Here are what we have found to be the best MLB betting sites available right now and the reasons for each one: MyBookie – They have a welcome bonus of 100% match up to $1,000. Just baseball, then you should check out our pages dedicated to other sports betting sites. Recommended Reading. Below, you’ll find pages with information on the best all-around sports betting sites, top sites for mobile betting, and best websites for live betting. Simply click on the links below to see these pages. To help you find the best sports betting sites, this guide lists the top three best online sports betting sites: Bovada, BetOnline, and MyBookie. Here are what we have found to be the best MLB betting sites available right now and the reasons for each one: MyBookie – They have a welcome bonus of 100% match up to $1,000. Bovada – Offers great promotions and excellent lines for every MLB game. SportsBetting.ag – Tons of different types of bets you can place on MLB games. Some betting sites in this state offer more sports betting odds than the top land-based sportsbooks in the country. Don’t forget—this includes more than just sports odds, too.
- Best Baseball Betting Sites 2019
- Best Baseball Betting Site
- Best Baseball Betting Sites Against
- Baseball Betting Run Lines
For those of you looking for an all-inclusive guide to baseball betting
sites, you’ve landed in the right place. In this guide, we’ll load you up with
all of the information that you need to know about betting on baseball online.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned baseball bettor or a complete rookie, as
this page has something for everyone.
In our complete guide to baseball betting sites, we’ll provide you with tons
of resources to help you locate and maximize the perfect baseball betting site
for you. In the sections below, we’ll talk about baseball betting website
criteria, frequently asked questions, and common baseball bets.
If you’re ready to get going now with betting on baseball online, we’re
prepared to get you rolling. To help speed up the process for you, we’ve gone
ahead and listed out our top sites for betting on baseball below. we’ve done the
homework on these sites to make sure that we’re only bringing you the absolute
best and most trusted sites out there. In the section below, we’ll give you more
detail on what all we take into consideration when making our recommendations.
For now, here’s our list of top baseball betting sites.
Rank | Gambling Site | Deposit Bonus | Get Started | |
#1 | Up To €150 | Visit Site | ||
#2 | 22Bet Sports | 100% Up To €122 | Visit Site | |
#3 | 100% Up To €200 | Visit Site | ||
#4 | 10Bet Sports | 100% Up To €50 | Visit Site | |
#5 | 100% Up To €50 | Visit Site |
For the rest of you looking to learn more about betting online, keep reading.
you’ll find lots of resources on this page. Once you finish reading this page,
you’ll have a much better knowledge of the subject. Then, when you’re ready to
begin placing bets, you can always come back here to our list of top sites.
About Our Recommendations
We didn’t just pick some random sites out of thin air to create the list of
sites above. Instead, we’ve spent an in-depth amount of time scrubbing these
online sportsbooks to make sure that they are the cream of the crop. In this
section, we’ll give you more color behind our picks. We’ll kick things off with
a high-level infographic that discusses the ten key criteria that we
investigate. You can click on each one of the topics to view more information on
what exactly we search for.
Security & Safety
We’ll only ever recommend sites that we know can be trusted.
Nobody likes a sketchy site! We’ll only ever recommend sites that we know can be trusted.
Reputation & History
A good track record says alot about the quality of a site.
We spot-check the track record and history for each one of our suggested sites.
Banking Options
There should be a number of methods for getting your funds online.
We only recommend sites with broad deposit and withdrawal banking options.
Ease of Use
Sites that are well designed and easy to use provide a much better experience.
Our suggested sites are all easy for you to navigate and utilize.
Coverage of Baseball Wagers
Having choices in wagers allows for more excting betting options.
It’s critical that our recommended sites have a broad coverage of baseball wagers.
Bonuses & Rewards
We all appreciate getting some extra value, so these are a must.
Our suggested sites all offer you the opportunity to earn loads of bonus cash.
