How To Bet On Baseball

How to Bet On Sports > How to Bet on Baseball

“One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.” – Nolan Ryan

How to bet on Baseball. Baseball is a fun and exciting sport to bet on and best of all; it’s a moneymaker! Any seasoned gambler with baseball betting knowledge will testify to the fact that baseball is by far the best value for the money, more than any other sport. Baseball Betting 101 Learning How to Bet on Major League Baseball. There is a lot of talk about how Baseball is the easiest professional & college sport to place a successful bet on in the sports betting.

Introduction

In this article, we will be explaining the ins and outs of how to bet on baseball. Topics will include wager types, baseball betting terminology, and a guide on which sportsbooks to utilize to make the most of your wagers. By combining this knowledge with the information provided by our live odds product and proven betting systems, you will see how easy it is to become a winning baseball bettor.

Moneylines

“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” – Yogi Berra

There are many ways to bet on baseball, and each have certain advantages and disadvantages and appeal to different people. The most popular bet by far is the moneylinebet, where you simply pick the winner of the game. The following is an example of a moneyline bet:

Since some teams are much better than others, the odds on a moneyline bet can vary drastically; for instance, you may have to lay -300 odds (meaning you would have to bet $300 to win $100) if betting the moneyline on a big favorite. On the other hand, you may be given large odds in your favor if you back a significant underdog because you would be taking a big risk. Historically, the public tends to bet mostly favorites throughout the baseball season.

5-Inning Lines

“Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off…the right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases.” – Rick Maksian

A 5-Inning line is a moneyline that uses the score after five innings to determine the winner, rather than the final score. It is similar to betting on the first half of a football or basketball game. Odds on a 5-inning line will usually be very similar to the regular moneyline odds; however, due to the shortened nature of the bet, the starting pitcher match-up is weighted more heavily and may sway the odds one way or the other.

Totals

The second most popular bet is betting the total, also known as over/under wagering. When betting baseball totals, you are wagering whether a games total score (home team plus away team) will be over or under a predetermined amount of runs, as set by the sportsbook. For instance, you might see a line that looks like this:

This lines stipulates that you can risk $110 to win $100 by choosing if the game will have 10 or more runs scored (over), or 9 or less runs scored (under). Sometimes the odds may be adjusted by the book if they are trying to balance their ledger by encouraging wagers on one side or another. This does not necessarily mean that one bet is more likely to win out over another, and oftentimes can present good value opportunity when used in conjunction with our betting systems and “bet against the public” philosophy.

Runlines

Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” – Bob Feller

A runline is very similar to a spread bet in football or basketball, except in baseball the runline is almost always -1.5 or -2.5, meaning the favorite must win by either 2 or 3 to cover. A typical runline wager will look like this:

A runline is offered by sportsbooks to provide a wager with odds closer to 1:1, allowing bettors to avoid the higher odds often found in moneyline wagering. In the above example, the Yankees have a moneyline of -150, meaning you have to wager $150 to win $100, but a runline of -1.5 with -110 odds, meaning that you need only risk $110 to win $100, although the team must by win by at least 2 runs. It would then be your decision as to which bet you feel more comfortable with; if you feel strongly that the favorite will win by at least 2, then the runline offers a good opportunity to increase your payout by laying the runline rather than taking the moneyline with worse odds.

Alternate Runlines

“The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up.” – Bob Uecker

An alternate runline wager is a runline that has been flipped, making the favorite an underdog and the underdog the favorite. The following as an example, showing the runline followed by the alternate runline:

Alternative runlines can be a great wagering option in certain scenarios, allowing you to increase your payout when you feel strongly about an underdog or marginalize your risk when backing a favorite. As an example, if you believe the underdog is significantly better than the favorite, you can increase your payout even further by actually turning the underdog into the favorite (in the above example, laying -1.5 on the Red Sox to get +220 instead of +100 on the +1.5 runline).

