Access Sports Data in Google Sheets - No Coding Required

Want to analyze sports data in a spreadsheet? With the BALLDONTLIE Google Sheets integration, you can pull live stats, standings, odds, and more directly into your cells - no coding required.

Who is this for?

This guide is perfect for:

Fantasy sports players tracking player stats and projections
Sports bettors comparing odds and building models in spreadsheets
Sports analysts who prefer working in Excel/Sheets over code
Researchers collecting sports data for analysis
Anyone who wants sports data without writing code

What You Can Do

With our Google Sheets functions, you can:

Pull live game scores and schedules
Get player statistics and season averages
Access team rosters and standings
Compare betting odds from major sportsbooks
Track player injuries
And much more across 20+ sports leagues

Step 1: Get Your API Key

First, you'll need a BALLDONTLIE API key:

Go to app.balldontlie.io/signup
Create a free account
Copy your API key from the dashboard

API Key in Account Settings

Step 2: Add the Script to Google Sheets

Open any Google Sheet (or create a new one)
Click Extensions in the menu bar
Select Apps Script

Open Apps Script from Extensions menu

Delete any placeholder code in the editor
Go to balldontlie.io/google-sheets/balldontlie.gs
Copy the entire script (Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C)
Paste it into the Apps Script editor (Ctrl+V)
Click the Save icon (or press Ctrl+S)

Paste and save the script

Step 3: Set Your API Key

Before using any functions, you need to save your API key. In any cell, type:

=BDL_SET_API_KEY("your-api-key-here")

Replace your-api-key-here with your actual API key. Press Enter and you should see "API key saved successfully!"

You only need to do this once - the key is stored securely in your Google account.

Step 4: Start Fetching Data

Now you can use any of the 150+ available functions. Just type them in a cell like any other spreadsheet formula.

Example: Get NBA Teams

In any cell, type:

=BDL_NBA_TEAMS()

Press Enter, and watch the data populate:

NBA teams data in spreadsheet

The function returns all NBA teams with their conference, division, city, and more. The data automatically fills into adjacent cells.

Example: Search for a Player

Want to find LeBron James? Try:

=BDL_NBA_PLAYERS("LeBron")

This returns player information including team, position, height, weight, and jersey number.

Example: Get Today's Games

To see today's NBA schedule:

=BDL_NBA_GAMES("2026-01-27")

Replace the date with whatever date you want. The function returns game times, teams, scores, and status.

Example: Get Current Standings

=BDL_NBA_STANDINGS(2026)

This pulls the full NBA standings for the 2025-26 season, including wins, losses, and conference rankings.

Example: Get Betting Odds

=BDL_NBA_ODDS("2026-01-27")

This returns betting lines from major sportsbooks including spreads, moneylines, and totals.

Available Sports

The integration supports all BALLDONTLIE sports:

Sport	Function Prefix	Example
NBA	`BDL_NBA_`	`=BDL_NBA_TEAMS()`
NFL	`BDL_NFL_`	`=BDL_NFL_STANDINGS(2025)`
MLB	`BDL_MLB_`	`=BDL_MLB_PLAYERS("Ohtani")`
NHL	`BDL_NHL_`	`=BDL_NHL_GAMES("2026-01-27")`
WNBA	`BDL_WNBA_`	`=BDL_WNBA_TEAMS()`
NCAAF	`BDL_NCAAF_`	`=BDL_NCAAF_RANKINGS(2025)`
NCAAB	`BDL_NCAAB_`	`=BDL_NCAAB_BRACKET(2026)`
EPL	`BDL_EPL_`	`=BDL_EPL_STANDINGS(2025)`
La Liga	`BDL_LALIGA_`	`=BDL_LALIGA_MATCHES()`
Serie A	`BDL_SERIEA_`	`=BDL_SERIEA_TEAMS()`
Bundesliga	`BDL_BUNDESLIGA_`	`=BDL_BUNDESLIGA_STANDINGS()`
Ligue 1	`BDL_LIGUE1_`	`=BDL_LIGUE1_TEAMS()`
UCL	`BDL_UCL_`	`=BDL_UCL_MATCHES()`
MLS	`BDL_MLS_`	`=BDL_MLS_STANDINGS()`
MMA	`BDL_MMA_`	`=BDL_MMA_FIGHTERS("McGregor")`
F1	`BDL_F1_`	`=BDL_F1_DRIVER_STANDINGS()`
ATP Tennis	`BDL_ATP_`	`=BDL_ATP_RANKINGS()`
WTA Tennis	`BDL_WTA_`	`=BDL_WTA_PLAYERS("Gauff")`
PGA	`BDL_PGA_`	`=BDL_PGA_TOURNAMENTS()`
CS2	`BDL_CS2_`	`=BDL_CS2_RANKINGS()`
LoL	`BDL_LOL_`	`=BDL_LOL_TEAMS()`
Dota 2	`BDL_DOTA_`	`=BDL_DOTA_HEROES()`
FIFA World Cup	`BDL_FIFA_`	`=BDL_FIFA_TEAMS()`

