The Liga ACB is the top level of professional basketball in Spain. It's one of the strongest domestic leagues in Europe, with a structure that's distinctly different from the way things work in the US. ACB goes with the traditional European way of doing things: your league standings plus the postseason playoffs, and the bottom teams are relegated.
Getting your head around the standings is important not only if you're a fan of the game, but also if you're looking at betting markets and futures odds.
The Liga ACB is made up of 18 teams. These clubs each play - you guessed it - 34 regular season games. They're all in a home and away round robin format and it's the win-loss record that determines the standings. Unlike some other leagues, there aren't conferences in the ACB, it's just one big, unified table.
The standings decide a bunch of important things such as:
ACB is one of the few big-time leagues that doesn't feel the need to close itself off to the rest of the world. So what happens to the bottom two teams in the table? Well they're relegated down to the second division (LEB Oro). Replacing them though are two teams that are promoted. This results in a load of pressure at both ends of the table. It's not just about winning the title, teams also have to worry about staying up - that's got to have a big impact on the way teams are motivated, and the betting markets.
When the regular season is over, it's the top 8 teams that get to go through to the playoffs. And what a format - quarterfinals, semifinals and then the final all in a best-of-five (BO5) format. Who gets home court advantage? Well it's the higher seeded teams, that's who. The lower seeded teams have a real battle on their hands from the off.
The playoffs in the ACB are a very different beast to the regular season. It's no longer just about scoring as many points as possible and getting as many possessions as you can. The game becomes more tactical and defensive. And that has a big impact on totals markets and handicap pricing.
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | Faster | Slower |
| Rotations | Deeper | Shortened |
| Totals | Structurally high | More controlled |
| Betting spreads | Wider | Tighter |
Playoff games are often about more physical defense and slower possessions. And because of that, it's a lot harder for teams to blow the opposition out. And that has a big impact on totals markets and handicap pricing.
The Liga ACB has been dominated by a select few clubs over the years - foremost among them are Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Real Madrid have been the most successful of the two. The most recent championships have been shared between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. This all points to a top-heavy structure in the ACB - although the playoffs can be a very different story.
But of course, for many teams in the ACB, making it into the top European competitions is a major goal. So when do they find out if they're going in the EuroLeague or the EuroCup? And what are the implications for teams who do qualify? All of that has a big impact on the regular season.
So what is it about the Liga ACB that makes it stand out from other leagues in Europe? For one thing it's got a unique structure - 18 teams all in one table, 8 teams in the playoffs, and a system of promotion and relegation that's got a big impact on the way teams are motivated. It's one of the few leagues in Europe that combines a high scoring regular season with competitive playoff series - and that is a big draw for fans and bettors alike.