Withdrawal Speeds
If we win some money, we shouldn’t have to wait long for our cashout.
You won’t have to wait forever to get your money from our top picks.
Quality Customer Service
Good customer support enhances user experience.
Receive top-notch customer service from some of the best in the industry.
Mobile Compatibility
It’s the future. Sites, and their associated software, should really be mobile compatible.
Take advantage of the convenience of playing from your phone on these sites.
Competitive Lines
Everyone wants an increase in profits, so we suggest sites with the most competitive lines.
Our suggested sites all offer some of the most competitive lines in the industry to help you increase your profits.
Coverage of Baseball Wagers
First and foremost, we can’t recommend a site as one of our top baseball
betting sites if they don’t have excellent coverage of baseball wagers. We
always consider this because some excellent online sportsbooks out there don’t
have a great lineup of baseball wagers. What we seek is a site that has lots of
options regarding leagues, types of bets, and live betting options. Our goal is
to help you locate a one-stop shop to do all of your baseball betting.
Therefore, all of the sites listed above have some of the best coverage of
baseball wagers on the internet.
Competitive Lines
Next up, we also make sure that the sites we recommend have competitive
betting lines. It doesn’t matter to us if a website has an excellent selection
of baseball wagers if their lines are not usually competitive. For the sites
above, they all tend to offer very competitive lines on their baseball wagers.
We don’t want to waste your time with websites that can’t bring you lines that
are on par with those of other top sportsbooks.
Safety and Security
Another important criterion for us is the safety and security of a website.
Since you’ll be wagering your hard-earned cash on this website, we want to make
sure that your money is safe. we’ve done all of the research and homework on our
list of suggested sites to make sure that they are extremely trusted sites for
you to do your baseball betting on. If a website isn’t trustworthy, it won’t
ever make one of our recommended lists.
Reputation and History
Along the same lines as safety and security, we also take into account the
reputation and history of online sportsbooks. If a site is new and doesn’t have
a long track record, we hold off on recommending it until we get a feel for how
they perform over the long run. For sites that have been around for a while, we
review their historical reputation. In many cases, sites have had bumps along
the way that they have corrected. For us to recommend a website, we make sure
that we’re confident that the current reputation is excellent and that any past
issues are no longer an issue.
Banking Options
In our list of recommended sites, you’ll also find that they all have an
excellent lineup of banking options. When evaluating this criterion, we look at
both their deposit and withdrawal options. Our end goal is to make sure that
these sites will make it easy for the majority of folks to move their money onto
and off of the sportsbook. In most cases, our suggested sites will have major
banking options, including credit card, Bitcoin, and bank wire. If a website
doesn’t offer a good variety of banking options, they don’t make the cut for our
top sites.
Ease of Use
For a site to have made it onto our list of suggested sites, it also has to
be easy for the average person to use. Unfortunately, we regularly come across
good sites that have terrible user interfaces. However, none of those made our
list. The websites on our list all have excellent user interfaces which make it
a breeze for you to find the bets you’re searching for and place them quickly.
If you decide to wager using any of our suggested sites, you’ll be pleased with
how well designed the websites are.
Bonuses and Promotions
If you’re new to betting on sports online, one of the top perks of doing it
is the bonuses and promotions offered by many online sportsbooks. Thanks to
these promotional offers, clients can earn thousands of dollars in free bonus
cash for betting online. we’ve analyzed online betting sites with a goal to
bring you some of the ones that have the best bonus potential. If you decide to
wager on any of these sites, you’ll have lots of possibilities to earn bonuses!
Withdrawal Speeds
Besides the actual banking options to move your funds around, we also review
the time it takes for sites to issue withdrawals to their consumers. It’s
important to us that you get your money in a timely fashion whenever you decide
to pull some of your funds off the site. All too often, we come across online
sportsbooks that take way too long to issue withdrawals. Luckily, all of the
websites that made our list all provide rapid withdrawals, which allows you to
rest easy knowing that you won’t be waiting forever to get your funds.
