SPORTS PICKERHow to Run an NBA Pick'em Pool When There Are Games Every Night
The NBA schedule is long and packed: 82 games per team, games almost every night, and stars who sit out on the second night of a back-to-back. Here is how to run a basketball pool people will stick with.
Think in weeks, not nights
Nobody wants to check in every evening. Grouping games Monday through Sunday gives everyone one place to make picks, and a weekly winner to brag about. On Sports Picker, NBA weeks run Monday to Sunday.
Let people skip games
With a dozen games some nights, requiring a pick for every one turns the pool into homework. Let players pick the games they care about; skipped games score nothing. The people who pick more games have more chances, which rewards the fans who are most into it without punishing everyone else.
Watch the injury report
Rest days and late scratches make basketball picks more volatile than football. Letting picks lock at each game's tip instead of the start of the week gives players time to react to late news.
Survivor works too
A weekly survivor pool works for basketball: pick one team to win a game each week and never use a team twice. With 30 teams and a long season, two strikes keeps more people in.
Playoffs: switch to a bracket
In April, the best format is a playoff bracket where you pick every series. Later rounds are worth more, and the Finals pick decides a lot of pools.
Read more about NBA and college basketball pools, or start one.
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