The NBA season is a long and strenuous one that can take a lot out of a player. It takes a toll on the body as well as the mind. Leaving Boston after a game at midnight, traveling across country to Denver where you get a couple hours of sleep and then have to play again that night. Not only does it take one hell of a masseuse, but it takes a strong coach to be able to get these guys amped up enough to play hard for forty eight minutes straight. Looking at win/loss statistics from the past couple seasons, it’s clear that the NBA has the strongest home-court advantage of the three major sports. An important tip to remember for your sports betting strategy is that home teams win around 59% of the time and that the games seem to be put on a more level playing field when a team is forced to enter into enemy territory.
Now why is this? Why are home teams at more of an advantage than the away team? One reason may be that there are so many games in the season. There is little rest between games and having to travel will take its toll on any person. But when it comes down to the players on an individual basis, it’s all about the psychology of the players in the game. Players are human beings just like you and me, keep this in mind when developing a smart sports betting strategy. Being forced to get on an airplane into unknown territory can have an effect on a player. A home team is more comfortable with their surroundings and, although subtly, may have less to worry about than a player who knows he is going home to his wife and kids at the end of the game.
In addition, having people cheering you on rather than booing you has a positive effect on these hubris-filled players. I don’t know if anyone has ever met an NBA person, or even simply watched an interview but these guys have some of the biggest egos you will see in a person. So being cheered on by 15,000+ people feeds into that ego and gives a player that extra boost he may need to hit that foul shot, or play stronger defense. Just like Popeye needs his spinach, and Charles Barkley needs his gambling, NBA players need to be loved and adored by the crowd they are playing in front of.
On the other hand, there are other people being affected by the roars of the crowd in an NBA stadium: the referees. As much as the NBA would hate to hear it, NBA officials are swayed by reactions from the crowd. This may be because of the close proximity fans have to the court. If you’re willing to dish out $2,500 for a seat, you can smell what kind of cologne the ref is wearing that night. This, added to the fact that the NBA referees are forced to make very objective calls in a short period of time will force a referee to make calls that may be able to be bought by a large roar from the crowd; keep this in mind when planning your own sports betting strategy.