Common Functions Reference

Here are the most popular functions:

Teams & Players

=BDL_NBA_TEAMS() - All NBA teams
=BDL_NBA_PLAYERS("search") - Search players by name
=BDL_NBA_PLAYERS_ACTIVE() - Only active players
=BDL_NFL_ROSTER(teamId) - Full team roster

Games & Scores

=BDL_NBA_GAMES("YYYY-MM-DD") - Games by date
=BDL_NBA_BOX_SCORES("YYYY-MM-DD") - Detailed box scores
=BDL_NBA_BOX_SCORES_LIVE() - Live game box scores

Stats

=BDL_NBA_STATS(playerId, gameId, season) - Player game stats
=BDL_NBA_SEASON_AVERAGES(playerId, season) - Season averages
=BDL_NBA_LEADERS("pts", 2026) - League leaders

Standings & Rankings

=BDL_NBA_STANDINGS(2026) - Current standings
=BDL_NCAAB_RANKINGS(2026) - AP Top 25
=BDL_NCAAB_BRACKET(2026) - March Madness bracket

Betting

=BDL_NBA_ODDS("YYYY-MM-DD") - Game betting lines
=BDL_NBA_PLAYER_PROPS(gameId) - Player prop bets
=BDL_NFL_ODDS("YYYY-MM-DD") - NFL betting odds

Tips for Power Users

Refresh Data

Google Sheets caches function results. To force a refresh:

Make a small change to any parameter
Or press Ctrl+Shift+E to refresh all

Find IDs

Many functions need player or team IDs. Get them by first calling the list function:

=BDL_NBA_TEAMS() to find team IDs
=BDL_NBA_PLAYERS("name") to find player IDs
Use those IDs in other functions

Pagination

By default, functions return 25 results. To get more, add the perPage parameter:

=BDL_NBA_PLAYERS("", "", 100)

This returns up to 100 players.

Date Format

Always use YYYY-MM-DD format for dates:

=BDL_NBA_GAMES("2026-01-27")

Generic API Function

Need an endpoint we don't have a specific function for? Use the generic function:

=BDL_API("/nba/v1/teams")
=BDL_API("/nba/v1/players", "{""search"": ""curry""}")

Troubleshooting

"API key not set" Error

Run =BDL_SET_API_KEY("your-key") in any cell first.

"Rate limit exceeded" Error

You're making too many requests. Wait a minute and try again, or upgrade your plan for higher limits.

"Loading..." Shows Briefly

This is normal - Google Sheets shows a loading state while fetching data from the API.

Data Not Updating

Use Ctrl+Shift+E to force a refresh, or slightly modify a function parameter.

Full Documentation

For the complete list of 150+ functions and all available parameters, see:

Get Help

Discord: Join our community at discord.gg/cQJhfTPn8j
Email: hello@balldontlie.io
Documentation: balldontlie.io/docs

Start building your sports analysis spreadsheet today - no coding required.