An Expert’s Look at Betting on Baseball

Moneyline bets are the most common and straightforward bet that you will see offered at all online casinos and sportsbooks. They are straight up bets on which team wins the game. When betting the moneyline, you will notice that one team has a (+) in front of the number next to their name, while the other side has a (-).

The team with the (+) is the underdog. The number after the plus sign is the amount of money you will win on a $100 bet.

The team with the (-) is the favored team. The number after the minus sign is the amount you must bet to win back $100.

An example would look something like:

If you are looking to bet on the Red Sox to win the game outright, you must lay $150 for every win of $100. To profit $300, you would have to wager $450. Betting $100 on the Brewers to win the game would put $110 winning dollars in your pocket. That’s how moneyline bets work.

Run line bets are unique to baseball, and they are a popular option for regular bettors. Think of the run line as a point spread for baseball. Depending on the betting site, you will see run lines ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 runs.

Let’s say you are betting on a favored team with a -1.5 run line. This means that the team must win by two runs or more to cover the bet. If you were betting the underdog +1.5, you would need your team to either lose by only one or win the game to collect a winning wager.

The odds for a favored team on the moneyline may not pay out enough to be worth the bet, but if you bet the run line on that same side, you will get reduced odds and a better payout.

Totals, or over/under, bets are one of the most popular wagers that sports bettors place on baseball games. These bets are wagered on the total number of runs that will be scored by both teams in a game.

The oddsmakers will set a line with a half point added, called the hook. The hook ensures that every bet accepted will fall on one side of the line. There will be no ties.

A parlay bet is a combination of moneyline, run line and/or totals bets combined into a single wager. If any pick on your betting ticket loses, the entire ticket is lost. However, if they all win, you will receive a much more substantial payout than you would have been rewarded for winning each bet individually.

When a handicapper is confident in their forecast for an upcoming game, it is a common strategy to parlay a moneyline bet and the total for the same game. For example, you could bet “the Astros and the over” if you believe the game will be high scoring and the Astros will prevail.

Let’s take a peek at what the standard payouts are for these types of bets.

A typical payout structure for parlay bets will look something like this:

You can see that every time you add a bet to your parlay, the odds dramatically go up, in many cases double. However, proceed cautiously and be careful. Don’t be lured in by the huge payouts for the “10-teamers” as they are extraordinarily hard to hit.

For example, the true odds of hitting a 10-bet parlay are 1,023:1, so the 700:1 payout isn’t as handsome as it initially looked.

Futures bets are wagers placed on the outcome of the entire season or some event that will take place in the future. Before the beginning of the season, bets are offered on what team will win the World Series, which teams will win each pennant (AL/NL), and occasionally things like “who will win the MVP” or other season-long awards.

As their name suggests, these are bets made on things that happen in the future. Due to the level of uncertainty, they typically pay out very well.

Don’t forget to scour through the online betting sites to find your favorite MLB props. The best sites will offer various bets before and throughout the season that are different than your classic baseball bets we discussed above.

Take a quick glance at some of our favorite props we discovered that were available before and during the 2017 MLB season. It won’t take long to get an idea of how entertaining these offerings can make the season for potential bettors.

You get the picture. Participating in the prop bets keeps you engaged in things other than who is winning and losing and how many runs are being scored.

The long summer days of the Major League Baseball season can be grueling. Spicing up the action is a great way to keep you amused, not to mention a chance to put some extra money in your wallet.

If you want to make money betting on baseball over the long-run, you better be well-equipped with an abundance of knowledge on what strategies to be following. It wouldn’t be fair to try and briefly cover them all in a few measly paragraphs.

That’s why our team of baseball enthusiasts prepared a complete, “all you can eat” baseball betting strategies guide.

Once you’ve found the right sportsbooks for your needs and you have a decent understanding of Major League Baseball and the history of the game, it’s time to start handicapping games. After all, how can you determine the value a line offers if you can’t accurately model how the game will play out?

First, we are going to go over some of the necessary information to study when you are predicting how a baseball game will play out. These are some of the things everybody looks at, so don’t think knowing this automatically makes you an expert.

