The FIBA 3v3 World Tour and World Cup are some of the biggest competitions to follow for 3v3 basketball betting. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, 3v3 basketball made its debut on the big stage, and it is a dynamic, growing sport that is gaining new fandom all the time.
On this page, we look at the sport in detail and list some of the popular 3v3 basketball bets that punters can snap up at Betsafe. We also walk you through some history and the most popular competitions to keep an eye out for.
Upcoming 3v3 Basketball Matches
If you are unfamiliar with 3v3 basketball bets, then it is a great time to look at the action. The 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup tournament may have passed, but there is plenty more top-quality action from the World Tour to enjoy.The FIBA 3x3 World Tour produces regular matches from around the world, all covered by our great 3v3 basketball odds. 2023 is a particularly important year because, in the summer of 2024, 3x3 basketball will once again hit the Olympic stage. So players and teams are in the cycle of trying to build momentum and form ahead of the games.
Check back regularly in the Betsafe sports betting Canada lobby for the latest 3v3 basketball odds on pre-match and in-play selections. One tournament in particular to look out for is the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in December in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
What is 3v3 Basketball?
As the name suggests, 3v3 basketball is a smaller version of the regular sport. Three players from a team of four are allowed on the court simultaneously. The sport is played on a half-court setup with just one hoop. The half-court is slightly bigger than a regular NBA basketball half-court.Unlike NBA matches, 3x3 basketball fixtures are over in 10 minutes, sometimes less. If a team reaches 21 points, they win the match. If neither team can hit the tally when the timer runs out, the team leading on the scoreboard is declared the winner.
An overtime period is played if there is a tie at the end of regulation, and it's a sudden-death affair, with the first team to drain 2 points getting the victory. If the score is 20-20 at the end of regulation, reaching 21 points doesn't declare the winner, as two points in overtime still have to be scored.
Regarding 3x3 scoring, one point is earned from sinking a basket from within the arc, and any successful shot from beyond it is worth two points. As for possession, after a scoring play, the team that just conceded starts with the ball behind the goal line and has to move it out beyond the arc before attempting to score.
Best 3x3 Basketball Competitions
FIBA is the sport's governing body and runs some of the biggest 3x3 basketball competitions in the world. National team competitions like the AmeriCup, the Europe Cup, and the World Cup exist.The regular FIBA 3x3 World Tour events are a big highlight of the calendar year for 3x3 basketball betting. The individual tournaments that make up the World Tour are hosted across major cities worldwide, giving fans and punters plenty of opportunities to enjoy the high-quality professional level of the sport.
Here are some of the biggest tournaments to enjoy 3x3 basketball betting:
3x3 Basketball World Cup
The FIBA 3x3 World Cup is an annual tournament, with Serbia winning the 2023 men's competition just ahead of the United States. The US team successfully landed the women's gold medal.Besides the Olympic Games, the 3x3 World Cup is the biggest title in this basketball genre. Forty teams participated at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Vienna, Austria, indicating just how big the sport is.
3x3 Basketball AmeriCup
The AmeriCup is an annual event that began in 2020, with the first two editions hosted in Miami, Florida. The battle for supremacy reaches across both North and South America, with participating teams such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. The United States is the reigning men's champion, and Canada's women picked up the title in 2022.3x3 Basketball Europe Cup
Another of the FIBA's leading 3x3 events is the Europe Cup, with the latest 2023 men's edition being won by Serbia for the fifth year running. The Netherlands won the women's tournament title for the first time. The inaugural editions of the Europe Cup (men's and women's) were held in 2014.3x3 Basketball World Tour
When you step away from the international stage, there is the massively popular FIBA 3x3 World Tour. It features teams representing cities as opposed to countries, and they participate in a series of events around the world.There are different levels of play on the 3x3 Basketball World Tour, with 10 World Tour events, 9 Challengers, 9 Super Quotes, and 9 Quest Finals.
The World Tour provides many options for 3v3 basketball bets in a year. FIBA 3x3 World Tour events also feature extra events like a Dunk Contest and a Shoot-out Contest.
The closest any Canadian team has come to winning a World Tour title was in 2014, when Saskatoon finished as runners-up to the Serbian team, Novi Sad. The men's World Tour visits places like Edmonton, Shanghai, Prague, and Abu Dhabi.
A concurrent Women's Series 3x3 Basketball World Tour also visits places like Wuhan, Bordeaux, Edmonton, Quebec, and Baku.
3x3 Basketball Olympic Games
While the Olympic Games only occur once every four years, teams don't walk into the event. There are a lot of qualifying events to look out for as teams try to book a spot at the 3x3 Olympics through results and rankings.The inaugural 3x3 Olympic tournament in 2020 featured eight teams each in the men's and women's competitions. The sport will return to France in 2024 and feature the same number of participating nations.
Look ahead to 3v3 basketball bets at the 2024 Olympics with Betsafe, when Latvia will return as the reigning men's champions and the United States women will be defending their Olympic crown.
About 3x3 Basketball Betting
In a study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 basketball was declared the largest urban team sport in the world. So, while it may live in the shadow of the NBA at the professional level, this is a massively popular sport.Given its acceptance into the Olympics and the work that FIBA is doing to promote the game globally, its popularity will only rise. That's ultimately great for the sport. As it does, it will also give bettors plenty of further 3x3 basketball betting opportunities.
But where did the sport get its start? The origin of 3x3 is largely credited to urban areas of the US in the 1980s. The sport started in places like parks but gradually evolved into something much bigger.
Here are some snappy facts about the sport that's also informally referred to as the "10-minute sprint:"
- There is a 12-second shot clock in 3x3
- Each team has four players, with three on the court at any one time
- Teams score 1 point inside the arc and 2 points outside
- 3x3 made its Olympic debut in 2020
- The sport debuted at the Commonwealth Games in 2022
- Some tournaments feature mixed-gender teams
- FIBA first trialled 3x3 at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
3x3 Basketball Betting Tips
There is a fantastic, dynamic feel about 3x3 basketball. The matches are quick, with non-stop action, rolling substitutions, and intense atmospheres. Some thumping music usually accompanies matches on the FIBA World Tour.It's a growing crowd favourite, with various leagues and competitions played indoors and out. It all adds up to some great 3v3 basketball bets in the Betsafe sportsbook.
Check out the 3v3 basketball odds for match outrights in basketball betting, and with just ten minutes of action in a fixture, you'll know the result of your wager sooner rather than later.
Picking tournament winners, whether they're champions of the latest edition of the FIBA AmeriCup or the Olympics, is another angle to slam for 3x3 basketball bets.
Consider looking at alternative markets to skillfully dribble your way to some stronger 3v3 basketball odds. Even though a match is a race to 21 points, there are totals to consider, as well as handicaps and winning margins.
