Baseball betting online offers a boatload of available MLB games to wager on. And with a much longer season than the NFL, NBA or NHL, there is an endless interest in MLB betting lines, team reports, game previews, betting trends, and more.
Baseball Betting Lines: Types of Bets
From exhibition play in March, through the regular season, to the end of postseason baseball in October, there are plenty of baseball betting options to choose from at your favourite online baseball betting sites.
Moneyline Betting
When it comes to moneyline betting in Major League Baseball, or any other sport for that matter, all you have to do is pick a team to win straight up. Moneyline odds at Intertops might look something like this:
Los Angeles Dodgers -180
Houston Astros +140
LA is considered the favourite and Houston is the underdog in this scenario. Favourites are always indicated by a minus sign (-) and underdogs are always indicated by a plus sign (+). If you bet $100 on the Dodgers, and they win, you get a payout of $155.56. You get your $100 back plus your winnings of $55.56. If you wager on the Stros, and they win, you get a payout of $240. You get your $100 back plus your winnings of $140.
Runline Betting: Point Spreads
The baseball betting run line is MLB’s version of a point spread. The underdog is given an advantage of 1.5 runs before the game so that it’s a bit more of an even betting field. Oddsmakers set the number of runs scored at 1.5 because by and large, baseball is a fairly low-scoring sport compared to football or basketball. Sports bettors will see runline odds at Intertops that look like this:
Boston Red Sox -1.5
New York Yankees +1.5
In order for the Bo Sox to cover the run line, they have to win by two runs or more. For the Yanks to cover the run line, the Evil Empire has to either win the game outright or not lose by more than a single run.
Totals: OVER/UNDER Betting
Betting on MLB totals is when you wager on the combined score of both teams. It’s up to you to determine whether the combined runs from both squads will be greater or less than the oddsmaker’s set number. For example, let’s say the Tampa Bay Rays are playing Mike Trout’s Angels. Totals odds will look like this:
OVER 6.5
UNDER 6.5
If you believe the total combined runs scored by both teams will be 7 or more, you will wager on the OVER. If you think the total combined runs scored by both teams will be 6 or less, you will bet on the UNDER. There are several factors that oddsmakers take into consideration when setting totals, such as:
- Ballparks
- Weather
- Bat Strength
- Pitching Staff
The MLB odds will reflect if the game is being played in Colorado at Coors Field, where the ball has a tendency to carry further given the altitude. They will also take into account ballparks like Wrigley Field. Chicago is referred to as the windy city after all. Oddsmakers even consider factors like whether a team has been on a hitting hot streak or whether certain rotations have been lights out in the strikeout department.
Prop Betting
Prop bets are wagers on individual athlete or team milestones that don’t necessarily influence the direct outcome of a game. Such specific instances include props like:
- How many bases will Mookie Betts steal?
- Will Clayton Kershaw throw a no-hitter?
- How many home runs will Mike Trout hit?
- How many strikeouts will Max Scherzer have?
Prop bets are particularly popular during the playoffs and World Series:
- How many RBIs will Manny Machado produce?
- How many runs will the home team score?
- Will Tim Anderson commit an error in Game 1?
- Will the World Series finish on a fly-out?
Futures Betting
A futures wager is different from a prop bet in the sense that it is made in advance of events yet to occur, whereas a prop is a wager on highlights throughout an event. Futures can be placed months before the season even starts.
You can bet on who you think will win the American League Championship or National League Championship, who you think will win the Cy Young or which team you believe will win the World Series. You can even find future MLB MVP betting odds on the American League MVP and National League MVP.
Parlay Betting
Baseball betting online gets interesting with parlay bets. That’s when you combine multiple baseball wagers onto one bet slip. But in order for the ticket to win, all of your wagers have to hit. The chances of winning on parlays are a little lower, but the payouts can be pretty appealing.
Live Baseball Betting Online
Live betting or in-play betting in baseball allows you to wager on things like:
- Plate appearances
- Runs
- Will a batter get on first, second or third base
- Number of strikeouts recorded in an inning
- Whether a relief pitcher throws at least three strikes
You can make in-play wagers up until the bottom of the ninth inning at most online sports betting sites, so don’t freak out if you didn’t get your bet in before the game began.
Baseball Betting Strategy
Baseball betting online can be profitable when you keep up with the most recent news and analysis. Be sure to study MLB’s offensive, defensive, and even umpire statistics. Check in on what the consensus is saying, and it doesn’t hurt to take a look at the latest trends.
More MLB Betting Tips
Consider sticking to single game bets as opposed to parlays or teasers that present unfair betting odds. Believe it or not, the more you bet, the more your profits increase. It’s actually 9.5 times greater than that of the NFL. Volume baseball betting online is where it’s at folks. And lastly, keep a close eye on divisional underdogs. Teams within the same division play so often, they have a better idea of each other’s tendencies, which makes things a little more even.
Ready to Make Your Baseball Betting Picks?
Baseball betting online is not only fun, especially if you’re a fan of the game, but it can be a nice little money maker when you find the best baseball betting lines. Open multiple accounts at several online betting sites, and get to betting on baseball.