However, they are the first, base-level things you need to consider before digging deeper.

The most important position in all of baseball is the starting pitcher. Their performance dictates team success more than any other position. This is why you see such large lines in games on those days that an “ace pitcher” is starting.

Baseball is unique in that the playing surface changes from park to park. Each park has different proportions, meaning different distances from home plate to the various walls. The walls vary in height, depending on which city you are in.

While things like the bases and the foul lines are all uniform, these differing outfields have a significant effect on how a game will play out.

Another surface-level bit of information to research is the last couple weeks of performances for each team. Check to see if they are on a winning streak or if they are slumping. See if they have been giving up lots of runs lately, or if they have been scoring lots of runs themselves.

While traveling nowadays is a bit easier and faster, don’t think long plane rides and playing in different time zones shouldn’t be accounted for. This by no means is a statistic to live and die by.

Paying attention to the umpires, specifically who is calling strikes and balls behind home plate, can give you a betting edge over other bettors. There are certain umpires that are known to have “tighter strike zones” than others. A tight zone combined with a skilled pitcher favors betting the under, while a loose zone paired with a less experienced pitcher leans towards betting the over.

There are brick-and-mortar betting shops in countries around the world, including the United States, albeit in limited numbers. This being stated, you can gain significant advantages if you choose to make your MLB bets online.

Clearly, convenience is at the top of the list. It’s simple to use our list to compare the different internet-based sportsbooks to find the best features and value. Another benefit is the ability to keep close tabs on where you stand with regard to your wins and losses.

Maintaining your discipline is easier when you can access a balance sheet of sorts at any time. When you make a habit of betting online, all the research tools available on the internet are at your fingertips. This enables you to make fully informed wagers.

You can place your bets wherever you may be through a mobile application, and this freedom can extend beyond the boundaries of your home country in some cases.

Of course, the bonuses and promotions we mentioned are a definite benefit. They’re not exactly “free money” because they come with associated terms and conditions. But they still represent a great way to get some extra value from your MLB wagering.

Parlays aren’t always going to be your best friend when it comes to betting sports at virtual sportsbooks online. This doesn’t mean that numerous “parlay opportunities” won’t present themselves over the course of a Major League Baseball season.

Take a peek below at some of the opportunities we are referring to.

This is a pretty straightforward strategy. It does not expose the sports bettor to much risk, and thus does not pay out as handsomely. However, it does pay out a better reward than betting either of the favorites individually.

To win money betting on favorites individually, you are going to have to lay more money upfront. By combining your favorites, you can win a moderate reward without risking a huge chunk.

This is another parlay bet with a smart balance of risk versus ease of winning. It’s a good bet for beginners.  When betting baseball parlays, first identify a heavy favorite that is strongly expected to win. Then play that same pick on two or more separate parlay tickets, paired with different underdogs on each parlay card. If only one of the parlay cards wins, you will stand to make a profit every time.

Correlating parlays is a popular method of placing multiple bets on the same team in a game, increasing your chances of winning. For example, if you bet on a team with a strong offense to win, it’s logical to also place an “over” bet. This strategy allows you to maximize your wagering options while considering the most probable outcomes based on your analysis of the game.

Let’s say that for an upcoming week you’ve selected four or five games that you feel confident in betting. It can feel tempting to play them all on one parlay card and hope for a hefty payday. While this is an option, casting a wider net and giving yourself a better chance of winning some percentage of your bets is the smarter option.

If only one pick loses, that pick won’t be on all of your tickets. You still may potentially turn a profit.

The most prominent sporting events and most popular teams receive the most attention from the oddsmakers and are bet the heaviest by the casual public. Due to these factors, you are less likely to find value in the odds.

By developing a specialty, you will have a unique knowledge set to exploit at the expense of the bookies. The sportsbooks must spend most of their focus on the broadly watched games and favorite teams that the casual bettors flock to.

Trying to find weaknesses in the line is the driving idea of handicapping, so specializing in niche areas can make all the difference.

