While most MLB betting is done via moneylines – picking which team will win the game outright – sportsbooks also offer baseball’s version of the spread: the runline. With the majority of MLB games. If you’re betting on something like the team who will win the Super Bowl in the future, you might see it look like this: New England Patriots — 3/1 Baltimore Ravens — 5/1 Kansas City Chiefs — 8/1.

The main on-line gambling markets in baseball are the Ante-post (Outright) markets for the championships and the individual match betting for each game. Of, course there are also in-game betting markets available.

Here, we will look at the main betting markets available for the Major League Baseball (MLB) season that runs through most of the year in the United States.

Ante-post (Outright market) betting

As with the American Football, Basketball and Ice Hockey leagues in the United States, the baseball leagues are also divided and separated into different divisions and leagues and so the following markets are available.

The divisions contain five teams each and you can gamble on who will win any division:

National Division East / West / Central Winners
American Division East / West / Central Winners

The three National Divisions make the National League and the three American Divisions make the American League so you can also gamble on:

National League Winners
American League Winners

The bookmakers will often offer “Each way” bets on the League winners at ½ the odds at first and second place. (See “Each Way” in our horse racing betting guide for more information.)

Winning Division Winner – You can also gamble on which Division the League winners will come from! This year (2017) the odds are:

National Division East 21/10
National Division West 12/5
National Division Central 23/20
American Division East 6/5
American Division West 12/5
American Division Central 2/1

Finally:The World Series Winners – ½ odds placed at First or Second

Winning League – You can gamble on which League the team that wins the World Series will come from:

National League 17/20
American League 17/20

Winning Division – You can also gamble on which Division the team that wins the World Series will come from:

National Division East 11/2
National Division West 6/1
National Division Central 10/3

American Division East 7/2
American Division West 6/1
American Division Central 5/1

To make the Playoffs – Which teams will make the playoffs? That is to finish in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place in their league or enter via the two “Wildcard” places.

Regular Season Wins – A basic over / under bet with the number of wins set by the bookmaker – for example:Los Angeles Dodgers to win UNDER 94.5 games is 8/11 and for them to win OVER 94.5 games is 11/10

Of course, as with most of the other sports gambling – Individual Performance betting is also available:

MVP Winner – “MVP” means “Most Valuable Player” – basically the best player according to statistics at the end of the season.

Cy Young Winner – This is an award given to the two best pitchers of the season – one pitcher from each league.

Most Regular Season Home Runs – Who will score the most home runs in the season? Odds are ¼ each Way at 1,2,3,4 places and please note – like golf – Dead Heat Rules apply.

Regular Season Home Runs – A basic Over / Under bet with the number of home runs set by the bookmaker – for example:Anthony Rizzo to score UNDER 30.5 Home Runs is 10/11 and to score OVER 30.5 Home Runs is also 10/11

Regular Season Wins – A basic Over / Under bet with the number of wins set by the bookmaker – for example:John Lester’s total regular season wins to be UNDER 15.5 is 10/11 and to be OVER 15.5 is also 10/11

Typical Individual Match Betting

Money Line – A basic win / lose bet on a team e.g. Reds 5/4 Giants 20/29
Run Line – A basic win /lose handicap bet where the team you choose to win or lose must win or lose by the number of runs +/- set by the bookmaker.
Total – A basic Over / Under bet where the total number of runs scored by both teams is set by the bookmaker. E.g. UNDER 10.5 runs 10/11 OVER 10.5 runs 10/11

Other betting odds for the MLB match

One of the biggest online bookmaker William Hill not only offers the Money line, Run line, and Totals but also various betting odds for MLB match. You can bet on these odds below while in the regular season.

