Basketball Betting: Overtime Counts, Point Spreads and Quarters
In basketball, unlike football, overtime is usually part of the bet: if the game goes to overtime, most markets settle on the final result including it. There are no draws, so the main market has two outcomes. Point spread (handicap) and total points (over/under) are popular.
Whether your Valmo account has a sports betting section, and which sports it covers, is shown in the account. We do not claim every market described here is available; we explain how bets and their settlement generally work and how to avoid a dispute.
Overtime and total points
If you bet "under" on total points and overtime adds points, the bet may lose even though regular time finished in your favour. Check whether the market includes overtime — it usually does.
Quarters and halves
Quarter and half markets settle only on the points in that period. Overtime is not part of the fourth quarter unless the rules say otherwise.
Player props
Player points and rebounds markets have a rule on what happens if the player does not start. Usually the bet is void, but it depends on the bookmaker.
Leagues
The biggest professional leagues and international tournaments get the most markets. Smaller leagues often carry a higher margin and fewer markets.
Illustrative example
A player bet "under 160.5" total points. Regular time ended 78–78, 156 points, but overtime added 14 more. The total of 170 meant the bet lost, because the market included overtime — as the rules stated. For regular time only, look for a market named that way.
If settlement looks wrong
Save the bet slip (bet ID, market, odds, time) and find the settlement clause for this sport in the rules. Contact support, cite the clause and attach the official result from a reliable source. If the reply does not satisfy you, move on to a formal complaint.
Other topics: Football · Tennis · Cricket · Bet types.
Basketball and your budget
There are many basketball games and live markets move fast, which makes it easy to stake more than planned. Set a weekly betting budget and stick to it.