Updated on: October 4th, 2024
Every spring marks the beginning of a new Major League Baseball (MLB) season, and with it comes 2430 regular season games to bet on. And, this is not even to mention all the fun long term bets that come with the playoffs and World Series. Quite simply, with thousands of betting opportunities, there is ample opportunity for MLB bettors to learn how to turn a profit.
Since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was struck down in 2018, it has become so much easier to bet baseball online. You can now bet on professional baseball games from your own home plate. Despite initial apprehension, the league itself seems to be happy with the decision as they are cashing in on it, too, by selling MLB sports betting partnerships to sportsbooks for better lines.
If you would like to find out more about betting on MLB games, stick around. Below we go through all you need to know, including:
- How betting lines work
- How to read odds
- General wagering tips
- Understanding public betting trends
We also list online gambling sites that provide MLB lines with great odds so that you can start planning your strategy as soon as spring training begins!
Bet on MLB Games Here
How to Bet on MLB
- Choose the team you would like to bet on.
- Decide what type of bet you want to place. This could be a moneyline, run line, or total, among other types of bets. It is all up to you.
- Decide how much you would like to stake. Make sure that it is not an amount of money you cannot afford to lose.
- Confirm your bet.
- Watch the game to see if your bet is successful.
MLB Betting Lines Explained
A lot of people get scared off of sports betting because they see unfamiliar terminology being used to refer to bets. But, really, it isn’t all that complicated. We list and explain all the most popular bets at MLB sportsbooks below:
Moneyline
So, this is the simplest type of bet available. You simply pick the team that you think is going to win a match. The starting pitcher of the defending team and the batters on the batting team are the top two factors that influence odds in this bet.
Although baseball can be very unpredictable at times, you will find that if your strategy boils down to “bet favorites” on moneylines, you won’t make all that much money. Which is why the next type of bet is more popular.
MLB Run Line Betting
If you are familiar with football or basketball betting, run lines are basically point spreads. It involves the number of runs that separates the favorite and the underdog.
If you are not familiar with sports betting at all, this type of bet is a bit more complicated than a moneyline bet. Basically, a sportsbook declares a favorite and an underdog in a match by looking at a whole load of past statistics.
Then, they set a scoreline is drawn for the favorite to win by. If you bet on the favorite, the team will need to beat the predicted runline difference. If you bet on the underdog, you just need the team to lose by less than it.
Here is an example of a run line at a sportsbook:
Los Angeles Dodgers -2.5
New York Yankees +2.5
The example line shows that the Dodgers are favorites in this one. They need to win by more than two runs for bets on them to payout. However, the underdogs (the Yankees in this case) need to lose by less than two runs for bets to payout.
Totals
Total bets are also known as over/unders. Many beginner bettors tend to start off with these wagers because you don’t have to predict who is going to win the game. Instead, you predict whether the match’s overall score (Team A’s score + Team B’s) will exceed or come under a line predicted by a sportsbook.
Usually, a sportsbook will set several over/under lines with varying odds. So, you can pick the option that best suits your needs.
Futures Odds
Futures are also known as outrights at some sportsbooks. Essentially, these are long-term bets placed on some event set to take place in the future. For example, you can bet on who will win the CY Young Award or the World Series at the beginning of the MLB season.
Futures are fun and very profitable. As they are tough to get right, they usually have long odds attached. And, it is for this reason that we recommend that you do not use your bankroll to place too many futures at one time.
MLB Prop Bets
Props are event-driven bets. They do not involve the outcome of the game. In fact, it really doesn’t matter who wins. The only thing that matters is the event taking place during the match.
For example, in a Yankees game, you could bet on Giancarlo Stanton to score a home run. It doesn’t matter if the Yankees win the game as long as Stanton gets that homer, you are likely to be paid out.
It is important to note that there are two types of prop bets: skilled and exotic. Skilled prop bets are those like the example used above – a bet that you can research. Stanton could be having an amazing season, and the opposing team could be starting a poor pitcher, which increases the odds of him hitting a home run.
Exotic props are those wild bets that are only made available on big events like the World Series. These are bets like will Alex Rodriguez appear at a game. Or, will the winning team visit the White House? All we have to say is that effective MLB betting strategies feature more skilled props than exotic.
MLB Odds
Often, we find that a lot of people are put off by the idea of sports betting because odds seem confusing to the unknowing eye. But they really aren’t that scary, so don’t run away just because you saw a few little numbers.
There are three popular odds systems: American/Moneyline, Fractional and Decimal. Below we go through how the American/Moneyline system works because it is the system used at most of the sportsbooks we recommend. (But you can learn about the other two in our odds guide.)
So, when you visit a sportsbook, MLB betting odds will be displayed like this:
Chicago White Sox +178
Washington Nationals -190
Now, when calculating how much you could make from a bet on either of these two teams, you need to pay attention to both the symbol and number next to the team name. The plus symbol denotes the underdog, whereas the minus symbol denotes the favorite.
Depending on the symbol, you use one of the following formulas to calculate your potential winnings:
- Positive – Odds x (Stake/100)
- Negative – (100/Odds) x Stake
The calculation will provide you with the amount you will win from placing the bet. With regards to odds, it is always important to shop around for the best deal, especially if you are looking at placing a future on MLB opening day. By doing this, you ensure that you are making the most money possible.