Quality Customer Service
We can’t speak enough about how important it is to find an online sportsbook
that offers you top-notch customer service. While you might not realize it, this
is a critical thing that many people inadvertently overlook. Finding a site with
quality customer service provides you with an insurance policy that you’ll have
excellent help if and when you need it. Without this, you might learn the hard
way why it’s crucial to have quality support. we’ve run each of our recommended
sites through the ringer to make sure that they offer some of the best support
in the industry.
Mobile Compatibility
Finally, the last essential aspect of an online betting site is the mobile
compatibility of the site itself. While we love being able to bet online, we
like being able to gamble on our mobile devices even more. If you haven’t tried
betting using your smartphone or tablet yet, then you’re missing out. It’s tough
to beat the convenience of betting this way. To make our list of top sites, a
site has to have an excellent mobile-friendly website which allows clients to
wager using a mobile device.
Common Baseball Wagers
In this section, we’ll give you a quick, high-level overview of some of the
most common wagers that you can make on the game of baseball. For those of you
that are newer to betting on the game, be sure to check out the next section,
where we’ve provided additional resources. Here, you can learn much more about
these baseball wagers along with lots of other topics relating to sports
betting.
Moneyline Bets
The most popular baseball wager out there is the moneyline bet. For this type
of wager, all that you have to do is select the team that you think will win the
game. It’s as simple as that! If you choose correctly, then you’ll win your
moneyline wager. If you’re new to betting on baseball, this is probably the best
place for you to get started. Since you only have one choice to make between the
two team variables, it doesn’t require any complicated betting techniques.
Over/Under Bets
One of the most common baseball wagers is the over/under bet. Here, the
sportsbooks will determine a total for the number of runs that they think both
sides combined will score during the game. Then, you have to bet if you believe
that the actual total will come in higher or lower than that. Part of the reason
that this bet is so popular is that there are only two options to select from,
which makes this a simple wager to understand and execute. If you pick
correctly, you’ll win your bet.
On an upcoming game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New
York Yankees, a sportsbook has posted an over/under total of 8. When you place
your wager, you’ll have to choose if you think that the combined runs from both
teams will be over or under that amount. It’s that simple. Let’s say that you
take the under, and the total runs for the game add up to 6. In that case, you’d
be a winner. However, if the total for the game was 9, you’d walk away having
lost your bet.
Spread Bets (Run Line Bets)
If you’re used to spread betting on other sports such as football, then this
wager will be common sense to you. For those of you that are newer to sports
betting, let’s get you up to speed. With a spread bet, the sportsbook will
assign a number of runs that they think the favored team should win the game by.
When you choose to place one of these wagers, you’ll be picking which side you
think will cover the spread.
A sportsbook might list the Yankees as a favorite by 1.5 runs
over the Boston Red Sox. When you place this wager, you’ll have to decide which
team you think will cover the spread. If you select the Yankees, then you’ll
need them to win by two runs or more. However, if you choose Boston to cover the
spread, they either need to win the game or lose by only one run.
Prop Bets
Proposition (prop) bets are extremely popular in baseball betting. For those
of you that don’t know what prop bets are, they are a type of specialty wager
that is usually very specific. Instead of betting on just who will win the game,
you can get some much more detailed bets that can be fun to bet on.
Here are some examples of prop bets that you may see tied to a baseball game:
- How many runs will be
scored in the third inning? - Which team will get the
first hit of the game? - Who will be the first
player to strike out? - How many home runs will
be hit during the game?
As you can see, these prop bet samples showcase a wide variety of options.
Since these prop bets are usually much more specific, they tend to have higher
potential payouts, as it is harder to get them right as opposed to just picking
the winning team for the game. In general, prop bets are harder to select, as
they usually have many more than two variables.
Series Bets
Instead of betting on individual games, you can also wager on series of
games. you’re able to do this both during the regular season and the postseason.
