Originally posted on 12/19/2012:

If you're serious about learning:

1) Scheduling, to identify good and bad spots for teams where one team will be a lot more tired than the other.
2) Matchups. ie: One team is a very good 3pt shooting team playing against one that has poor perimeter defense, etc.
3) Momentum. Is one team running hot now after a bad start? or coming off a comeback win that helped build confidence?

Honestly, if you're not an experienced sports bettor in other sports (following the market, not just making picks), and you don't have a decent sized bankroll available that can be lost without affecting your daily life, you shouldn't be betting. Inexperience will take your money away quickly, and becoming overconfident after a couple of wins will bury you.