NBA Expert Picks 7th October 2026

Free Expert NBA Basketball Picks

Beyond a straightforward moneyline or spread, there are plenty of other ways to build value into your NBA betting, from against-the-spread and totals to player props, futures, and specialty markets around events like the All-Star Game. Here's a breakdown of the main bet types our handicappers use to build their daily picks.

For example, NBA future bets. Bets are placed for future events to take place, such as who will win the NBA Championship. Since you place these wagers far out in advance, you get superior odds than if you choose to wait and place your bets.

Free NBA Moneyline Picks

When it comes to NBA picks, one of the most popular types we give out at Bookies.com are moneyline picks for NBA games. With moneyline picks, you are betting on NBA teams to win the game without taking the point spread into consideration. You can either bet on the favorite or bet on the underdog.

Here's an example of NBA bets on the moneyline from our NBA handicappers at Bookies.com.

For example, say the Oklahoma City Thunder are hosting the Golden State Warriors, and the Thunder are listed as -300 favorites on the moneyline to win the game. If you bet on the Thunder to win as -300 favorites, this means you have to lay $300 to win $100 on them, but as long as they win by at least one point, your bet will win.

In the same example, the Thunder would be about -6.5 point favorites on the spread, so if the Thunder only wins the game by five points, you will lose your spread bet, and you will be kicking yourself that you didn't bet on the moneyline instead.

The moneyline takes the point spread out of the equation, although you have to lay more juice to get the same potential reward; as in this example, the spread of -6.5 points would only be -110. Still, you would lose since the Thunder won the game, but they didn't win by at least seven points.

On the underdog side, let's take a look at the Warriors. In this same example, the Warriors would be a +230 underdog. This means that if the Warriors beat the Thunder by at least one point, then you will cash big as they are +230 underdogs, meaning a $100 bet would win you $230. If you think a team has a good chance to win as the underdog, then you can sprinkle them on the moneyline, as you'll get great NBA odds to do so.

The moneyline is the easiest way to place NBA bets since you don't have to consider the spread, but once again, remember you have to risk more money on favorites, which is why spread bets are so popular since the risk is cut down.

Free NBA Picks ATS

Another popular type of pick we will give out at Bookies.com and bookies+ are ATS picks. ATS stands for against the spread, which means you have to take the spread into account when you place these bets. If you are betting at the top betting sites on a team to cover the spread as the favorite, that means a team has to win a game by the number of points next to their name. 

For example, if the Boston Celtics are -3.5 point favorites to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, and you bet on Boston, they need to win by at least four points to cash your bet.

On the flip side, if you are betting on an underdog on the spread, then they have two ways to win: they can either lose within the point total, or they can win outright. 

For instance, in that same example, if the Celtics only beat the Cavaliers by two points, then the Cavaliers covered the +3.5 point spread as the underdog, and if the Cavaliers won the game outright, then they also covered the point spread as the underdog.

The point spread is a great way to bet on NBA picks because you are significantly cutting down the juice. Instead of laying juice on a favorite or making a riskier pick on an underdog winning outright, you are getting near-even odds to bet on the spread on either side, which is why they are such popular bets. 

Typically, betting on the spread means you are betting -110 on each team instead of, for instance, betting -200 on a team to win on the moneyline. This means you can bet less money to win more, but you also need your team to win by a certain amount of points.

Free Expert Over/Under NBA Picks

Another popular type of bet we make with our NBA picks at Bookies.com is over/under picks (also referred to as the O/U). With over/under picks, you are betting on whether or not a team goes over or under the posted total of how many points will be scored in a game.

For example, let's use a game between the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets. In this scenario, let's say the total was set at 199.5 points. If you bet over, and the game has at least 200 points scored, then you will win your bet. If you bet under, and the game has at least 199 points scored, then you will win your bet.

While most people bet on the over just because it is more exciting to see both teams score more buckets, we recommend mixing up your bets and also betting on the under as well, since some NBA teams are defensive specialists.

It is good practice to bet on both sides of the coin so you don't get too locked in on one particular type of wager, and we offer both over and under bets here at Bookies.com for our readers.