A sample of a series in baseball would be something like the MLB’s World Series.
Here, you’ll pick the overall winner across a series instead of one individual
game. This type of wager functions like the moneyline bet. All that you need to
do is select the team that you think will be victorious by the end of the
series. If you’re able to choose the right team correctly, then you’ll win your
wager!
Parlay Bets
One of the more advanced types of baseball wagers is the parlay. With this
type of bet, you’ll actually make a string of guesses. For you to win this
wager, all of your guesses will need to be correct. Since this wager involves
you picking many different outcomes, parlays are very hard to get right.
However, if you can choose correctly, then the payouts on this type of wager can
be massive! The more layers to your parlay bet, the more you usually stand to
make.
Let’s say that you want to make many different guesses
relating to one baseball game. You could establish a parlay wager when you pick
the winner of the game, the over/under, and the closing pitcher. For you to win
this bet, all of your predictions would need to be correct. Even if just one
guess is off, you’ll lose the wager.
Grand Salami Bets
Another way to bet on baseball is to wager on what’s called the Grand Salami.
For this type of bet, sportsbooks will add up all of the under/over baseball
totals for the day. Then, you can decide if all of the collective games being
played that day will come in over or under that amount. At its core, this is a
simple over/under wager on all baseball action for a single day as opposed to on
a single game or series.
First Five Innings Bets
In some cases, we come across sports bettors that don’t like bullpen
surprises. For these individuals, we often recommend that they look into first
five inning wagers. As most starting pitchers tend to last an average of five
innings, these wagers only factor in this first portion of the game. By using
this wager, you can eliminate the wild cards that can come along with bullpen
changes. If you’re sure of your starting pitcher but not the rest of the
pitching crew, then this might be an excellent wager for you. With this bet,
you’ll just need to decide which team will be in the lead at the end of the
first five innings.
Additional Resources
If you’re looking to go more in depth with your betting knowledge, we’ve
compiled some of our top additional resources. Many of the guides linked below
are packed with loads of information. With these pages, you’ll be able to go as
far down the rabbit hole as you’d like. From basics like how to place a bet to
more advanced money management strategies, you’ll find it all in these helpful
resources below.
Beginner’s Guides to Sports Betting
If you’re brand new to betting on sports, these are an excellent place for
you to get started. In our beginner’s guides, we’ll help get you quickly up to
speed so that you can begin betting as soon as possible. don’t miss these
valuable and free guides to help you launch your sports betting adventures.
Sports Betting Essentials
If you’re an experienced sports bettor, then you still might benefit from
brushing up on some of the essentials. In this guide, we’ll go deeper into
essential topics and information that sports bettors at all experience levels
can benefit from.
Odds Converter
On some online sportsbooks, the odds may not be displayed in your preferred
format of odds display. If that’s the case, you don’t have to be left scratching
your head. Instead, just head over to our odds converter page to quickly sort
out the lines you’re evaluating.
Alternative Sports Betting Sites
If you’ve ended up on this page and you’re interested in betting on more than
just baseball, then you should check out our pages dedicated to other sports
betting sites.
Best Baseball Betting Sites 2019
Recommended Reading
Below, you’ll find pages with information on the best all-around
sports betting sites, top sites for mobile betting, and best websites for live
betting. Simply click on the links below to see these pages.
Conclusion
We hope that we’ve helped give you some more color and insight into how you
can go about betting on baseball online. If this is your first time on our site,
be sure to poke around and check out all of the vast resources that we have to
offer. Our goal with this site is to help gamblers from all walks get the most
out of their wagers. don’t miss our killer sportsbook reviews, expert picks, and
so much more. Thanks for reading, and good luck on your future baseball wagers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap things up, we wanted to leave you with a handful of answers to
questions that we hear on a regular basis relating to baseball betting sites. If
you’re still searching for some answers, hopefully this section will help you
find what you’re looking for.
