NBA betting

The Toronto Raptors first

The Raptors are Canada's only NBA team. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, alongside the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, and their home games are at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Raptors open their 2026-27 regular season at home against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Their preseason included two NBA Canada Games: against the Miami Heat at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City on October 3, and against the LA Clippers at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on October 10.

A few points from the Raptors' schedule, as published by the NBA (subject to change):

• An early western trip. Toronto plays at the Los Angeles Lakers on November 1, at the LA Clippers on November 2 and at Denver on November 4. The two Los Angeles games are on back-to-back nights.
• Late tip-offs in the east, early ones in the west. A 7:30 p.m. ET home game starts at 4:30 p.m. in Vancouver and 6:30 p.m. in Winnipeg. The game at the Clippers on November 2 starts at 10 p.m. ET.
• 82 games, 41 at home. Every NBA team plays 82 regular-season games, half of them at home.

Betting on the Raptors from Canada

Sportsbooks that take Canadian bets see a lot of money on Toronto, and when most of the money lands on one side, its price can end up shorter than the team's real chance would justify. Raptors games also tend to come with more player props and specials than a typical game. Betting on your team is fine as entertainment; set the stake you would set on any other game.

The 2026-27 NBA calendar

The NBA's own key dates, as listed on NBA.com on October 21, 2026:

The NBA Finals are played in June; the key dates page did not list the 2027 Finals dates on October 21, 2026. Thirty teams play in two conferences of 15. In each conference, the top six teams go straight to the playoffs and the teams placed seventh to tenth play the Play-In Tournament for the last two spots. Every playoff round is a best-of-seven series.

Moneyline: who wins

The NBA moneyline includes overtime, and basketball games cannot end in a tie, so the bet always settles. Overtime periods last five minutes.

Example prices only, not current odds: Toronto -150 (1.67) at home against an opponent at +130 (2.30).

• Toronto -150: stake $15 to win $10 profit, a $25 return.
• Opponent +130: a $10 bet wins $13 profit, a $23 return.

Big NBA favourites can be priced at -500 (1.20) or shorter. At that price you stake $50 to win $10, and one upset wipes out the profit from five wins.

Point spread

The spread is the main NBA market. A favourite at -5.5 has to win by six or more; the underdog at +5.5 covers if it wins or loses by five or fewer. Both sides are usually priced near -110 (1.91), so $11 wins $10.

NBA spreads are wider than hockey's: where an NHL puck line is almost always 1.5 goals, an NBA spread can be anything from 1 to more than 10 points, depending on the matchup. Late in close games, intentional fouls and free throws often add points in the final minute, which can move a result across the spread. Our NHL betting guide shows how the hockey version works.

Totals: over or under

A total is a bet on the combined points scored by both teams, overtime included. NBA totals are usually set in the 200s.

Example only: Over 224.5 at -110 (1.91). A 115-112 final (227 points) wins the over; 108-110 (218 points) loses it. A $10 bet returns $19.09 if it wins.

Things that move NBA totals: pace (how many possessions a team uses per game), injuries to scorers or rim protectors, back-to-back nights, and late changes to starting lineups. Sportsbooks also offer team totals and totals for each half and quarter.

Player props

Props are where much of the NBA betting menu sits. Common ones:

• Points, rebounds and assists for a player, each as an over or under.
• Combined lines such as points plus rebounds plus assists.
• Three-pointers made, steals, blocks and double-doubles.
• First basket and first team to score.

NBA teams publish injury reports before games, and a player listed as questionable may be ruled out shortly before tip-off. If a player does not take the court, many sportsbooks void the prop, but the rules differ, and a player who leaves after a few minutes may still count as having played. Minutes matter more than anything for props: a starter on the second night of a back-to-back may play fewer of them.

Quarters and halves

Each NBA game has four 12-minute quarters, and sportsbooks price the first half, second half and each quarter as small games of their own, with their own spread, total and moneyline. First-quarter and first-half bets depend mostly on the starters; later quarters depend more on the bench and on whether the game is close.

Live betting

Basketball moves quickly, and live NBA lines change on almost every possession. Scoring runs, foul trouble and timeouts all shift prices. Sportsbooks hold live bets for a few seconds before accepting them, and a stream can be behind the sportsbook's data, so the price you see may already be gone. Not every operator offers cash-out on every market. Decide your live stake before the game starts.

Parlays

A parlay combines several bets that all have to win, and the decimal prices multiply.

Example only: Toronto +4.5 at -110 (1.91), plus the over in another game at -110 (1.91), plus a player prop at -120 (1.83). The parlay price is 1.91 x 1.91 x 1.83 = about 6.68, so $10 returns about $66.80 if all three win and nothing if one loses. Same-game parlays that combine a team result with a player's points are popular in the NBA and carry an extra margin. Our parlay guide explains how the margin builds up.

Futures and awards

Futures settle weeks or months later: the NBA champion, conference winners, division winners, the NBA Cup winner in December, and awards such as Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.

Example only: a team at +2500 (26.00) to win the title returns $260 on a $10 bet. Futures prices move with injuries, trades before the February 11 deadline and the standings. Your money stays tied up until the market settles, and award markets can also depend on rules such as minimum games played.

American and decimal odds

A minus price shows what you stake to win $100; a plus price shows what $100 wins. A decimal price is the total return per $1, stake included. The odds formats guide covers the conversion in full.

The two sides of the Toronto example add up to about 103.5% implied chance. The 3.5 points over 100% are the sportsbook's margin.

Where you can bet and how to pay

Single-game sports betting has been legal in Canada since August 27, 2021, when the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act came into force. The provinces run their own sportsbooks: PlayNow in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Mise-o-jeu from Loto-Québec, and Proline from Atlantic Lottery. The sportsbooks in our list are offshore operators licensed outside Canada; each casino page shows the licence we found. Ontario and Alberta players are not covered by this site.

Our Interac e-Transfer guide explains deposits and withdrawals. Current sportsbook offers are on the sports betting hub, and the sports betting bonus guide explains how bet credits and rollover terms work in general.

Four checks before an NBA bet

1. Read the injury report close to tip-off, not in the morning.
2. Look at the schedule. Back-to-back nights and long road trips change minutes, rotations and pace.
3. Read the market rules for overtime and for players who do not play.
4. Compare prices. A point or a few cents on the price between sportsbooks adds up over an 82-game season.

Bet responsibly

Sports betting is entertainment, not income, and the margin means the sportsbook comes out ahead over time.

• Set a budget for the month and use your account's deposit limits.
• Do not chase losses with live bets late in a game.
• Keep stakes the same on the Raptors as on any other team.
• Take breaks with the time-out and self-exclusion tools most operators offer.

Betting is for adults only: 19+ in most provinces, 18+ in Quebec and Manitoba. Our responsible gambling page lists free, confidential help in every province we cover.