MLB Baseball
Betting is one of the best
ways to make money, since it is one
of the easiest sports to handicap.
Many sports books (both online and
in Nevada) will tell you that during
the baseball season they are happy
to simply break even. It's surprising
that more people aren't into
Baseball Betting since there is such
great value and moneymaking opportunities
available! One reason it’s
not popular is that most people don't
understand baseball betting, so below
we've put together some general information
on how it all works. Another reason
people don't get involved is many
don't have the time to study the teams,
pitchers and all the information needed
to be successful.
Money
Lines (Betting Sides)
If you are new to baseball
betting, one of the first things that
you will notice is that there are
no point spreads. Baseball betting
involves odds that are represented
as a Money Line. Money Lines are odds
expressed in terms of a dollar. So
if you bet on a favorite you will
lay more than a dollar in order to
win a dollar, and if you bet on an
underdog you will wager a dollar to
win more than a dollar. Baseball betting
lines are expressed as a dollar with
cents; sometimes the decimal will
be used. For example, odds of -1.45
and -145 are the same thing. A favorite
that is -145 means that you have to
bet 145 to win 100. On the opposite
side, if one were to bet on an underdog
at +145 they would only have to bet
100 to win 145. So simply put, the
favorite is always a minus and the
underdog will always be a plus.
Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't
matter where you place your baseball
bet. Baseball betting lines are not
created equal. Smart baseball bettors
will only play a "Dime Line"
or a 10-cent line, which offers the
bettor the most value for their baseball
gambling dollar.
In a game carrying a Dime Line, a
-145 favorite would be paired with
an underdog of +135. If that same
game had a 20-cent line, the underdog
would only get back +125. Ten cents
on the dollar can easily add up to
hundreds or thousands of dollars over
the course of a baseball season. Even
if you consider yourself a small bettor
you should always find a sports book
that offers a true "Dime Line".
Pitchers
Since the pitcher is one
of the most important positions, the
baseball line (or odds) is largely based
on the starting pitchers listed. Taking
this into account, you have four options
in baseball betting.
Listed Pitchers:
A baseball bet is made
on a game listing the starting pitchers,
and both listed pitchers must start
the game. A pitcher is determined to
have made a start after he throws the
opening pitch for his team. If one,
or both, of the listed pitchers do not
start the game, the baseball bet has
no action and the bettor’s money
is refunded.
Specifying the Team Pitcher:
A baseball bet can be made on just
the starting pitcher. As long as this
specific pitcher starts for his team,
you have action on the game regardless
of whether the opposing team's listed
pitcher starts. If the opposing team's
pitcher does not start, usually a new
price is determined for the game.
Team Action:
If you bet on a team with normal action,
then the baseball bet is good despite
any changes to the listed starting pitchers
for either team. However, the odds may
be adjusted in this case.
Team Action against Listed
Pitcher
In this situation, a baseball bet
made on a team is good, regardless of
whether the listed pitcher starts, as
long as the listed pitcher for the other
team does in fact start the game.
Totals
Baseball
totals are fairly straightforward.
The total refers to the number of
runs both teams score for the entire
game. This also includes if the game
goes past 9 innings. Both
listed pitchers must start for a total
baseball bet to have action.
If one, or both, of the listed pitchers
do not start,
then the baseball bet on the game
total has no action, and all bets
are refunded.
Most Sportsbooks offer a
20 cent line on Totals. An
example would be: Bost Over 9.5(+105)
& Tamp Under 9.5 (-125). This
means to take the under 9.5 you would
lay $125 to win $100.
Finding a Sportsbook with
8 cent Totals means good value.
Bost Over 9.5 (+107) & Tamp Under
9.5(-123). If you take the under Tamp
9.5(-123) you are laying $123 to win
$100 instead of $125.
Run
Lines
The Run
Line involves the underdog getting
1 1/2 runs while the favorite must
lay 1 1/2 runs. For a favorite to
win on the Run Line, the favorite
must win by 2 runs. The odds on a
favorite will usually be a plus number
because the team must win by at least
2 runs. The Money Line attached to
the team getting 1 1/2 runs will usually
be a minus number because the team
can lose by one run and still be a
winning bet. The same rules that apply
to Totals apply to Run Lines: listed
pitchers must start and the game cannot
be called early.
Here is an example of a Run Line:
Yankees -1 1/2 +102 (favorite)
Devil Rays +1 1/2 -118
If you bet the Yankees will win
by 2 runs or more, you would win
$1.02 for every $1.00 bet.
If you bet that the Devil Rays
will win, or that they can lose
but by no less than 2 runs, you
will have to risk $1.18 for every
$1.00 you want to win.
We hope that this has provided you
with some basic knowledge on baseball
betting. Simple, but the two most
important things are to shop around
for the best odds and, of course,
to pick more winners than losers.
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Sportsnetbetting.com, an online sports
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