Am I able to wager on baseball leagues from other places around the globe
other than the MLB in the US?
Yes! While they can be slightly harder to locate, many online sites offer
wagers for different baseball leagues around the world. If you know what global
league you want to bet on, search for sites that provide wagers on that specific
league before you sign up for an account.
Which online betting site is the right one for me?
Since every individual has different needs and requirements, that’s not one
that we can answer. Ultimately, you’ll want to find an online sportsbook that
offers you the chance to bet on the sports you want, provides competitive lines,
and has good bonus and banking options. Luckily, there is no shortage of online
sportsbooks. If you don’t want to do homework on your own, don’t forget to view
our top baseball betting sites at the start of this article. Each of these
trusted websites would most likely be an excellent fit for most folks.
I’ve never done live baseball betting. Is this something I should consider?
Betting on any sport using live betting is a blast, and baseball definitely
isn’t an exception to that rule. Many of us here on staff love placing live
wagers while we watch the game. For us, it adds even more excitement to an
already exciting night watching the game. If you have not tried it yet, consider
placing a few smaller wagers to test the waters and see how you like it. While
it’s not for everyone, the vast majority of folks that try it enjoy the added
thrill that comes along with it.
Should I use more than one sportsbook to wager on baseball?
While it’s not a requirement, we’re big fans of using more than one betting
site whenever possible. By using this strategy, you’ll be able to shop around
for betting lines. That means that you’ll be able to find the best rate for the
wager you’re looking to make. In turn, you’ll walk away with more profit if you
end up picking correctly. Over the short term, this strategy doesn’t amount to a
ton of extra cash. However, if you implement this into your entire betting
strategy over an extended period of time, you can add some extra profit to your
bottom line.
Your Guide to Betting on Baseball
Unlike most sportss, baseball games are played every day, meaning there is never a lull during in the season. If you’re not familiar with the game or the betting markets, we’re here to help. Our baseball betting guide will teach you how to bet on baseball to win.
By betting with us at our recommended sites, you’ll enjoy awesome benefits like:
- The best odds for online baseball betting
- Trusted, safe betting sites with a great track record
- Top promotions & bonuses to give you more value
Terms & Conditions: T&Cs Apply. Full terms apply.
Why Did We Choose These MLB Betting Sites?
If you know anything about MLB betting online, you’ll know there are no shortage of sportsbooks available. These MLB betting sites try lots of techniques to get your custom, but some are simply better than others.
Our expert team has researched the market extensively to produce the list of the best MLB betting sites above. Here are some of the key criteria these MLB betting sites needed to make the cut:
Best Value MLB Betting Lines
Betting on baseball is great fun but ultimately you want to get as much value for your money as possible. We understand this as bettors ourselves. There’s nothing worse than placing a bet then a friend telling you they got better odds a week later.
That’s why when our team researched the best MLB betting sites, consistently great odds were high on our list. We only recommend sites that offer you excellent value.
MLB Betting Bonuses
They say the best things in life are free and when it comes to our recommended MLB betting sites, they’re probably right. We’ve found the sites with huge offers but also excellent terms and conditions.
Often when you see an eye-catching betting bonus online, you look at the t’s and c’s and realise it’s not worth your time. That’s why our list of MLB betting sites has not only great amounts on offer but also conditions that are attractive too.
Reputation and Customer Support
When you look at our list of the best MLB betting sites, you will probably recognise a few of the names. These established companies have years of experience, millions of happy customers and great reputations because of that.
We only recommend MLB betting sites that are licensed, reputable and have an excellent track record of customer service. This means you can be at ease and get on with what you enjoy – betting on baseball.
Baseball Betting 2020
Baseball betting is a truly unique experience, as the sport is in many ways different from almost any other competition on the planet. For instance, when it comes to MLB betting, each team plays an incredible 162 games each season. What’s more, there are no truly dominant teams in baseball, such as the types you might see in other sports. A team that wins 70 per cent of the time is an all-time great side, while the worst teams in MLB history have won at least 25 per cent of their games.
