Live betting is the latest trend in sports betting. NBA games are especially well suited for live betting, as there are many lead changes during a single game.

In-game betting in the NBA can be just as fun and lucrative as placing traditional pregame bets on the point spread, the money line, or the total.

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Today, we focus on one particular live bet: betting on the next field goal. To have some success with this bet, it helps to understand it first. Then, we can focus on how to increase our winning percentage.

What Is the Next Field Goal Bet in the NBA?

In a live betting situation, betting on the next field goal is a wager on whether the next made basket will be a two-pointer or a three-pointer. You are not betting on which player scores the basket. You are simply betting on the type of field goal that will be made. Also, keep in mind that this bet is for field goals, not free throws. Here is an example.

Suppose you are watching the Nets and the Hawks and you are logged into your sportsbook account and ready to bet on the next field goal. It might look like this:

Two-point FG -135

Three-point FG +150

In this case, you would win $0.74 for every dollar wagered on the two-point field goal. If you bet on the three-pointer and win, you would receive $1.50 for every dollar wagered.

When betting the next field goal, it is important to remember that the two-pointer will always be juiced. You will pay a higher premium to win less on two-point bets throughout the night.

The real value in betting the next field goal is choosing the right times to pick the three-pointer.

Tips and Strategy

Since the three-pointer will be offered at plus money, you will want to focus on teams that shoot threes well. In the 2020-21 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers were the only team to shoot better than 40 percent from behind the arc. You can start there.

The Clippers averaged a little over 14 three-pointers per game. The trick is determining when to bet on the three.

That is where it helps to know which players are on the court. Marcus Morris Sr. was the Clippers’ best three-point shooter at 46.6 percent from three. He was followed by Luke Kennard at 44.4 percent and then Reggie Jackson at 42.7.

Surprisingly, however, Morris did not have the most three-pointers per game. That honor went to Paul George, who made 3.08 compared to Morris’ 2.42. An ideal live betting situation for the next field goal would be when George, Morris, and one, or both, of Kennard and Jackson were on the court.

It also helps to watch momentum and game situations. The end of a quarter is a time when most teams will run some type of set play. Often, the set play is designed to get an open look for one of a team’s best shooters.

If you are watching the same Nets-Hawks game, let’s say the Nets have the ball with 15 seconds left in a quarter. Both Kevin Durant at 45.6 percent and Joe Harris at 47.8 percent are on the court.

With the three-pointer at plus money, that is value you would not want to pass up. Brooklyn could run a set play to get the ball to Durant or Harris, or James Harden or Kyrie Irving, who ranked 22nd and 27th in three-pointers made during the 2020-21 season.

The bottom line when making this live bet is to have a plan, know which players are on and off the court, and be patient. Keeping that in mind can make the next field goal bet both fun and profitable.