The NBA is the ultimate basketball league, enjoyed by fans the world over and packed with the very best of the best. From a betting perspective, NBA games are the richest in terms of betting markets, with endless possibilities and tons of player bets and chances to form lengthy odds SGP bets. But there is a world of basketball outside the NBA, and we are not talking about March Madness or any of the affiliated US basketball leagues such as the NBA G League. Instead, let’s cast an eye on the top tournaments abroad, including international competitions and domestic basketball leagues.
Domestic Basketball Leagues
Basketball is widely popular across Europe, South America and Asia. Each country has its own domestic league, packed with clubs and top local players.
Spanish ACB Liga
Spanish basketball is dominated by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, similar to the soccer scene in the country .The ACB Liga is scheduled from October through to May, similar to the NBA, and each of the 18 teams plays 34 games. The top 8 teams in the league progress to the ACB Playoffs, a three round knockout competition that starts from the quarterfinals and ends with the ACB Finals. You can find plenty of betting opportunities in this league, and there are loads of fantastic players to follow. Luka Doncic, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, played for Real Madrid and was a 3-time Liga ACB Champion.
German Bundesliga
In addition to soccer, Germany loves basketball. The Basketball Bundesliga, or BBL, consists of 18 of the best clubs in the country. This league does not have any out-and-out favorites, but instead, the competition is extremely close. Historically, Bayer 04 Leverkusen has won the most titles, but the team’s dominance in the BBL ended in the mid 90s. Since then, there have been clubs such as Alba Berlin, Brose Bamberg, Bayern Munich and Ratiopharm Ulm stepping up to win the BBL. The league starts in September and lasts all the way through June. After all teams have played 34 games, the top 6 head on to the playoffs and the teams placed 7th through 10th progress to the playins. The action reaches boiling point at the BBL Finals, which take place after the first week of June.
Turkish Basketball Super League
The Basketbol Super Ligi is one of the most intense and physical basketball leagues. The league consists of 16 teams, and lasts from September to June. The most successful Turkish basketball clubs are Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, though the latter last won a championship in 2013. There have not been many Turks who have come over to play in the NBA, but the likes of Alperen Sengun, Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur have successfully adapted to the American game.
Greek Basket League
Founded in 1927, the Greek Basket League, or Stoiximan Basket League, is a hugely exciting one for basketball fans to follow. The two top teams, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are constantly battling for the championship, and there are few teams that come close. There are 12 teams in the league, and they play 22 games from October to March, and then the top 6 teams head to the Championship Round, while the bottom 6 have to battle in the Relegation Round. The most notable Greek basketball player in recent years is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played for Filathilitikos until he declared for the 2013 NBA Draft. An NBA Champion and two-time NBA MVP, Antetokounmpo is one of the best Greek players to come from the Greek Basket League.
International Club Tournaments
Domestic leagues are quite interesting to watch, but it can take time to become familiar with all the teams, get used to the structure and schedule, and pick up their history. If you are looking for tournaments with more international coverage, you can follow the European EuroLeague or EuroCup, or the South American Champions League Americas or Copa Sudamericana.
EuroLeague
This is basically a mashup of the best European basketball clubs, and the competition takes place every year. The EuroLeague starts with the Group Stage, which lasts from October to April. From April to May, you can watch the playoffs. There are 18 teams in the competition, including European powerhouses such as Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, Anadolu Efes, Olimpia Milano and ASVEL. In the Group Stage, all the teams have to play 34 games, and then the top 6 proceed to the playoffs, while the 7th to 10th placed teams qualify for the playin competition. The playoffs and Final Four are highly covered games, and there are plenty of pregame wagers and futures to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy watching the EuroLeague, then you may also want to follow the EuroCup, the second-tier European club competition.
Basketball Champions League Americas
South America has loads of quality basketball leagues such as the NBB (Brazil), Liga Nacional de Basquet (Argentina) and Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano (Columbia). But these games are not as accessible as the European domestic leagues – they are harder to watch and have fewer betting possibilities. But fear not, you will find plenty of chances to bet on South American basketball teams in the Basketball Champions League Americas. The league was founded in 2019, replacing the FIBA Americas League, and features the best clubs from across the continent. Generally, Brazilian basketball teams are the top ones to follow, including the likes of Flamengo, Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Franco. But Argentine teams have also fared well, such as Quimsa who won the BCL Americas in 2024.
International Nations Tournaments
Let’s take a big step back. Instead of learning about new leagues and historic clubs from foreign countries, you can watch some epic international basketball competitions between different nations. Instead of Real Madrid vs Anadolu Efes, you can watch Spain vs Turkey. FIBA is the International Basketball Federation that regulates the Basketball World Cup and other world famous competitions. These competitions are easy to watch and you can pick out all sorts of game props and player bets, in addition to an endless catalog of futures bets.
FIBA World Cup
The FIBA World Cup is held every four years and has been running since 1950. The US is tied for the most World Cup wins with Yugoslavia – both having won 5 titles. Prior to each edition of the tournament, there is a qualifying round which involves nations from 5 different basketball federations. The World Cup consists of 32 teams, and is held from August to September. It is split into a Group Stage with 8 groups of 4. Each team plays 3 games, and the top 2 teams in each group head on to the Second Round. There, the 16 remaining teams are drawn into 4 groups of 4, and have to play a further 5 games. Following the Second Round, the Final Round consists of an epic knockout competition. The World Cup final takes place in the beginning of September, wrapping up the competition and determining which nation will become the next basketball World Champions. The defending champions of the World Cup are Germany, and the next competition will be held in the summer of 2027.
FIBA EuroBasket
FIBA also has a European Cup, called the EuroBasket, which is held once every 4 years. This competition has been running since 1935, and in the current format, it is contested by 24 teams. The nations have to qualify for the EuroBasket competition proper, and once they have secured a place in the competition, they are seeded into 4 groups of 6. The top 4 teams in each group progress to the knockout stage, starting from the round of 16 and concluding with the highly anticipated final. Russia has won the most EuroBasket titles, with Serbia in second place. But there are lots of fantastic surprises and plot twists. Spain, Slovenia and France have all won the competition in recent years, with the likes of Lithuania and Poland reaching the semi finals.
Summer Olympics
The Olympic Games need no introduction. The basketball tournament at the OIympics were dominated by the US from 1936 (when basketball was first introduced) to 1968. Then, with the emergence of Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and the USSR (Russia), the competition became far more open. From the 70s to the late 80s, at the height of the Cold War, the US and Russia often faced each other at the Summer Olympics. Skip forward to the present day, and the US National Basketball Team is still a powerhouse at the Summer Olympics. Since the 90s, US nationals have shown a lot more interest in the Olympic Games, with the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant winning a record 3 Gold Medals each. Though the NBA is their main focus, a summer competition and the chance to represent the Stars and Stripes on a global stage is an honor very few get a shot at. The next Summer Olympics will take place in Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games.
