Mise-o-jeu basketball: how to bet on the NBA with Loto-Québec
Montreal has no NBA team, but basketball gets watched here like anywhere else: the Raptors on TV, late games on the phone and, often, the Mise-o-jeu+ app open next to them. Basketball looks easy to bet, but the rulebook decides a lot: whether overtime counts, how many minutes make a game stand, what happens to a bet on a player who does not play. This guide explains how basketball betting works on Mise-o-jeu (retail) and Mise-o-jeu+ (online), with section numbers so you can check them, what the margin costs you, and the dates of the 2026-27 NBA season. No picks here.
What is on the betting offer
On the evening of November 7, 2026, the public Mise-o-jeu betting offer listed 124 basketball options: 97 for the NBA (96 games and 1 series) and 27 US college games. For each NBA game that night, the board showed:
- 2-way game winner, the moneyline.
- Point spread, with a main line and two alternate lines.
- Total points, over or under, with a main line and two alternate lines.
Mise-o-jeu+ adds other questions, such as player bets, and its prices can differ from the public offer. The offer changes every day: the prices below are a snapshot, not a promise.
The games on November 7, 2026
These are the five NBA games on the board that night, with the main lines:
| Time | Game | 2-way winner | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 p.m. | New York - Cleveland | 1.40 / 2.35 | NY -4.5: 1.70 / 1.80 | 223.5: 1.75 / 1.75 |
| 8 p.m. | Washington - Oklahoma City | 4.45 / 1.09 | WAS +11.5: 1.85 / 1.65 | 222.5: 1.70 / 1.80 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Orlando - Golden State | 2.65 / 1.30 | ORL +6.5: 1.80 / 1.70 | 221.5: 1.80 / 1.70 |
| 9 p.m. | Houston - Phoenix | 1.28 / 2.75 | HOU -7.5: 1.80 / 1.70 | 223.5: 1.75 / 1.75 |
| 10 p.m. | San Antonio - Portland | 1.40 / 2.35 | SAS -5.5: 1.80 / 1.70 | 226.5: 1.60 / 1.95 |
For New York - Cleveland, the alternate lines ran from NY -2.5 (1.55) to NY -7.5 (2.10), and the total from 217.5 to 229.5. The further the line moves, the more the price moves with it.
How to read each market
2-way winner. You bet on the team that wins, overtime included. At 1.40, a $10 bet on New York returns $14 in total, $4 profit. At 4.45, a $10 bet on Washington returns $44.50. Our betting odds guide shows how to turn prices into probabilities.
Spread. The favourite must win by more than the spread; the underdog must win or lose by less. Houston -7.5 needs to win by 8 points or more. Phoenix +7.5 wins the bet if it wins the game or loses by 7 or fewer. A $20 bet at 1.80 makes $16 profit.
Total. You bet on the combined points of both teams. Over 223.5 needs 224 points or more. Overtime points count, which helps the over.
What the Mise-o-jeu+ rules say
The basketball rules are in section 3 of the Mise-o-jeu+ specific rules (September 25, 2026 text). These are the ones that change how a bet settles:
| Rule | What it says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime | Unless otherwise stated, results include the overtime period, if applicable | 3.1(a) |
| Second half | A second-half question also includes overtime, unless otherwise stated | 3.1(b) |
| Completed game, NBA | At least 43 minutes of official time played | 3.1(c) |
| Completed game, NCAA and WNBA | At least 35 minutes of official time played | 3.1(d) |
| Postponed game, NBA, NCAA, WNBA | Predictions void unless rescheduled, played and completed the same day | 3.1(e) |
| Postponed game, other leagues | Predictions void if rescheduled more than 48 hours from the scheduled date | 3.1(f) |
| Suspended or abandoned game | Predictions void if the game is not completed the same day | 3.1(g) |
| Player participation | A player has taken part if he had playing time in the game | 3.2(a) |
Three general rules complete the picture:
- A tie on a 2-way question. Rule 10.1(a) includes overtime in 2-way questions, and if the event still ends in a draw, the predictions are void. An NBA game cannot end tied, so this mostly matters for questions on part of a game.
- A line that lands exactly. If a whole-number spread or total lands exactly on the line, the prediction is void (10.3(a) and 10.4(a)). With half-point lines such as 223.5, that cannot happen.
- Same-game combos. Under rule 11, if even one prediction in a same-game combo is void, the whole combo is void and the stake is returned. In a regular parlay, the void leg drops out and the rest carries on.
Rule 8.4 caps cumulative daily prizes per participant at $250,000 for questions on a game or team and $50,000 for player propositions.
And at the dépanneur?
The paper slip follows the retail Mise-o-jeu rules, which differ slightly. The score includes overtime unless the question says otherwise. A one-day event is not completed if no final result is issued by 7 a.m. two days after the date in the betting offer. Loto-Québec may also limit the prize payable on each winning selection to $2,000,000, and a selection can hold up to 8 questions.
