WNBL betting guide: How to bet on women’s basketball

The Women’s National Basketball League is the highest level of the sport for female players in Australia.

While it might not draw the crowds that the relaunched men’s competition now does, the WNBL offers plenty of opportunity for punters on the prowl for hidden value.

Find out which leading Australian bookies run the best markets and cater to the WNBL the best:

Best WNBL bookie sites

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BettingSite.com.au only recommends online bookmakers that tick all the boxes for product quality, online security, banking options, multi-platform convenience and customer service. Each of the bookies below is licensed and regulated in Australia, runs competitive odds across a wide range of markets, and offers registered customers all types of great hooks.

Sportsbet – Australia’s favourite online bookie specialises in sports betting products for smartphone and tablet devices. The Sportsbet mobile app on iOS and Android is ideal for basketball multi betting.

BetEasy – It may no longer be 100% Australian owned, but BetEasy remains one of the best bookies in the country. Basketball betting makes up but a fraction of the firm’s overall business, which includes extensive markets for horse racing, greyhounds, AFL, NRL, soccer, cricket, tennis, golf and much more.

Ladbrokes – The UK’s oldest existing bookmaker is also one of the best for online and mobile sports betting. Both international and Australian basketball are heavily featured at Ladbrokes.

Bet365 – If you want complete coverage of Australian women’s basketball, Bet365.com.au might be your best bet. Besides offering competitive odds on an enormous range of sports markets, the bookie also carries live streams of pro basketball from all over the globe.

How to bet on women’s basketball in Australia

New to online betting? Never fear, because it takes only minutes to create an account, deposit some money and start punting. Every one of our top-ranked basketball bookies is optimised for PC, Mac and mobile, with browser sites and betting apps that run on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and most other operating systems.

Sign up at a trusted bookie – Follow the links above to join one of our approved online bookmakers. Registration is free and takes only a moment. If you wish, you can take another minute or two to submit your ID verification – an essential step that must be completed within 45 days of sign-up.

Add some cash to your account – Deposit money into your betting balance using one of several safe and convenient online payment methods. Most sports bookies accept Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and BPay, while some also support alternatives such as Neteller, Skrill, Flexepin and Paysafecard.

Place your bets – Once you are signed up, logged in and cashed up, head to the ‘Basketball’ section in the sports betting menu and scroll down until you find the WNBA markets. Browse the games and futures options to find your selections, then add them to the bet slip, set your stakes and confirm.

Top WNBL betting markets

There are hundreds of different ways to have a flutter on the WNBL. These are a few of the most popular market types.

Head-to-head betting – This is the simplest of all basketball bets. All you have to do is pick whichever team you think will win the match.

Line betting – For one-sided contests, line bets level out the odds so punters can enjoy better value when tipping the favourites. For example: if the Canberra Capitals are quoted at -12.5, they must win the match by at least 13 points; and if the Melbourne Boomers are +12.5, they must either win, draw, or lose by no more than 12 points.

Margin betting – Basketball matches offer a great variety of margin markets. Popular variants include big win/little win (e.g. Adelaide by 10 points or less), groups or clusters (e.g. Adelaide by 10-15 points) and exact margins (e.g. Adelaide by exactly 15 points).

Totals betting – These markets can cover anything from number of points in a match, to number of points in a quarter or half, to number of points scored by the home team or by the away team. They are usually quoted as over/under lines (e.g. over 213.5 total points), not unlike handicap bets.

Quarter and half betting – Any of the market types above can be altered to focus entirely on one of the four quarters or one of the two halves in a match. For example: rather than betting on the overall result of a Boomers vs. Rangers game, you can wager that Dandenong will win the second quarter.

Player props – In an age where statistics and fantasy sports reign supreme, the player performance options do a roaring trade. First basket scorer is one of the hottest markets in any game, while you can also bet on a player’s total points, total rebounds, total assists and more.

Multi bets – Also called a parlay, a multi bet combines several single wagers onto the one bet slip. For a multi to pay, each individual wager on the ticket must salute. For example: if you pick a three-leg multi with Adelaide, Canberra and Townsville all to win, the bet only pays out if all three of those tips come through.

Futures markets – These are long-ranging bets on outcomes that may not be resolved until several months after the wager is placed. Most future betting options open prior to the start of the season, covering markets such as the outright title winner, which teams will qualify for finals and which player will be crowned the league’s MVP.

Current WNBL teams

The Women’s National Basketball League was founded in 1981. The first 11 seasons were dominated by suburban Melbourne teams that are now long defunct, notably the St Kilda Saints (1981 and ’82 champions), Coburg Cougars (1985 champions) and Nunawading Spectres (six-time champs between 1983 and ’89). The current format features eight teams from six states and territories: three from Victoria and one each from the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Adelaide Lighting – Founded in 1993, the Lightning dominated the ’90s with four WNBL Championship wins between 1994 and 1998. Ever-present in those triumphs was Rachael Sporn – an eight-time league All-Star and two-time MVP who represented Australia at three Olympics.

Bendigo Spirit – The youngest of the WNBL franchises was created in 2007 and won back-to-back titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Notable past and present players include four-time Olympic medallist Kristi Harrower, dual Grand Final MVP Kelsey Griffin and Canadian international Chelsea Aubry.

Dandenong Rangers – Based in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, the Rangers were formed in 1992 and have regularly featured at the top end of the table. They had to wait until 2004 for their first title, however, and last won it in 2012.

Melbourne Boomers – The erstwhile Bulleen Boomers joined the comp in 1984 and changed their name to Melbourne in 2013. Despite a star-studded alumni that includes Michele Timms, Liz Cambage and Jenna O’Hea, the Boomers have only a single title to their name. They enjoy a healthy rivalry with Dandenong Rangers.

Perth Lynx – Perth joined the WNBL in 1988 as the Breakers and have enjoyed the services of several top-class talents over the years, including Robyn Maher, Tully Bevilaqua, Deanna Smith and Sami Whitcomb. Some rough years on and off the court since 2000 have prevented them from adding to their loan championship win in 1992.

Sydney Uni Flames – The Flames have undergone more facelifts than the late Joan Rivers. They were the Bankstown Bruins (1981-88), the Sydney Bruins (1989-91), the Sydney Flames (1992-2000) and the Sydney Panthers (2000-03) before settling on Sydney Uni Flames in 2003. They have won four titles, including the 2017 WNBL Championship.

Townsville Fire – Queensland’s only active franchise joined the WNBL at the start of the millennium. Since 2010 the Fire have been among the strongest teams in the competition, highlighted by back-to-back title victories in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Former stars include Gina Stevens, Natalie Porter and Rohanee Cox.

University of Canberra Capitals – This is the team that Lauren Jackson built. Between 2000 and 2010, the Capitals won a league-record seven WNBL Championships. Jackson was MVP in four of those grand finals. Other notables include former Opals captain Jenny Cheesman, WNBA first-round draftee Kristen Veal and triple Olympic rep Shelley Gorman.

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