What I miss most about betting the NBA

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It's been 64 days since the NBA came to a screeching halt. Oh, the things I'd do just to lose a Lakers-Clippers over in Game 6 by a half-point right now.

All hope is not lost - at least, not yet. Commissioner Adam Silver is still searching for a contingency plan to get around the hurdles of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the longer a decision takes, the bleaker the outlook seems.

After two-plus months without basketball - during what should be the conference semifinals - I have to admit: I miss betting the NBA. And if this is indeed the 2019-20 season's last hurrah, here's what I'll miss most.

The sweet spots

Trends and situational angles were low priorities for me this season. I was sick of watching the market overreact to the Jazz's home-court advantage and seeing Christmas Day totals crater before Santa Claus could even make his rounds. However, I am going to miss all the sweet spots that made me money this season. Here were some of the best for 2019-20:

• The Grizzlies were one of the best "over" teams on zero days rest.
• The Hawks were the worst against the spread on zero days rest, by a mile.
• The Mavericks led the league in covering first halves on the road.
• The 76ers couldn't cover a spread away from home.
• The Warriors couldn't cover a game, period.

Player props

Following a solid playoff run in the player prop market last year, we decided to do regular-season props, too. Taking on new markets is always a challenge, but we did well for the second straight season. Let's look back at some of the notable players from this campaign, from most profitable to least profitable.

1. Pascal Siakam
Very rarely did we lose on Siakam (he cashed his point total in the first quarter against the Spurs in January).

2. Lonzo Ball
Ball vs. the top half of NBA defenses = take the under
Ball vs. the bottom half of NBA defenses = take the over

3. D'Angelo Russell
"Timberwolves-Trail Blazers is the last game of the night, should we just throw a couple bucks on Russell's point total?" is a text that I have saved on my phone.

99999. Trae Young
I took Young under 25.5 points against the Magic in the second game of the year. He finished with 39 on a season-high 16 made field goals. I have yet to fully recover.

The intricacies

If you've been betting long enough, you're aware that sweats, bad beats, and wins/losses come in different shapes and sizes. A football player taking a knee at the goal line to run out the clock instead of scoring a touchdown to cover doesn't feel the same as a basketball player missing that wide-open, garbage-time layup to put the second half over the total. It just hits differently.

Some might prefer to never experience such misery betting the NBA; I'd consider that smart. I, however, am foolish, and at this point, having both my wallet and heart shattered into a billion pieces due to some late-game blunder would give me a sense of normalcy.

It's not easy to react when you're not given a timeline. On March 11, bettors thought that win or lose, there would be games tomorrow - another day to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. Except we're still here, some two months later, reminiscing about the good and the bad.

So yeah, those missed free throws in the final minute, or the team choosing not to foul with 22 seconds left when you need one point for the over?

I'm going to miss them. I already do.

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.