“If you build it, they will come,” Ray Liotta’s disembodied voice once warned Kevin Costner. “If you bet it, you could win,” we say at Odds Shark. From spring training until the World Series, there are betting choices that might net you some big bucks, possibly even A-Rod money.
We’ll teach you how to bet on MLB games and baseball in general, so you can become the Hank Aaron of MLB betting.
Baseball offers some unique betting choices, whether you are an expert bettor or a casual fan trying to learn how to bet on MLB. Because of the sport’s statistics-heavy nature, specialists can study trends and provide valuable guidance and suggestions to the casual bettor to help you turn a profit.
Baseball Odds Interpretation
The most crucial first step in learning how to bet on baseball and win is learning how to understand MLB odds. A moneyline wager in sports betting, whether it’s baseball, hockey, basketball, or football, entails picking a team to win the game outright. Your favorite online sportsbook’s moneyline odds will look something like this:
- -200 Boston Red Sox
- +170 Chicago White Sox
Boston is the favored in this situation, while Chicago is the underdog. Favorites are always denoted with a minus sign (-), while dogs are denoted by a plus sign (+). Another point to consider is the odds style.
We utilize American odds, but you can also select Decimal (1.20) or Fractional (1/5) odds. Sports gamblers in Europe and Australia often use decimals, whereas those in the United Kingdom use fractions and those in the Americas prefer their namesake odds.
If you placed $100 on the Red Sox, you’d get a payment of $150, which includes your original $100 bet as well as your $50 winnings. In contrast, if you bet on the White Sox, you’d collect $270 – your $100 is returned together with your bounty of $170. Check out our Odds Calculator to discover how much you’d win based on the odds and amount staked.
Covering the Spread in Runline Betting (Sort Of)
To begin creating your baseball betting strategy, consider the runline, which is Major League Baseball’s equivalent of the point spread. To establish a more even betting field, one team is granted a 1.5 run edge prior to the game. Because baseball is traditionally a low-scoring sport, the amount of runs scored is always set at 1.5. The odds will be as follows:
- -1.5 San Francisco Giants
- +1.5 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Giants would need to win by two or more runs to cover the runline. To cover, the Dodgers must either win the game outright or lose by no more than one run. A moneyline bet is frequently the safest method to get into the betting scene for bettors who are just learning the best way to bet on baseball, but a runline bet allows you to be more particular with your wagers.
First Five Innings: Betting On The Game’s Top Half
It might take teams time to find their flow throughout the regular season, especially in April and May. Young players are called up, new managers are learning the ropes, seasoned vets sometimes struggle to get going, and beginning pitchers rarely throw more than three quality innings, all of which can have a negative impact on the final score and your betting strategy. This is where betting on the first five innings comes in.
On betting sites, this is known as F5 bets. It’s similar to a moneyline bet, except you’re only betting on the first five innings of a game. You only need to handicap beginning pitchers and look at how they perform throughout five innings to make this gamble. F5 bets have less risk because you don’t have to examine the complete pitching staff, only the starters.
Baseball Totals: Betting On The Total Score
Assume the New York Yankees are taking on the Toronto Blue Jays. Totals odds would look like this:
- OVER 7.5
- UNDER 7.5
As a baseball bettor, your objective is to predict whether the combined runs of both teams will be more or less than the oddsmaker’s specified amount. If you think it will be 8 or more, go with the OVER. You would take the UNDER if you anticipate it would be 7 or less.
When bookies determine the totals, they take into account factors such as ballparks and possible weather. Locations like as Coors Field (where the ball goes further) and Wrigley Field (where wind has an impact) are considered. A bookmaker will also consider the power of both teams’ hitters and the pitching staffs. If the Jays hit everything that comes their way when the Bronx Bombers’ arms are throwing fire, the totals will reflect that.
Baseball Futures Betting: How to Bet on Baseball Championships
We may not know which teams will win their divisions until March, but we can bet on it. Futures chances on pennant races, the World Series, and key baseball awards are available before the regular season begins and throughout the year.
Suppose you’re just starting to understand how to win money betting on baseball. In that case, a futures bet will allow you to stay invested in the performance of a player or team throughout the season, as well as make some significant money if you bet on an underdog who surprises everyone.
If you believe the Washington Nationals will have a fantastic season, you may bet on them to win the National League. You can place a futures bet on the Detroit Tigers if you believe they have made enough offseason moves to secure the American League championship. You may also wager on who will win the Cy Young Award as well as team win totals.
Prop bets on strikeouts, RBIs, and home runs
Prop betting allows you to bet on extremely precise events, which is very useful during the playoffs. Props are wagers on specific player or team milestones that may or may not directly influence the outcome of the game, such as:
• How many RBIs can Player X expect?
• How many bases does Player Y intend to steal?
• How many home runs will Player Z hit this season?
• How many strikeouts can Pitcher A muster?
Parlays: A Bets Bouquet
Baseball parlays enable you to combine your baseball wagers. Say that five times quickly! You can make a betting slip with more than two bets and perhaps win more money than with a single bet.
A parlay can provide some high-risk, high-reward wagering for those interested in more than one game on any given day for those just learning how to bet on MLB or experimenting with their baseball predictions. It is critical to remember that all of your picks must win or your parlay ticket will be a bust like the Montreal Expos. RIP to the best squad that should have won the World Series in 1994.
In-Play Baseball Betting: Live Betting On Baseball Games
To place an in-play wager, look for live odds at your preferred online sportsbook. Plate appearances, runs, which base a hitter will reach, and the number of strikeouts a pitcher will record during any given inning will all be accessible as betting options. Why not put an in-play wager on a bullpen phenom who comes on in the top of the eighth inning and you think he’ll strike out at least two batters?
What Is the Most Profitable Betting Strategy?
“Don’t think,” Durham Bulls player Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) once advised Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins). You can only harm the baseball team.” We advise you to do the opposite and consider everything. Alternatively, you can let us do the thinking for you with our MLB betting news and analysis.
Furthermore, our baseball articles include everything from umpire data (the men behind the plate may frequently affect the outcome of a game), free picks (for those days when you don’t know who/what/where/when to bet), pitchers (who gets run support and who doesn’t), and money standings (each team has a betting value).
There are also offensive and defensive stats, a consensus page (to show which side of a matchup the public is largely betting on), and betting trends.
Taking Bets Against The Public
The public tends to bet on popular teams, favorites, home teams, or teams with superstar sportsmen, yet the public is readily misled by the media and is frequently wrong.
The more pumped up the public gets about one side of a game, the more likely it is that the “smart” wager is picking the opposite side of the book and fading the public instead.
Do You Want More Baseball Betting Advice?
Increased earnings result from volume betting (9.5 times greater than NFL).
• Use parlays and teasers to avoid unfavorable betting odds. Stick to single-game wagers.
• Keep track of your finances. Bet between 1% and 5% of your cash on each play.
• Keep an eye out for divisional underdogs. Teams in the division play each other more frequently. They’re more acquainted with one another, which helps to level the playing field.
• Look for the best brand. Open numerous accounts at various sportsbooks.
• Now that you understand how to bet on baseball and have endured our numerous references to Kevin Costner films – the man has made several films about the sport, it’s not our fault – go forth and make your MLB predictions.
