympic Basketball

You can always hit your local UK bookie to bet on the Olympics, basketball included, but these places tend to get very busy when the games are running! Plus, there are other reasons you might prefer to make your real money bets on the web instead. For example, you tend to get the best odds on the Internet at either bookmakers or casinos online.

Olympic basketball betting takes place all over the world, not just the UK, so you may encounter odds in a few different formats:

  • Fractional, where 10/1 means a bet of £1 will bring in a real cash prize of £10, is the most common in the United Kingdom.
  • Decimal, where the initial bet and winnings are combined to make one number, so 10/1 would be 11.00.
  • Moneyline, where a positive figure (e.g. +250) shows how much can be won from a £100 bet and a negative figure (e.g. -250) shows the value of how much real money must be wagered in order to win £100 at a casino online.  Olympic basketball moneyline wagers might be the most common globally.

Did You Know?

Olympic basketball is one of the few times you can easily watch basketball games you've been betting on live.  It doesn't matter if you prefer to wager at live bookmakers or online casinos.  Olympic basketball often airs in prime time in the United Kingdom. Of course it depends on the location of the host city, but that won't be a problem in 2016. Compare this with the NBA, for example, in which games usually take place in the middle of the night in UK time zones.

Betting On Women: Online Casino Olympic Basketball

If you've ever watched the WNBA then you know that American women also reign supreme on the court.  When the summer games are in session, you'll want to cash in at a sportsbook or online casino. Olympic basketball only happens every four years, but you can expect to see the USA women's basketball team atop the podium.  They've won gold every year since 1984 with the exception of 1992 where they took the bronze.  That means that since the rise of the casino online, Olympic basketball has been all about the USA.

It's worth noting that the US women's team all participates in something called the FIBA Women's World Cup every four years with the next contest hosted by Spain in 2018.  If you live in the UK, you'll probably only find these wagers at leading bookmakers and casinos online.

Olympic Basketball: Why Bet?

Everyone knows there's no such thing as a sure thing at an online casino. Olympic basketball might seem like it suffers the same fate but you probably haven't been keeping score.   Betting real money on the USA in Olympic basketball is as close to one as you're likely to find in the world of sports betting on the Internet.  Of course the payouts won't be all that great.  When visiting sportsbooks or online casinos, Olympic basketball betters can always take advantage of available parlay wagers.  Increase your overall payouts by pairing basketball with other sports.

Throw the occasional underdog into the mix, add some national pride at stake, and we think it's well worth placing a few bets every four years at casinos online. Olympic basketball is worth waiting for.

Find The Top Sites In The United Kingdom

The NBA is the thing to watch for weekly clashes of the best basketball stars. Yet Olympic basketball gives fans from the UK and all over the world a taste of national pride plus the chance to see smaller countries compete against the top powerhouses.  Whether you prefer the regular season, playoffs, or strictly Olympic action we've found the best sportsbooks UK casinos online.  Olympic basketball might not have the best odds unless you stick to longshots, but you can increase your payouts by claiming generous bonuses and other perks.  Check out our latest reviews and find top United Kingdom sportsbooks and online casinos.  Olympic basketball is really just the beginning but the ball is now in your court!

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