In addition to betting on the over/under for the full game, you can also bet on the over/under for quarters and halves, as well, so if you think you spot an edge in those markets, you can place those bets instead.

Free NBA Prop Picks

Free NBA prop picks give you the chance to bet on specific outcomes to happen within games. When we think of free NBA picks for props, we are typically referring to NBA player props.

Player props allow you to bet on specific statistical milestones for players to hit within a game, and there could be good value on them depending on the odds they have.

Typically, the most common player prop to bet on is how many points a player will score. For example, you might see a line like "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over/Under 30.5 Points," set close to his typical scoring output as a high-volume scorer. Betting the over means predicting he plays at or above his usual level that night, which sportsbooks price based on his recent form and the matchup.

Aside from points, there are other more specific prop bets, such as how many 3-pointers a player will hit in a game or how many rebounds a player will have.

For example, you could bet on the player prop for Steph Curry to hit over or under a set number of 3-pointers in a game, a line sportsbooks build around his typical volume from beyond the arc. Betting the over means predicting he has one of his more prolific shooting nights.

Other props include things like how many rebounds a player will have. A dominant rebounder like Domantas Sabonis often has his prop line set close to his season average, so betting the over means picking him to outperform his typical night on the boards.

At Bookies.com, we comb through all of the player props and give you the best NBA picks from all the sports betting apps. There is often a ton of betting value waiting in the wings when it comes to player props, so it's no surprise this is one of the most popular types of bets that our NBA handicappers make daily.

In addition to player props, there are also team props that are worth noting. For instance, you can bet on teams to go over their points total, a common type of team prop, although player props are more common.

NBA Futures and All-Star Picks

In addition to the bet types above, there are also NBA future bets, wagers placed on events that take place further down the road, such as who will win the NBA Championship. Since you place these wagers far in advance, you often get better odds than if you wait and bet closer to the event.

We also cover NBA picks on things like the All-Star Game, the Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend. You'll find our picks for those here at Bookies.com too.

NBA Bet Types at a Glance

Beyond the bet types already covered in detail above, there are plenty of variations worth knowing about, most existing bets can be applied to the full game, a half, or a single quarter.

Moneylines

Bet on a team to win outright, whether that's the full game, a single half, or a specific quarter. Quarter and half moneylines let you bet on which team is ahead at a smaller checkpoint in the game, rather than committing to who wins overall.

Spreads

Bet on a team to cover a point margin, again available across the full game, a half, or a single quarter. These work the same way as a full-game spread, just applied to a shorter window of play.

Totals

Bet on whether the combined score goes over or under a set number, for the full game, a half, a specific quarter, or one team's total points alone rather than the combined score of both teams.

Player Props

Bet on individual player statistics, points, rebounds, assists, 3-pointers, double-doubles, triple-doubles, and other specialty markets tied to a specific player's performance in a game.

Live Betting

Bet on any of the above markets in real time, once the game has already started, with odds adjusting continuously as the action unfolds.

Futures and Awards

Bet on season-long outcomes decided well in advance, including the NBA Championship, individual awards like MVP, and events like the NBA All-Star Game.

Bookies.com NBA Picks and Experts

Our team of NBA handicappers here at Bookies.com puts together the best daily NBA picks, doing the research and the number-crunching so you don't have to.

They weigh injury reports, matchup history, betting trends and line movement before publishing a pick, with the reasoning included alongside every selection so you can judge the logic yourself rather than following it blindly.

How Basketball Handicappers Research Free NBA Expert Picks

There are myriad sports writers covering NBA teams locally and nationally who continually provide insights and in-game analysis to help you understand the intricacies of the NBA game when betting on it. Stay up to date with all the latest NBA trends by checking out their accounts on X (formerly Twitter) for on-the-minute news and basketball statistics before making your NBA picks.

At Bookies.com, our news and analysis articles are always tailored towards how specific information will affect the potential outcome of a game's spread, moneyline or over-under. So much can happen in a short amount of time, a player is ruled out, a trade occurs, and Bookies.com's NBA handicappers will always have the latest analysis on how it can and will impact bettors, so make sure to check their NBA expert picks.