The margin: what it costs you
Every line hides a margin. Divide 1 by each price, add them up, and anything above 100% is the book's cut. For the five games on November 7:
| Game | 2-way winner | Spread | Total | Payout equivalent (winner) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York - Cleveland | 114.0% | 114.4% | 114.3% | 87.7% |
| Washington - Oklahoma City | 114.2% | 114.7% | 114.4% | 87.6% |
| Orlando - Golden State | 114.7% | 114.4% | 114.4% | 87.2% |
| Houston - Phoenix | 114.5% | 114.4% | 114.3% | 87.3% |
| San Antonio - Portland | 114.0% | 114.4% | 113.8% | 87.7% |
So the margin was about 14% on every market, the same as our retail hockey and NFL readings. This public offer is the paper-slip board. Online, our study of 322 NHL and NFL lines measured an average margin of 3.27% on Mise-o-jeu+ against 14.09% on the retail slip, on November 6, 2026. We did not record basketball prices on Mise-o-jeu+, so compare both before you bet.
A 14% margin means the slip pays back, on average, about 87.5 cents per dollar bet on a single question.
Parlays: the margin multiplies
Combine the three favourites of the night, New York at 1.40, Houston at 1.28 and Golden State at 1.30: the combined price is 2.33, so $10 returns $23.30 if all three win. Without the margin, the chance that all three win would be about 28.7%, which is fair odds of 3.49. On average this parlay pays back about 67 cents per dollar, against about 87.5 cents for a single at the same counter. Run your ticket through our parlay calculator before you confirm it.
The 2026-27 NBA season
According to the NBA's key dates, the 2026-27 regular season opened on October 20, 2026 and ends on April 11, 2027, with 82 games per team.
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| NBA Cup group play | October 30 to November 27, 2026 |
| NBA Cup championship | December 11, 2026, Indianapolis |
| Trade deadline | February 11, 2027 |
| All-Star weekend | February 19 to 21, 2027, Phoenix |
| Play-In Tournament | April 13 to 16, 2027 |
| Playoffs begin | April 17, 2027 |
The Toronto Raptors, Canada's only team, opened at home on October 21, 2026 against Chicago. After NBA Cup group games against Orlando on October 30 and at Milwaukee on November 6, they have Detroit on November 20 and Brooklyn on November 27, both on the road, and their last regular-season home game is April 7 against Brooklyn. Betting on your team is fine as long as you bet the price, not the jersey.
Is it legal in Quebec?
Yes, at 18 or older. Loto-Québec's Mise-o-jeu+ is the only online sports betting site authorized by the province, and Mise-o-jeu is sold at retailers. Private sites that accept Quebec players hold licences from Kahnawake or a foreign regulator, not from Quebec; our guide to whether sports betting is legal in Quebec explains it. This is not legal advice. For our verdict on the platform, read the Mise-o-jeu+ review.
Responsible gambling
There are NBA games almost every night from October to April. Set a deposit limit before the season, decide how many bets a week you want to place, and do not chase losses. Jeu : aide et référence answers 24 hours a day at 1 800 461-0140, free and confidential; see also our guide to Jeu : aide et référence.
Sources: Loto-Québec, Mise-o-jeu+ rules (PDF, September 25, 2026 text), general rules 8.4, 10.1, 10.3, 10.4 and 11, specific rules 3.1 and 3.2, Loto-Québec, Mise-o-jeu rules (retail), Mise-o-jeu, basketball betting offer, Mise-o-jeu, NBA games, NBA, 2026-27 key dates, Raptors, 2026-27 schedule. Betting offer checked November 7, 2026. Margins and returns computed by us in Python.
Key terms
- Moneyline
- The simplest hockey bet: you pick who wins the game, overtime and shootout included at most books, and the odds set your payout.
- Point spread
- A goal or point handicap that the favourite has to beat and the underdog has to stay within for your bet to cash.
- Totals (over/under)
- You bet on the total goals both teams score combined, over or under the number the book sets, without caring who wins.
- Prop bet
- A bet on something that happens inside the game, like a goalie's saves or a player's shots, instead of the final score.
- Overround
- The amount the probabilities behind a market's odds add up to beyond 100%, which shows how big the book's margin is.
- Implied probability
- The win chance hidden inside the odds: turn any price into a percentage and you see what the book thinks will happen.
- Void bet
- A bet the book cancels under its rules: your stake comes back, nothing is won or lost, like it never happened.
- Parlay
- You stack two or more bets into one ticket; the odds multiply, so the payout jumps, but every single leg has to win.
- Same-game parlay
- A combo where every leg comes from one game, like a team win plus a player goal, priced by the book as one package.
- Mise-o-jeu
- Mise-o-jeu is Loto-Québec's sports betting brand: paper slips at lottery retailers and Mise-o-jeu+ online, for players 18+ who are in Quebec.