That means you won’t find the kinds of outlandish odds that you would in many other sports. Baseball lines are typically fairly close on both sides, at least at the MLB level. For example, a team that is a -200 favourite is likely to be much better than their opposition, but the short-term luck inherent to baseball means that the weaker side always has a chance.
Another way in which baseball differs from other types of sports betting is the fact that the perceived quality of a team can vary significantly between games. This is due to the fact that each team employs a rotation of starting pitchers – usually five – who take turns on the mound. A team may have a mediocre offence every night, but when their ace pitcher is starting, they could be as tough to beat as anyone in the league.
“Baseball betting is a wonderful opportunity for those who enjoy pouring through statistics”
Baseball betting is a wonderful opportunity for those who enjoy pouring through statistics when coming up with a strategy for their wagers. Numbers are everywhere in baseball, and many gamblers use them to create their own handicapping formulas – although others rely on much simpler systems to decide who they want to bet on.
How to Bet on Baseball
Most betting sites offer a number of ways to get into baseball betting, but there is no doubt that a few markets are the most popular. Unlike in many American sports, where spread betting is king, the relatively even nature of most baseball games means that straight moneyline wagers are the most common bets on this sport.
Moneyline Bets
Best Baseball Betting Site
If you’re not familiar with the term, a moneyline bet simply means that you are betting on which team will win the game outright, without any consideration for the final score. In MLB betting, a common moneyline offering might look like this:
Boston Red Sox -170
New York Yankees +160
Best Baseball Betting Sites Against
We’ve used American odds, as they are the ones most commonly utilised when it comes to baseball betting. In the example here, the Red Sox are the favourite, with a bettor needing to wager $170 to win $100. Meanwhile, betting $100 on the Yankees will return a profit of $160 should they win the game.
Barring a cancellation for weather, there’s no need to worry about draws in baseball, so every bet typically resolves with a winner and a loser. This is a deceptively simple wagering system, with the key being to properly analyse each side’s chances of winning rather than attempt to find a “sure thing” – something that rarely, if ever, exists in baseball betting.
Runline Bets
While straight bets on who will win a baseball game are certainly the most common wager, MLB betting does offer its own version of the point spread. Known as runline betting, this type of market requires the favourite to win by a certain number of runs in order to “cover the spread”. In baseball, this number is typically set at 1.5 runs, meaning the favourite will win only if they win by two or more, while a bet on the underdog will pay out even if they should lose by a single run. Here’s an example:
New York Mets -1.5 +110
Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 -130
When considering how to bet on a runline market, make sure you consider not only the spread but also the odds on each side. Since the 1.5 run spread is almost universally used, it isn’t always seen as perfectly fair, and bookmakers will adjust the odds on each side accordingly. In the example above, the Mets are favoured to win the game. However, they are a slight underdog once the spread is considered, paying out $110 for every $100 you bet should they cover.
Five Inning Lines
Five inning lines are a type of moneyline wager that only considers the action of the first five innings of a nine-inning contest. The only thing that matters for these bets is the score once the fifth inning concludes. Whichever side is ahead pays out as the winner, making these similar to halftime bets in football, basketball, or NFL betting. Keep in mind that because a game might be tied after five innings, it is possible to push these bets.
Totals Bets
Also known as an over/under, a totals bet is a wager on the number of combined runs that will be scored by both teams in a single game. Typically, this total might be set anywhere between six and eight runs, based on the quality of the pitchers and the batting lineups involved in the game. For example, should a total bet set at 7.5 runs, the over bet will win if the teams combine for at least eight runs, while under wagers will pay out should the teams combine to score seven runs or less.
