NBA Win Total Parlay Betting: How to Maximize Payouts (Part I)

Published:Oct 18, 2026Oct 18, 20264 min read

Updated:Oct 18, 2026Oct 18, 2026

Fact Checker

If two online stores sold the exact same pair of jeans, one for $94.95 and the other for $81.30, which site would you buy them from? NBA Betting Find the Best Odds - image

Our question above was not meant to insult. However, many recreational bettors still leave money on the table with their parlays. As the NBA season kicks off, it’s time to lock in our NBA Win Total Parlay Bets and maximize the potential payouts.

How To Crush NBA Win Total Parlays

Step 1 – Make Informed Decisions
Step 2 – Go Shopping
Step 3 – Resist The Urge to Wash Your Lucky Socks

Making Informed Decisions

Every sports bettor has their own NFL betting style. One common trait among all successful sports bettors is taking the time to do the required research. BestOdds Sports Betting Lab - image

Many different betting strategies and philosophies exist. Some of the more popular NFL betting strategies are:

Fading The Public

This involves understanding who the general public (recreational bettors) is backing, then taking the opposite side.

Analytical Approach

If someone is considered an analytical bettor, they often set their own point spreads or odds on a game first, then compare those numbers to what the sportsbooks offer.

Let the Dawgs (Underdogs) Loose

Studies show that sports bettors prefer to cheer for the offense and struggle to bet on underdogs, even when point spreads are set to balance things out. Some bettors blindly back underdogs, believing more Dawgs than favorites will pay out over time.

Always Shop Around

The biggest advantage any sports bettor has over sportsbooks is the ability to shop around for the best odds. Our image below highlights why this strategy is essential for long-term success. 2026 NBA Win Totals Comparison - image

Above, we created a 3-team NBA Win-Total parlay and shopped the odds at three different sportsbooks. The results were significant!

Bet365 Odds

At Bet365, the total parlay odds for our Hornets-Warriors-Hawks parlay were +567. A $15 bet pays out just over $85, almost $10 less than Caesars’ maximum payout.
The biggest odds disadvantage for Bet365 with this parlay is the Golden State Warriors. At Bet365, the Warriors Over 37.5 wins pays -115. At Caesars, that same bet pays +100.

DraftKings Odds

At DraftKings, the same parlay that pays $85.05 at Bet365 pays only $81.30. The biggest odds discrepancy at DK for this specific wager is with the Charlotte Hornets.
DraftKings is offering Charlotte Over 38.5 at -120. Meanwhile, Caesars offers a much more favorable number (+100) on the same wager.

Caesars Odds

When you multiply the odds for all three teams at Caesars Sportsbook, you can see how much of an advantage you can gain by shopping around.
The Caesars parlay is paying out at +633 odds. For a $15 bettor, that means a profit of $94.95. (compared to $85.05 and $81.30)
Bettors gain almost a 17% payout advantage (for this specific bet) by using Caesars instead of DraftKings.

Over time, an edge close to 17% on all your winning parlay bets will have a big impact on your bankroll.

Resist The Urge To Wash Your Lucky Socks

In January of 2000, the Buffalo Bills travelled to Tennessee to play the Titans. With just 16 seconds left, Buffalo kicked a field goal to take a one-point lead. Anyone who bet on the Bills to win or cover the spread must have felt pretty confident. Resist the Urge Lucky Socks Betting graphic - image

Resist the Urge Lucky Socks Betting graphic - image

However, on the ensuing kickoff, the Titans used some trickery and likely benefited from a missed forward lateral call, which led to Kevin Dyson scoring the game-winning touchdown. Tennessee not only won 22-16, but also covered the spread.

It’s Better To Be Lucky Than Good

That game was later dubbed the Music City Miracle, and depending on whether you bet on the Bills or the Titans, you were either extremely unlucky or incredibly fortunate.
The point is: sports are fun, sports are unpredictable, and even the best bettors can get lucky or unlucky bounces.
No amount of research can prevent unlucky bounces, so bettors should always stay safe and bet within their limits.

About the Author: Malcolm Darnley

Malcolm loves to watch all kinds of different sports. He also writes about them.