1st Innings Winner, A Run in the 1st Innings, 1st Innings Runs, 1st Innings Hits, Most Hits in the 1st Innings, Top 1st Run, Ton 1st Hit, Bottom 1st Run, Bottom 1st Hit, 3 Innings Line, 7 Innings Line, Race to (Runs), 3 Innings Total, 7 Innings Total, Lead After (Innings), Extra Innings, First Team to Score, Last Team to Score, Team Scoring First Wins Game, Game Total-Bands, Alternative Run Line, Alternative Game Total, Alternative 3-Way Run Line, Alternative Total 3-Way, Alternative 5 Innings Line, Alternative 5 Innings Total, Team with Highest Scoring Innings, Double Result, Winning Margins, First Home Run of Game Will be, Game Total Odd/Even, Highest Scoring Period, Team Totals, Team Hits, Team Total Odd/Even, Total Hits, Most Hits

With a 162 game schedule for each of the 30 MLB teams, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when betting on MLB.

In this article we’ll describe the different MB betting types, baseball bankroll management and tips for MLB betting.

There is perhaps no other sport that is analysed more than MLB. Some people dedicate their lives the the accumulation and filing of baseball statistics. In the same vein, there are just as many people who have created ‘Models’ for betting on baseball, with everybody thinking they have cracked the code for MLB betting success.

Let’s put it this way, not everybody can be right, and usually very few are.

But, on with the show!

MLB Bet Types

Depending on the bookmaker you use, there will be many different MLB betting markets available, especially in Australia. Here we’ve included the most common MLB bet types.

Line Betting (Point Spread)

‘Line’ betting is perhaps the most common MLB bet, and offers more value than a straight up Head to Head bet. The ‘Line’ or ‘Spread’ is a handicap given by the bookmakers as to how much a team will win/lose by in an MLB game. The bookies will aim to get around 50% of outlays on each side of the Line market.

The Line is shown in the market as either a (+) or a (-) symbol, with the favourite given a runs handicap that must overcome for the bet to win for the punter.

A Line bet will have odds ranging from $1.90-$1.95 for each team in a game. The higher the odds, the less “Juice” (% of takings skimmed from each bet by the bookmaker).

An example of a line bet –

LA Dodgers__-3.0 ($1.91) Cleveland Indians__+3.0 ($1.92)

In the above example, the LA Dodgers are heavy favourites, and must win the game by 4+ runs for an outright win, and 3.0 runs for a Push (money back from some bookmakers).

In the same example, the Cleveland Indians must win the game, or lose by 2 runs or less for a winning bet. A loss of 3 runs will make it a Push.

Head to Head (Moneyline)

Head to Head markets require the punter to bet on the team they think will win the game outright.

Head to Head betting is a riskier than a Line Bet, as there is no room for error if you happen to go for an underdog. Likewise, if you bet on a favourite, you will be getting pretty low odds, and returns.

An example of a Head to Head Market–

LA Dodgers__($1.56) Cleveland Indians__ ($2.42)

Over/Under (Total Points Over/Under)

Total Points Over/Under Line markets has the bettor wager on whether the total number of runs in a game (both teams combined) will go over an amount set by the bookmaker.

An example of a Total Points Over Under Bet –

Total Runs Under 9.5__($1.91) Total Tuns Over 9.5__ ($1.92)

In the above example, the total number of runs in the game must be 10+ for the ‘Total Points Over’ market to win.

For the ‘Total Points Under’ market to result as a winning bet, the number of runs must be 9 or below.

MLB Proposition Betting

Proposition bets are wagers which predict specific elements and statistic of a game, such as an over/under market on strikeouts that a pitcher will throw during a game.

The most popular type of Proposition bet is the ‘Player Prop’.

MLB Run Lines

Run Lines rely on the same outcomes as a Point Spread, however the handicap is always set as +1.5 and -1.5 for either team, with odds to suit the markets. Should a game go less than 9 innings due to weather, the bet is Void.

MLB Futures Bets (Propositions)

An MLB Futures bet is a wager placed that will have it’s outcome determined at the end of the MLB season.

An example of MLB Futures bets include the MLB World Series Winner, MLB World Series MVP Winner and MLB Home Runs Leader.

As the market name suggests, they are determined in the Future, and not the upcoming next night of Major League Baseball.