Baseball Futures
Futures wagers are a very popular part of baseball betting. Many fans and gamblers like to take a flyer on a team winning their division, league, or the World Series well in advance. Odds on these bets can vary tremendously throughout the season, as the fortunes of various teams change. These bets only resolve when the market is completed. In other words, while you can bet on who will win the World Series during spring training in March, it will not resolve until a team wins the championship in October.
Proposition Bets
Often called prop bets, these wagers aren’t as common as they are in American football, but they are still popular among bettors looking for alternatives to traditional baseball betting. For instance, you may be able to bet on the number of home runs a batter will hit during the season, the number of wins a pitcher will accumulate, or which of two players will finish with a higher batting average.
Check out the best promotions
Understanding and Finding the Best Baseball Betting Odds
While finding the best odds is critical to winning in any sport, it is particularly crucial in baseball betting, where pretty much everyone agrees that scouting the odds is the key to finding the best bets. While the odds will often be similar at different betting sites, taking advantage of tiny differences can add up in a season where gamblers can reasonably wager on hundreds or even thousands of games.
Most bettors say that dime bets are the gold standard when it comes to MLB betting. This is a reference to the difference between the payouts for each team when expressed in American odds. If the difference is only ten points, this is considered a dime line. The following example would fit the description of a dime line:
Los Angeles Dodgers -150
San Francisco Giants +140
Some betting sites pride themselves on their dime lines, while others offer them on special occasions or as promotional opportunities. Many bookmakers instead set 20-cent lines, which are more profitable for betting sites. For instance, that same game above might appear as follows for a 20-cent line:
Los Angeles Dodgers -155
San Francisco Giants +135
Bettors will now stand to win slightly less on either side – a subtle but important difference, especially if you plan to do a lot of baseball gambling. While both standards are common throughout the industry, there’s no reason to avoid dime lines, as they consistently offer punters the best chance to win in the long run. If you plan to bet on MLB games on a regular basis, we recommend seeking out dime lines whenever possible. Keep in mind that in some games where one team is heavily favoured, there may be larger spreads between the two sides, even if a betting site normally offers 10-cent lines.
Strategies for Betting on Baseball
For gamblers who want to know how to bet on baseball and win, there’s one basic answer: learn as much as you can about the teams involved. Sure, you could say that about any sport, but in baseball, there is a limitless amount of data available on every team, player, and ballpark that could influence your bets.
Of course, this also means that it’s easy to overload yourself with statistics, leading to paralysis by analysis. But at a minimum, it’s important to get familiar with a few key indicators before you start betting on MLB games.
One of the most confounding factors for those new to baseball betting is the role of pitchers. This single position can have an oversized impact on the result of a game, as great pitchers can shut down even the most imposing lineups when they are at their best. The most basic indicator of a pitcher’s effectiveness is ERA (or Earned Run Average), which tells how many runs a pitcher allows on average over nine innings of work.
One of the critical things to understand, however, is that raw stats aren’t always enough to get a true idea of how a pitcher will interact with the opposing team. Lefty/righty splits are crucial, as left-handed batters will naturally hit better against right-handed pitchers, and vice versa. That means that a dominant southpaw on the mound may not do as well against a team that has an unusual number of left-handed batters.
When considering totals, it’s also important to consider ballpark factors. Unlike in many sports where arenas are identical (or almost), baseball stadiums vary in terms of their size and the amount of foul territory between the field and the stands. This implies that some stadiums allow more runs than others.
Baseball Betting Run Lines
On a deeper level, the specific dimensions in a field might favour left-handed or right-handed batters, or certain types of pitchers – all things worth considering for serious MLB betting. Even the weather can impact scoring: if it’s blowing in from the outfield, it will be much more difficult for hitters to hit home runs.