Futures and Season Wins

“The season starts too early and finishes too late and there are too many games in between.” – Bill Veeck

The final method to bet on baseball is by betting on futures or season wins. These options are somewhat popular before the season starts, but do not get a lot of action because of the long-term nature of the bet, strict betting limits, and the significant odds usually associated with these bets. Futures involve betting on a team to accomplish certain goals in the upcoming season, such as winning their division, their league’s pennant, or the World Series. The odds increase based on how unlikely the event is to occur, to such a degree that a team thought to be terrible in the preseason may receive 200 to 1 odds to win the World Series. Betting on Season Wins is very similar to betting totals, except in this case you would be taking the over or under on total wins for a baseball club in the upcoming season, with odds being roughly around the standard -110, adjusted to the sportsbooks liking.

Strategies for Choosing your Sportsbooks

“Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” – Frederick B. Wilcox

A running theme at SportsInsights is that “all sportsbooks are not created equal”, and that proverb holds true in baseball. One of the most important things to be aware of when placing a moneyline bet is if the sportsbook offers “dimeline” odds. Dimeline odds ensures that the odds on the favorite and the ‘dog will always be separated by 10 cents on the dollar, hence the term “dimeline”. For instance, if a favorite is given -150 odds, then the underdog will have a line of +140, a 10 cent difference.

Dimelines are great because they ensure that a sportsbook can’t over-shade a favorite, or else they risk exposing themselves to very large underdog lines on the back side. Some sportsbooks offer 15 or 20 cent odds, hoping their members are either unaware of dimeline sportsbooks or unwilling to change books. A 20 cent book means that the favorite and underdog will be separated by 20 cents, meaning a -150 line on a favorite will feature a + 130 line on the underdog. Using a 15 or 20 cent sportsbooks puts you at an automatic disadvantage – don’t settle for these lines! Simply by choosing a dimeline book over a 20 cent book you can ensure that your units won will be higher in the long term, regardless of who you bet.

As great as dimeline books may be, there are even better options out there for moneyline bettors. These options are called betting exchanges, and oftentimes they will offer the best lines you can find anywhere in the world. Betting exchanges forego the “middle man” and allow bettors from all over the world to offer lines directly to one another, resulting in lines that are often more favorable than that can be found at any sportsbook. The following is an example taken directly from today’s (3/25/09) moneylines on a preseason game:

As you can see, Matchbook, a betting exchange, offers a better line on both the favorite and the underdog! In addition, a betting exchange doesn’t “straddle the line” like a sportsbook does (always separating the favorite and underdog line by exactly 10 or 20 cents, essentially the vig). Since a betting exchange’s lines are set by its members, it is not uncommon to find equal (i.e., +150/-150) or near-equal odds on the favorite and underdog – it doesn’t get much better than that!

Never settle on using just one sportsbook to place all of your wagers. By diversifying your sportsbook memberships, you allow yourself the opportunity to seek out the best lines and get the most bang for your buck. You can often find a line at least 5 cents better than the one at your favorite book by shopping around, and for a $100 bettor who places 50 bets, that would be a $250 swing in profits! For any bettor, it makes sense to belong to at least one betting exchange in addition to your favorite dimeline sportsbooks in order to maximize every dollar wagered.

Baseball is one of the most fun sports to watch and bet on. However, it’s always more fun when you know how to bet on baseball so that you win more than you lose.

Like you, I’m a big fan of MLB, and I’m also a super experienced sports bettor who’s always looking for profitable opportunities in the baseball betting market. I’ve put together this guide on betting on baseball to help you turn the kind of profits I make regularly. Why? Because I hate bookmakers!

This article will introduce you to some of the best baseball betting sites in terms of odds, bonuses, and usability. I’ll also walk you through some of the best baseball betting strategies that I use.

Ready to make some money? Let’s go!

Best Baseball Betting Sites

Bovada is the standout choice when it comes to live MLB gambling. It updates its odds as soon as there is a potentially game-changing incident, its odds are very competitive, and it offers a huge amount of MLB betting lines for each game. Plus, Bovada keeps you informed with each game via up-to-the-minute statistics. These will help you place better bets.

Right now, it is offering a 50% welcome bonus to new players worth up to $250.