MLB Betting Advice

• Previous 5-10 game results – Teams go on winning and losing streaks. Checking a team’s form over the last 5-10 games can be an indicator of form coming into a game.
• Take a deep breath, and pace yourself – With 2,430 games on the MLB schedule, it’s important to only wager on a market that you feel has a clear edge. Another thing to consider is only betting on a certain number of games per week. Keeping a level head is key.
• Bet on Over/Under and Head to Head – It’s not unusual for underdogs to win in MLB. Keep an eye out for team performances against each other, and find a weak line.
• Home and Road performance – It’s simple to find statistics for road and home winning % (just look at the MLB ladders).
• Reduced Juice – When a site takes less vig, you will be able to save money from the outset, particularly if you intend to Bankroll (see below).
• Most importantly, keep an eye on the Bullpen! – Starting pitchers will basically win or lose the game. As such, the lines and markets for any MLB game a entirely dependent on the starting pitcher. Take note of a pitcher’s performance against the team they are lined up against. It will be the difference between a winning or losing bet.

MLB Betting Bankroll Management

It’s pretty much accepted that bankroll management is simple to explain and hard to adhere to.

If you are not able to stick to strict a MLB bankroll, you’re going to end up in the red at the end of an exhaustive MLB season. Long term investment is the name of the game, and keeping a cool head is key. (Don’t drink and bet!)

The main thing with MLB bankroll management is to make a plan and stick to it. Do not steer from this plan through losses, wins or otherwise.

Never chase your losses, and never increase the $’s of your units should you hit a winning streak.

The most popular type of MLB bankroll management is a “unit” or a “star” system.

What are star and unit systems in MLB Bankroll management?

Unit and Star bankroll management allocates a confidence rating for each bet.

Allocating stars or units to a bet indicates confidence in a particular bet. A simple way to do this would be to have 3 different levels of confidence –

• i.e 1 star/1 unit, 2 stars/2 units, 3 stars/3 units. (Experienced MLB bettors may go up to 4 and 5 stars/units)

Following this, each star or unit has a $ value attached, with the amount dependent on the total amount of your bankroll. For example –

• 1 star/1 unit ($10 bet), 2 stars/2 units ($20 bet), 3 stars/3 units ($30 bet).

Regardless of the confidence that you have in a bet, you must never deviate from betting within your set unit amount.

There are many theories regarding bankroll management but the general rule is to never bet more than 2-5% of your total bankroll, per bet.

Let’s say the MLB season begins and you allocate $1,000 as your MLB bankroll.

Total MLB Bankroll = $1,000

1% = $10.00 2% = $20.00 3% = $30.00

After the first week of MLB, your Bankroll has gone up to $1,150, now it’s time to adjust –

Total MLB Bankroll = $1,150

1% = $11.50 2% = $23.00 3% = $34.50

Should your bankroll increase, don’t get greedy, stick to the plan! If you should lose during the first week, you will need to adjust your star and unit sizes accordingly also in the opposite direction –

Total MLB Bankroll = $800

1% = $8.00 2% = $16.00 3% = $24.00

Follow your system through good and bad and you’ll have less chance of busting your bankroll. You’ll also have a more enjoyable, less stressful MLB betting season.

If MLB betting is new to you, we perhaps suggest ‘Flat Betting’.

Mlb Betting Lines Explained Games

Flat Betting is MLB betting for beginners

Flat Betting means placing identical dollar amounts on each MLB bet that you take, no matter your confidence in the market.

We recommend Flat Betting to those new to the MLB game, or punters that don’t have the time to put in the research necessary to spot a weak line in the market.

Understanding Mlb Betting Lines

Should you become more knowledgeable of MLB further along, the star or unit system is a great way to build your bankroll. More experienced bettors may extend to a 4 and 5 star/unit system.

Sports Line Betting Explained

Never start your MLB bankroll with more than you can afford to comfortably lose, and never create a new bankroll once the MLB season is underway.

Take these measures, and you’ll have a good time.

MLB betting, final thoughts…

To make a profit from MLB betting you’ll need a combination of patience, bankroll management skills and a lot of luck.

For those looking for an edge, there is an unlimited amount of statistical data and matchup information at your disposal (some through paid services).

We don’t mind the idea of using a paid service for the acquisition of data and statistics, we however do not recommend paid tip services (they are a load of BS).

If you want to be good at this game, do your homework!