While basketball games is exciting, it demands more than backing the favorite or guessing the final score. You need to understand key metrics and effectively analyze basketball statistics to remain successful in the long run. Here is how you can accurately analyze basketball stats to increase your chances of success when betting.
1. Understand key metrics
There are several important metrics that you need to understand before you start to analyze basketball statistics effectively. That includes:
- Points per game (PPG): This key metric indicates the number of points recorded by a team in a season. A high PPG generally indicates a strong offense.
- Field Goal Percentage: FG% indicates the efficiency of a basketball team in goal scoring. The metric is calculated as (Filed Goals scored ÷ Field Goal Attempted) x 100.
- Points Allowed per Game: This stat indicates the average number of points recorded by opponents against a specific team. A low PAPG shows a better defensive performance.
- Three-Point Percentage: Shows the effectiveness of a basketball team’s shooting at a distance.
- Free Throw Percentage: Indicates how well a team scores points through free throws.
- Rebounds per Game: It demonstrates the rebounds collected by a basketball team, separated into defensive and offensive ones.
2. Analyze team trends
Before you place an NBA bet at Betway Zambia, you should check the recent performance trends of the team and not only their averages for the whole season. That includes:
- Current form: Analyze the last 5-10 games to determine their performance and team momentum.
- Home/away performance: Some teams perform differently at home and while on the road. Look at their home and away statistics to know how a team performs in different environments.
- Head-to-head stats: Review past performances between the teams and see if there are any trends or patterns.
3. Evaluate player statistics
The results of any basketball game available for betting at Betway can be influenced by the statistics of the individual players. As such, you need to check whether there are any required breaks or injuries for key players in the match. A wounded star player can seriously undermine the performance of a team.
Besides injuries, you need to check the player’s efficiency rating to determine their effectiveness in helping their side succeed. Additionally, you need to check the usage rate to determine how often a particular player is involved in games during their time on the field.
4. Consider team strategies and dynamics
Understand how each team plays and how that might influence the results of a game through their strategies. That means analyzing:
- Pace of Play: Teams with a fast pace have more possessions, which can result in high scores that influence their betting totals.
- Offensive and defensive strategies: Defensive teams might score a few points in their games, while offensive teams might result in high points.
5. Use advanced metrics
While most casual bettors rely on basic stats like assists, points, and rebounds, it’s important to understand advanced metrics. That includes player efficiency rating (PER), true shooting percentage (TS%), and box plus/minus (BPM).