Best MLB Betting Tips
Everybody that bets on baseball wants to develop good MLB betting systems. After all, if you get the right system down, you could make thousands of dollars each season. Our experts don’t win every bet they place, but they’ve become pretty good at turning a profit. Here are some of the tips they think you should pay heed to:
- Focus on a Handful of Teams – there are 30 teams in the MLB and over 2430 games played each season. You are never going to be able to learn the ins and outs of every team to place effective bets on each and every match. So, we suggest that you rather pick a few teams and focus on learning their strengths and weaknesses.
- Pay Attention to MLB Betting Trends – make sure that you have a look at MLB public consensus bets before placing your wager. Sometimes, this information can open you up to new perspectives and/or opportunities on a game you would like to bet on. We caution you not blindly bet against the public but do consider this information.
- Follow Tipsters – it seems that every person who shares their MLB betting picks on social media claims to be a pro tipster. While this may not be true, there are some truly knowledgeable people out there. They can give you some good wagering tips on upcoming games. If you’re looking for some good tipsters, you can have a look at Reddit as well as our blog.
- Avoid Betting on Favorites – unless a particular match is offering a good line, we wouldn’t focus on betting on favorites too often. You won’t really make any money that way. Rather hunt for lines where a sportsbook has undervalued a really good team.
Fading the Public: MLB Public Betting
Fading the public (also known as betting against the public is a pretty old strategy. It involves looking at the MLB betting consensus for a particular match, and then betting against that outcome. It is based on the idea that most gamblers are plebs who don’t really know what to look for when betting on a match and just go for the supposed favorite.
While more inexperienced bettors do tend to bet on big games like the World Series or Super Bowl, we’d caution blindly following this strategy for two reasons. Firstly, you are less likely to have betting percentages swayed by inexperienced bettors on an average league game.
Secondly, bettors overall have become a lot better in researching their wagers in recent years. With the advent of MLB betting forums, it is possible for people to discuss their reasoning behind selections. So, you have fewer people going on gut feelings and more people going on stats.
Sportsbooks Live Betting
Live betting offers a whole load of new wagering options on games that are in play. There are already more than 2000 baseball games a year to bet on, so this really is just icing on the cake.
However, what makes live betting slightly more interesting than regular betting is that odds change as the game takes place. So, let’s say you are watching a game between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels, and the Astros are thrashing the Angels. Odds will show that the sportsbook does not expect the Angels to win.
If you think that Angels have it in them to bring it back (which is completely possible with Mike Trout), then you have an opportunity to make a load of cash.
We do caution you to be careful with live bets. It is very easy to develop a gambling problem with live betting because you can place so many in quick succession because of the possibility of quick results. So, be mindful of this.
Online MLB Betting: All-Star Game
The All-Star Game is arguably baseball at its finest. The best players in the American League go up against the best players in the National League. This makes for some very interesting betting opportunities.
Who will be named MVP of a match that practically features all the best players in the league? Well, this is where some hardcore research comes in. If you’re betting on a winner though, we suggest that you go with the American League. They’ve won it for the last six years running, and it doesn’t look like that is going to change any time soon.
Make sure to take advantage of all MLB Baseball online betting options made available to make the most money possible.
History of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the oldest professional sports league in the United States. It was formed in 1903 but existed before this in different incarnations. The new league put the winner of the National League up against the winner of the American League. And so, began the supposed golden age of baseball.
Between 1900 and 1920, pitchers such as Cy Young, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson came to prominence, and the league’s popularity boomed. This period is often referred to as the dead-ball area due to the lack of frequent home runs. But that all changed when George Herman Ruth Jr, better known as Babe Ruth, dropped the glove for the bat in 1920.
Babe Ruth introduced an era of heavy-hitting to the league, and soon more such players followed with Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson, and Joe DiMaggio rising to fame in this time. The league would also survive several betting scandals at this time.
The sport started growing a large international audience outside of the United States and Canada during the 1940s and 50s, with the first World Cup having been hosted in 1938.
Since that time, the MLB has grown from strength to strength, amassing tens of millions of viewers. The MLB remains the world’s largest league and an exciting part of American history.
MLB Sports Betting – FAQs
Betting baseball is easy. You just need to find a game you would like to bet on, select the line you would like to place and confirm the bet.
Yes, you can bet on baseball online. Many MLB sportsbooks maintain an online presence.
You can bet on baseball at the following sites:
1. Intertops
2. Bovada
3. XBet
4. Sports Betting
5. BetOnline.ag
6. MyBookie.ag
7. SportBet
8. GT Bets
9. WagerWeb
10. BetNow
11. YouWager
There is no sure way to win, but the only way to increase your chances is to research the bets you would like to place. So, if you don’t want to lose regularly, make sure that you don’t make random uneducated bets.
Right now, the New York Yankees are favored to win. After adding Gerrit Cole to their squad in the offseason, their pitching line-up seems pretty unstoppable. As for National League teams that may challenge them, the Los Angeles Dodgers are favored.
A baseball over/under bet will usually be formatted as +4.5 or -4.5 or as OVER 4.5 or UNDER 4.5. Betting over means that you believe the score will exceed the prediction made by the sportsbook. However, betting under means that you think that scoreline will be less than the stated line.