To be an all-inclusive baseball betting guide, we ought to tell you about the teams in the league and talk about the differences between the two leagues. The rules are different in the American League (AL) compared to the National League (NL), and it ends up affecting the betting landscape.

Getting acquainted with the teams in the league is going to help you immensely. You are going to want to know the difference between when a team is playing a divisional rival or if they are playing an interleague game.

Our structured guide on the teams, divisions, and leagues is going to assist you so you know exactly what bets you want to target.

Winning the World Series is what the players and coaches in Major League Baseball dream about it. To achieve that goal, you have to complete the 162-game season and earn a spot in the playoffs by either winning your division or one of the two available Wild Cards.

Want to know which teams have won the most World Series trophies? Interested in finding out what the season-long ride is like to be one of the teams left playing October baseball? Clicking on “The World Series” button will answer those questions.

Any time you bet on a sporting event, there is some risk involved. But there are a few MLB World Series betting strategies that can help you make better choices and earn higher payouts.

Many of these strategies are common sense, but you might not think of them right away. So, here are a few tips for betting on the World Series for real money.

Whenever you are betting on sporting events, you should shop around for the best odds. That is even more important when you bet on major events like the World Series.

Sportsbooks know that many people will be betting on those events. Some sportsbooks will offer worse odds because they want to take advantage of amateur bettors that don’t know the importance of shopping around.

One of the best World Series betting tips we can give you is to create accounts on multiple sportsbooks. You can sign up for three or four different sites and easily compare odds before every bet.

The key to any successful betting strategy is managing your bankroll. You can’t win if you don’t have enough money to place the bet in the first place.

That means that the best strategy for betting on the MLB World Series might begin long before the Series actually starts. You have to manage your bankroll throughout the whole baseball season if you bet regularly.

There are two things you need to consider when you manage your bankroll.

When you are betting on the MLB World Series online for real money, you will have dozens of betting opportunities to choose from for every game.

You can bet on moneylines, run lines, totals, prop bets, and futures. And there are different variations within each of those categories, such as totals on the number of hits and the number of runs. Just because those options are all available doesn’t mean you need to bet on all of them. There are no rules that say you always have to bet on the moneyline.

If your goal is to make money on your bets, you need to use data and statistics to guide your betting choices instead of team spirit.

Baseball is one of the most data-heavy sports. You can track how many runs, hits, strikeouts, and errors each team and player have had.

Use that information to determine what you think will happen during the World Series. But don’t think that you have to be an expert or memorize every player stat available.

When you are doing some research on team and player statistics, it is essential to look for trends. Here are some World Series betting trends that are worth paying attention to.

Pay Attention to These World Series Trends

Noticing trends with the team’s schedule or the pitching rotation can significantly affect your overall betting performance.

Baseball’s All-Star Game, also known as the “Mid-Summer Classic” is a great time of the year for the players. It provides them with a few days to recharge their batteries for the second half of what is a long season.

The festivities that come along with the few-day break capture the baseball audience around the globe. The Home Run Derby has been a huge hit for many years and continues to draw millions of viewers each and every year.

Learn all about the MLB All-Star Game and what comes with it on our dedicated page. Take the time and enjoy what’s happened in the past as well as what’s in store for the future for baseball’s Mid-Summer Classic.

The types of bets you’ll encounter for the ASG are just like the ones you would see during a typical day in the regular season.

Due to the popularity of the event, a handful of MLB All-Star Game props are available. None are trendier than betting on the MVP of the All-Star Game.

Betting on the MLB All-Star Game MVP

Also known as the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award, odds for this market will come to the forefront as soon as we know who’s playing in the game. It’s an easy way to spice up the action, but be cautious about betting on pitchers.

Other MLB All-Star Game Prop Bets

It’ll be unique every year but count on our recommended betting sites producing a slew of prop bets for the MLB All-Star game.

You have your “regular” bets and the MVP market; here are some examples of some other All-Star Game props that have been made available in the past.

Our page on baseball betting strategy offers fundamental advice on how to gain an edge when betting MLB online. When you’re dealing with the All-Star Game in particular, there are a few trends to be aware of.

If you want to keep things simple and bet on who wins, do yourself a favor and lean towards backing the American League.

