Best Basketball Betting Sites in India 2026

The NBA India Games

The NBA India Games brought live NBA action to Mumbai and changed how basketball was followed in the country. The 2019 preseason games at the NSCI Dome featured the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers and drew an audience that had followed the NBA through streaming but had never seen it in person. That event pulled basketball into mainstream sporting conversation in a way that years of broadcast coverage had not.

The NBA's push in India concentrated on Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, where younger audiences had already built NBA followings through apps and social media. Those three cities now account for the largest share of NBA betting activity in India. The regular season runs from October through June, and Indian players follow it across all 82 games per team before the playoffs begin.

The NBA Playoffs draw the highest betting volumes of the year. Once the conference finals are set, interest among Indian NBA fans reaches its peak and outright and match winner markets fill quickly.

India's NBA Player and the League Coming in 2027

Satnam Singh became the first Indian player drafted to the NBA when the Dallas Mavericks selected him 52nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. The 7'2" center from Sirsa, Haryana gave Indian basketball fans a direct connection to the world's biggest basketball league. His story is the clearest example of Indian basketball's connection to the NBA, and it helped build a following among fans who track individual player journeys through the league.

Sim Bhullar, who became the first player of Indian descent to score in an NBA game while at the Sacramento Kings in 2015, added a further chapter to that story. Both names are part of how Indian basketball fans connect to the NBA at a personal level.

The India Basketball League is scheduled to launch in 2027 with backing from NBA stars and the Basketball Federation of India. When the IBL begins, it will give Indian players a domestic professional competition to follow and bet on alongside the NBA. Outright and game-level markets will become available as the league launches and sportsbooks pick up domestic coverage.

Popular NBA Betting Markets in India

• Player props: Bet on a specific player's points, rebounds or assists for a game. Indian players who follow NBA statistics closely — a habit built partly through cricket's stats culture — find props a natural starting point. Points props on leading scorers attract the most consistent activity on NBA game days.
• Point spread: The favourite gives points, the underdog receives them. The favourite must win by more than the spread for that bet to pay out. The standard NBA handicap market used across all sportsbooks covering the league.
• Over/Under (totals): A bet on whether the combined final score finishes above or below a set number. NBA totals are typically set around 220 to 230 combined points.
• Match winner (moneyline): A straight pick on which team wins with no spread applied. Used when the gap between two sides makes the straight result attractive.
• Quarter and half betting: Bet on which team leads at the end of a specific quarter or half. Active on playoff games with high momentum swings.
• Tournament outright: Back the NBA champion before the playoffs begin. Attracts strong early backing from Indian players once the regular season playoff picture takes shape.

How to Start NBA Betting in India with UPI

• Check the legal position before depositing. The Public Gambling Act 1867 predates online betting and does not explicitly address it. Goa, Sikkim and Daman have regulated frameworks for certain gambling types. Sports betting is not licensed at the federal level. Every sportsbook EightOdds recommends holds an international offshore licence. Check your own state's position before depositing.
• Register using your exact legal name. Your sportsbook account name must match your UPI registered name exactly. A mismatch will delay or block withdrawals. Most sportsbooks also require Aadhaar or PAN card verification for the first withdrawal.
• Deposit in INR via UPI. Open PhonePe or Google Pay, enter the sportsbook's UPI ID and confirm. Funds arrive instantly in INR. Paytm availability varies by sportsbook, so confirm before registering.
• Open the NBA section and find player props. NBA games are listed under basketball. Player props are inside each individual game — open the game first, then browse the props tab to filter by player. Set pre-game bets before tip-off if you cannot follow the game live.