MyBookie is known for posting their lines super fast, and they’re also one of the best in the business when it comes to competitive odds. MyBookie ran some ace promotions throughout the MLB season, too. And if you’re betting on the move, the MyBookie mobile version is top-notch.

At the moment, there’s a 100% welcome bonus on the table for new players worth as much as $300.

If you’re new to betting on baseball, BetAmerica has a helpful section on their website where their experts give out free news and analysis. This helps you to make better, more informed betting decisions.

As well as that, BetAmerica is known for offering regular free bets to customers that can be used on the MLB, and their odds are good.

There’s a 100% matched deposit welcome bonus available to new players worth as much as $100.

Helpful Stats & Facts For Betting On Baseball

To improve your odds of winning on sports betting, it’s always helpful to fatten your overall knowledge up with some stats and facts. Baseball, in particular, is a numbers game. The more you know about the metrics, the more you’ll win.

Here are some of my favorite stats and facts for betting on baseball:

• The more times a player hits the ball into the air, the more home runs he’s gonna hit.
• In general, look out for teams that strike the ball into the air often. They are usually more offensively productive.
• The best batters to back are those with a low ground ball to fly ball ratio.
• A GB/FB ratio of under 1.00 is impressive – lookout for it as these batters will have good power numbers.
• Batters that prefer to hit ground balls will perform better against fly ball pitchers.
• Around 29% of MLB games since 2004 have been decided by just one run.

The Most Popular Types of Baseball Bets

One of the most exciting things about betting on baseball is that there are lots of different types of bets you can place. I’m not going to cover every single bet, but here are the most popular ones:

Money Line Bet

The money line bet is the least complex of all bets. There are no point spreads involved, and all you have to do is decide who you think will win the match outright – the favorite or the underdog. This means you can ignore the Major League Baseball spread altogether.

The money line for a favorite to win the game typically looks like this:

The money line for an underdog to win the game looks like this:

• +200

You’ll need rudimentary math skills to find the value bets, but it’s not that difficult. Essentially, if you place a $100 wager on an underdog that’s priced at -200, you will win $200.

Over/Under Bets

The over/under bet is popular in all the big sports. When it comes to baseball, it refers to the total runs scored in any one game.

For example, before a game begins, the sportsbook will set a total number of combined runs between both teams. This could be 6,7,8,9 or even more. It’s then up to you to decide if the final total will be higher or lower (over or under). It’s a fun bet that requires a bit of research on your part if you want to make a success of it.

First 5 Bet

The first 5 bet is another really simple baseball bet that’s easy to get the hang of. Essentially, you’re just betting on who you think will be leading after the first 5 innings of a match. To help you place a more informed first 5 bet, make sure to see who the starting pitchers are.

One of the reasons the first 5 bet is so attractive is that you’re not stressing out about late-inning pitch hitters or who’s in the bullpen. Instead, you just need to take a look at the starting pitchers, and make your decision from there.

Betting The Line

When you bet on the run line for a match, you’re essentially handing the other team 1.5 runs. Why would you make this bet? Basically, you’re confident enough that team A is going to win by numerous runs at a canter. So, you hand the other team 1.5 runs and make yourself a bigger profit.

Whilst the profits can be big, it’s important to refer back to the statistic I shared earlier that shows nearly 30% of MLB games since 2004 have been decided by just one run. It’s certainly something to bear in mind when considering the MLB betting line.

Futures

How To Bet On Baseball Moneyline

A futures bet is when you place a wager on something that will happen sometime in the future. For example, you might place a wager on the Yankees to win the World Series in 2021.

Whilst futures are popular bets, and they also mean that your money is going to be tied up for a large amount of time. On the plus side, if it looks as though your futures bet is coming in, the sportsbook sometimes offers to pay out early (albeit at a smaller profit than if you held on until the end).

MLB Betting Strategy

Now that you understand a bit more about the types of baseball bets you can place let’s take a closer look at two excellent MLB betting strategies that I’ve personally used. Please note that, while these strategies have yielded solid profits for me and many other sports bettors, past results do not dictate what will happen next.

