On this page I will recommend our top rated betting sites for US residents, touch on sports betting regulation in Alabama and Georgia, look at the three most popular NBA bets, and finish up with a simple 3 step guide you can follow to bet on the NBA online.
Best NBA Betting Site for Americans
- Built for American bettors
- Wide variety of competitive betting lines
- Easy to navigate betting platform
Bovada and BetOnline are our two recommended betting sites for Alabama and Georgia residents interested in betting on NBA games. These are two of the most popular and trusted betting sites serving the United States market. Both sites are committed to providing a great betting experience to US bettors and this shows through in their bet offerings, promotions and customer service.
Both Bovada and BetOnline accept players from Alabama and Georgia. For the remainder of this guide I will be using Bovada.lv for the examples.
Sports Betting in Alabama and Georgia
At this time it is not legal to operate a sportsbook in either Alabama or Georgia.
Although betting is not regulated in Alabama or Georgia, analysts agree that bettors from both States are able to place bets at online betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the United States, and accept US players. Both Bovada.lv and BetOnline.ag fall into this category.
In Alabama there have been multiple attempts to legalize sports betting, including comprehensive packages aimed at establishing a state lottery that gained traction, but ultimately failed in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Alabama is one of the last states in the US without a lottery, so establishing a state lottery is likely the first step toward regulated sports betting in Alabama.
Georgia is in a similar situation with no progress having been made towards regulated sports betting, despite multiple efforts. Two sports betting bills were introduced in the 2025 legislative session, but the Senate Resolution 131 was voted against, while the Senate Bill 208, which would authorize and provide regulation and taxation of sports betting in the state, is still alive.
Popular NBA Bets
There are three NBA wagers that take the vast majority of the betting handle on NBA games. These include the spread, money line (to win) and total (over/under).
Below I will use a Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers game from early in the season to explain the three popular NBA betting options.
Spread
The point spread is probably the most popular NBA bet. The oddsmaker will set a “spread” in order to even out the game. The favorite will have to win by more than the point spread for a spread bet on the favorite to be graded a winner, while the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread.
In this example the Orlando Magic are 5.5 point favorites, as indicated by the -5.5. A spread bet on the Magic will be graded a winner if Orlando wins the game by 6 or more points. The 76ers are 5.5 point underdogs (+5.5) and spread bets on the 76ers will payout if they win the game outright or lose by 5 or fewer points.
To Win
Another popular bet is simply wagering on which team will win the game. The money line odds determine the risk vs reward of a bet on either team based on their perceived chances of winning the game.
As we mentioned before, the Magic are favorites to win the game outlined above. Their money line odds to win the game outright are -210, which means you would win $100 for every $210 bet on the Magic money line.
The 76ers are underdogs and you would win $175 for every $100 risked betting on the Sixers to win the game outright.
Total
The oddsmaker will set a “total” and you can bet on whether the number of points scored by both teams combined will be over or under the total.
In this example the total is set at 227 points. Over bets would be graded winners if 228 or more points are scored by both teams, while under bets would win if 226 or fewer points are scored in the game. Game Total bets would push if exactly 227 points are scored.
NBA Betting From Alabama or Georgia – Guide
Follow these three steps to bet on the NBA from Alabama or Georgia.
Step 1. Join Bovada.lv
Click the above link and complete the overlay sign up form on the Bovada home page to open your account.
Step 2. Deposit
Log into your new account and click on the ‘Deposit’ link under your accounts drop down menu. Select one of the deposit options (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Bitcoin, ETH, etc.), enter your deposit amount, and complete the instructions to fund your account.
You can cash out your winnings through cryptocurrency, bank wire, or check through the mail.
Step 3. Place Your NBA Bets
It’s time to place your bets:
- Click ‘Sports’ from the top navigation bar and ‘Basketball’ from the secondary sports menu.
- Select ‘NBA’ from the Trending Competitions menu or the ‘Basketball A-Z’ menu.
- Select the NBA bet you want to make and enter your wager amount on the Bet Slip.
- Click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in your bet.
Ready to bet? Click here to visit Bovada.lv.
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