The AL is 25-6-1 straight-up in the last 32 All-Star Games. Furthermore, the NL hasn’t won an All-Star Game since 2012.

Of course, this isn’t an endorsement to blindly bet on the AL winning the game, however, it’s a noticeable trend that seems to carry a bit of weight.

We’ve seen 10 or more runs scored in the Midsummer Classic – we just haven’t seen it happen too often lately.

We offered data that’ll steer many toward betting the AL to win the game outright. On the flip side, if you intend to gamble on the National League emerging, take a hard look at the run line if they’re favored.

If the AL is the betting favorite, target the adjusted run line and boost your upside. 9 of the NL’s last 10 wins in the All-Star Game were by more than one run.

There are two ways to approach Home Run Derby betting. Pick a winner or attack the matchups. Or better yet, do both.

HR Derby odds come out as soon as the participants are confirmed. Figure about 5-7 days before the Derby is scheduled.

The object here is to try and pinpoint who will be the last man standing.

Don’t want to tie up your money for the entirety of the event? No problem – just key in on the individual matchups and bet on a round-by-round basis.

Looking back at the 2019 Home Run Derby odds, the four first-round matchups looked like this.

Once the first round is complete, check the live odds on the best Home Run Derby betting apps. You’ll be able to bet on each semifinal matchup, as well as the finale.

Only two betting favorites have won the HR Derby since 2010 (Giancarlo Stanton 2016, Bryce Harper 2019).

It’s not a total crapshoot, per se, but every man participating is more than capable of raking out dingers. It makes sense to capture as much betting upside as possible.

The season sample size may be small, and in some cases nonexistent, but there could also be a lot to glean. Certain hitters have an eye for specific ballparks, and it’s easy to track down a player’s home run rate at any particular venue.

Click the “splits” tab on a player’s ESPN profile and scroll down to “Stadium.”

Each Home Run Derby participant gets to choose who will be tossing them meatballs during the competition. Anytime a player brings his dad, former coach, or anyone he shares a special bond with, you can sense some added motivation to perform at a high level.

Be aware of these instances and keep them in mind when you’re firing away.

If you have made it to this point in the guide- you are starting to become somewhat of a baseball expert yourself. The next order of business is to familiarize you with the best players who have ever played the game.

We are talking about the legends whose impact on baseball lasted well-beyond their playing days: the cream of the crop when it comes to the Hall of Famers- that’s who we are going to cover.

We transition into the stars of today’s game- those players who will one day surely join the aforementioned stars in Cooperstown.

Who doesn’t love breaking records?

This baseball catalog that has been full of detailed information to help you win money betting on games, as well as teach you about the game. We thought devoting a segment to the most significant baseball single-season and career records would be a fun way to finish.

Learn everything about the most historic teams to which players have had the most incredible single-season performances. The tab above is all about the players and teams with the greatest accomplishments the sport has witnessed.

Baseball is America’s National Pastime for a reason. The interest level and popularity of the sport have translated into the casino operators of the online betting sites to get with the program. No longer do you only have to choose which team will win a game or how many total runs will be scored.

You can even bet on other leagues apart from the MLB, such as the KBO for example.

We went over all your options, from futures and props, to what the parlay payouts look like. If you are new to the online betting arena, our in-depth pages on tips, what to look for, what to avoid, and how to find value makes sure you no longer are a stranger to the online betting world.

We know you were hungry for the strategies and specific things to consider before placing wagers, so instead of giving you a few paragraphs, we linked an entire catalog of baseball betting strategies to the simple click of your mouse.

As Major League Baseball fans, giving you loads of information about the teams and leagues was vital. The World

Series and The All Star-Game are what everyone looks forward to, so we have full, committed sections on those topics.

Discussing the greatest players who have made it to the Hall of Fame and the ones who will one day join them was something we made sure not to leave out. We know everyone is interested in records, so we capped off our complete baseball guide with a page on the most compelling records and achievements in the history of the sport.

We figured you landed here starving for baseball betting information and knowledge that was going to help you “pad up your bank account”.