Basketball is an extremely popular sport, and sportsbooks offer a considerable number of tournaments. Bets on the NBA are undoubtedly the most popular. The American basketball league attracts a vast audience of enthusiasts. However, there are also many bettors who prefer wagering on the EuroLeague or Serie A. Less common leagues, such as those from the Philippines or Australia, are also available; here, we’ll list the most relevant basketball leagues to bet on.
As you continue reading this article, you’ll discover the basketball leagues listed by sportsbooks. We’ll start with Italian basketball leagues before moving on to the American basketball league, covering countries with the strongest basketball traditions. Major events featuring national teams will also be mentioned.
The Italian Basketball Championships and Betting Options
Basketball fans in Italy can feel at ease when looking to bet on the two main leagues in the country. Bets on Serie A are always available on various sportsbooks, and those for Serie A2 are also quite common. What differs from one bookmaker to another is the range of international competitions offered, both men's and women's leagues, as well as the availability of World Championship basketball events.
Betting on the Basketball Serie A
The Basketball Serie A is managed by the Basketball League and consists of 16 teams. The teams compete in a round-robin format with home and away games. The top eight teams at the halfway mark qualify for the Coppa Italia Final Eight (also featured on the best basketball Serie A betting sites), while those that finish in the top positions at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs for the championship. Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals are played in a best-of-seven format. The team that finishes last is relegated to A2.
Don't Underrate the A2 League
While it may not be the NBA, the A2 League is also featured on top betting sites. The format is more complex than that of the A League and resembles the NBA’s structure. There are 32 teams divided into two conferences based on geographic regions (East and West). The top eight from each conference face off against teams from the other conference in a best-of-five playoff series.
Only the winner of the finals earns promotion to the A League. The second-to-last and third-to-last teams compete in a playoff to determine the third team relegated to B League, along with the bottom two from each conference. If you're looking to bet on this tournament, we recommend choosing from our list of betting sites to find an operator that features the games, as not all of them do.
European Basketball Competitions to Bet On
Staying in our continent, let's explore the three most significant European basketball competitions featuring top clubs. The premier competition is definitely the Euroleague, followed by the Eurocup. Both tournaments are organized by ULEB (European Leagues Basketball Association). Since the 2016/17 season, FIBA (the world governing body) has launched the inaugural edition of the Basketball Champions League. The games in these events are listed by the top sportsbooks available in the U.S.
The EuroLeague
Among European basketball competitions, the EuroLeague is undoubtedly the most prestigious. The participating teams are 24, coming from 18 different countries. They are selected through a licensing system that requires adherence to specific criteria, which can be revoked if the teams' performance is unsatisfactory. The teams are initially divided into four groups of six, competing in home-and-away matches.
The top four teams from each group advance to the next stage, the Top 16. In this phase, two groups are formed, with each team facing every other team in their group twice. The top four teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, which are played in a best-of-five format. Those who qualify will participate in the Final Four (semifinals and finals). The best betting sites for the EuroLeague know that these bets are more popular compared to other European basketball tournaments.
The Eurocup
The second most prestigious tournament among European basketball competitions is the Eurocup. Organized by ULEB, it was founded in 2002 and has undergone several changes over the years. Today, it features 20 teams that ranked highly in their national leagues but do not have a license for the Euroleague, along with winners of lower-tier tournaments. Wild Cards are also awarded. The clubs are divided into four groups of five, and after home-and-away matches, the last team in each group is eliminated.