While many gamblers rely on these and other MLB betting tips to find the best bets available, others have systems they make use of to suggest which teams they should gamble on. Given the unpredictable nature of baseball, underdog systems are popular, with punters looking to cash in on the better odds available on weaker teams. A typical underdog system will bet on teams listed at +150 or below, with the thought that these games are virtual toss-ups. Such systems often prefer games between teams in the same division, but they avoid betting against the best MLB pitchers.
Major Baseball Tournaments
Baseball season consists of several major competitions and tournaments. Baseball betting takes place throughout the regular season, of course, but the most important competitions are the year-end playoff tournaments that determine champions for different leagues and levels of play. Here’s a look at a few of the most important baseball tournaments.
World Series
The World Series is the most important championship in all of baseball, and it is annually awarded to the winner of the MLB playoffs. A total of ten teams – five each from the National and American leagues – enter the postseason, with one coming out of each league to contest the World Series in a best-of-seven series. The winner is considered the world champion, even if the competition only includes teams from the United States (and one team from Canada).
College World Series
NCAA baseball may not get the attention that college competitions in basketball or American football attract, but it is still popular among punters. NCAA baseball betting odds are available throughout the season, although most of the action centres on the College World Series, held each year in Omaha, Nebraska. The best college teams in the United States compete for the right to get to this stage, with the final two playing a best-of-three series to determine the championship.
Japan Series
Outside of the United States, the highest level of competitive baseball is Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. While NPB teams do not have the depth of talent seen in MLB sides, many star players in Japan are at the same level as their MLB equivalents and some of the top performers have made the transition from Japan to the United States during their careers. The Japan Series is the best-of-seven championship held annually between the winning teams of the two major leagues in Japan: the Central League and the Pacific League.
World Baseball Classic
International play is not as prestigious in baseball as it is in football, but this form of play has been making strides in recent years. The most important competition is the World Baseball Classic, which is held every four years and sees many of the world’s best players compete on behalf of their countries. In its first four incarnations, Japan won twice, while the Dominican Republic and the United States each captured one title. Other highly competitive nations include Cuba, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.
History of MLB Online Betting
The history of the MLB stretches back to the 19th century. Wagering on baseball then was a far cry from the world of MLB online betting we’re used to today. The first baseball league in North America was the National League that was founded in 1876, making it the oldest professional sports league in the world.
25 years after the formation of the National League, the American League was founded. The 2 leagues begun their association 1903, but it wasn’t until 2000 that Major League Baseball was officially started.
The league has 30 teams. 29 of them in the US and 1 in Canada. The sport of baseball is known as ‘America’s pastime’ and thanks to the formation of the league in 2000, MLB betting online is now a hobby for many people around the world.
The most successful team in the history of professional baseball is the New York Yankees. The Yankees have won the World Series a record 27 times, their last championship coming in 2009. Baseball’s most famous, and consensus greatest player of all time is Babe Ruth. Other superstars of the sport include Micky Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and more recently Greg Maddux and Derek Jeter.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, many baseball betting sites offer bonuses for new players. Check out our recommended bookmakers, who offer a variety of first deposit bonuses and free bets for you to choose from.
The answer to this question depends on where you are located. For instance, UK users playing at sites regulated by the Gambling Commission will often have PayPal available as a deposit and withdrawal source. However, PayPal does not allow its services to be used for gambling purposes in areas where online wagering is not expressly legal.
In most countries, betting on baseball is 100% legal, although local laws and regulations do vary. Even in areas where sports betting may be prohibited, these laws are almost always enforced against groups and individuals taking wagers, not those making individual bets.
Runline betting is similar to point spread betting in sports like basketball and American football. One team (the favourite) is given a handicap of 1.5 runs, meaning that side must win the game by at least two runs in order for bets on that side to be paid out. Meanwhile, bettors who backed the underdog can win even if their team loses by a single run.
A dime line is one that features a spread of only 10 cents between either side of the action when expressed in American odds. In other words, if the favourite is listed at -150, a dime line would put the underdog at +140. Dime lines are often considered the standard by which odds are measured in baseball betting.