The First Five Innings Line

I covered the First 5 bet just a little earlier in this article. It’s a type of bet – but it’s also a strategy that can prove very fruitful if you get it right.

Essentially, with this MLB betting strategy, you’re betting on a team to be leading after the first five innings. That’s it. But why would you do this? And how’s it possible to make it consistently profitable?

How To Win Betting On Baseball

I can respond to both questions with the same amount: Take a look at the starting pitchers. If you can see that Team A is starting with stronger pitchers than Team B, it makes sense to lump your money on Team A to be leading after the first five innings.

Also, take a look at form and statistics. How often does a team lead after the first 5 innings? What you want to look for are teams that start strongly. These are teams to back using these strategies.

Bet On The Homecoming Team

MLB is a long, long season, and teams play a huge amount of games. But what’s also worth noting is that teams play a LOT of games on the road. Sometimes, they’re away from home for a very long time. This can have an adverse effect on a team. By the end of their away stretch, they’re desperate to get home to see their families again.

For us bettors, they’re also desperate to play in front of their home crowd again, knowing that after the game, they can return to their wife and kids.

See, the records back us up on this. Traditionally, when a team returns after a long road trip, they kill it at home. Don’t get me wrong; they don’t always win. But backing the home team after a lengthy road trip is a solid strategy that can pay off. With that in mind, you should still study the form closely and check for variables, such as injuries and suspensions. But generally, this is a good MLB betting strategy.

Top Tips For Betting On Baseball

Having a strategy in place is one thing. But let’s supplement that strategy with some helpful tips and tricks for betting on baseball.

Starting Pitching Matters

I’ve mentioned starting pitchers a few times in this article – and for a good reason. Starting pitching matters. A lot. Starters might not throw as many innings as they did in the previous decades, but they still throw more innings than the bullpen.

Don’t Force It

The beauty of the MBL for sports bettors is that each team plays 162 games per year. That’s insane. It also means that you shouldn’t place a bet simply for the sake of placing a bet. If there’s no value to be had, don’t sweat it. Wait until the next game.

Evaluate Home and Away Teams

Yes, it’s a truism that home teams – in general – outperform away teams. But if you’re going to find any value, what matters more is that you know what the difference is by looking at the relevant splits. Take the time to crunch the data. Check the form, the stats, and find trends.

Focus On Defense

Offense sure is exciting. But defense is super valuable in an MLB game, and good MLB gamblers know this. In fact, I’d say that it’s usually defense that wins or loses a game.

When looking at the defense, consider the range of the players. Also, consider how each defensive player performs on the balls he reaches.

Take a look at catchers, too – how much confidence they back the pitching staff, for example, as well as how they deal with an attempt at a stolen base.

Common Online Baseball Betting Tools

To aid your betting career, it’s a good idea to use online baseball betting tools. There are a few out there – here are some of my top recommendations:

• Fangraphs – Fangraphs is a quite incredible tool that’s essentially a comprehensive database stuffed with baseball stats. You can use the tool to learn how players perform against the left and right-handed pitchers, for example! New stats and articles are constantly being added each day, too
• StatCast – Another key tool to use when you bet on baseball, StatCast gives you access to previously inaccessible stats, such as how fast a fielder runs, what routes they take, and how hard a ball is hit. All these stats (and more) are useful whenever you’re putting a bet together
• BrooksBaseball – I’ll never tire of saying how important pitching is to betting on the MLB, and BrooksBaseball is the OG of pitching. Everything you could want to know about a pitcher is here. Armed with such knowledge, you can stay one step ahead of the bookmaker
• OddsPortal – I personally don’t think a sports bettor should ever go without an odds comparison tool. That’s exactly what OddsPortal is, and you can use it to find the best prices for the bets you want to place

Final Word On Baseball Betting

Knowing how to bet on baseball will give you a crucial edge over the bookmaker. I hope you’ve enjoyed my article, but the next step to getting better at sports betting is to choose a sportsbook that’s right for you. Then, grab the welcome bonus and use tools to help you place better, more informed baseball bets.

And don’t forget to leave a comment with your success stories!