With most Major League Baseball teams set to play their 80th of 162 regular season games this week, the baseball season is about halfway through. It’s the beginning of baseball’s dog days of summer.
With the NBA and NHL seasons now over, and the start of the NFL season still a summer away, it could also be considered the dog days for the emerging US sports betting industry. There simply isn’t a lot of high profile sporting events to wager on right now in the eight states with legal sports betting.
However, there is baseball and its dog days of summer may be the best time to learn a little of the MLB betting basics and get in the game.
If you’re betting Major League Baseball money line wagers, you will either be cheering for the favorite or the underdog to pick up the victory, as long as the game officially goes past the midway point (through the top of the fifth inning). A game must at least become official, per the rules of MLB, before a winner is determined.
Major League Baseball betting basics
See the 2021 divisional odds for all 30 Major League Baseball teams. Three of the six reigning champions are favored to repeat (LAD, OAK, ATL), while TB, MIN, and CHC find themselves further down the board. Graphs show the highs and lows during the shortened 60-game season. VSIN sports betting guide for major league baseball with odds, lines, spreads and analysis for every player and game in baseball. The standard run line for a Major League Baseball game is usually -1.5/+1.5, while point spreads are 2.5 or even 3.5. If you are confident the team you bet on is going to win and win with ease, then point spreads (if available) is a bet type you should consider.
Learning the MLB betting basics starts with understanding the three easiest ways to bet on any baseball game.
There are three basic baseball bet types available for each MLB game at most sportsbooks:
- Moneyline
- Run line
- Totals
MLB moneylines
Betting the moneyline on a baseball game is the same as it is with other sports. Sportsbooks post odds on each team to win based on that teams’ chances.
You just pick the team you think will win and lay down a bet. If they win, you get paid according to the moneyline odds at the time you placed the bet.
For example, on Monday the MLB leading Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is on the mound, so it would be no surprise to see the Dodgers at -140 and Diamondbacks at +122.
That means a $100 bet on the Diamondbacks would pay $122, plus your bet back if they win. In the meantime, you’d have to bet $140 on the Dodgers to collect $100 plus your bet back if they win.
MLB run lines
Baseball run lines are a lot like the point spreads you see for football games. You have to factor this run line into a game’s final score to determining the betting winner.
Baseball is a relatively low scoring game, so run lines are almost always 1.5. Although many sportsbooks offer alternative run lines that are higher.
With a 1.5 run line, you bet that the favorite will win by 2 or more runs. Or, that the underdog will win outright or lose by just a single run.
Sportsbooks post moneyline odds on each team to win based on that teams’ chances with the run line factored in.
For example, on that same Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, you’re likely to find LA at -1.5 (+116) and Arizona at +1.5 (-136).
As you can see, when the run line is factored in the Diamondbacks suddenly become moneyline favorites. That means gamblers can often use the run line to get a better price on a favorite.
You have to bet $140 on the Dodgers to win $100 plus your bet back on a standard moneyline wager. However, if you bet the Dodgers to win by two or more runs (-1.5 run line), you only need to bet $100 to win $116, plus your bet back.
MLB totals
MLB totals are also similar to totals bets in other sports. You bet on whether the final run total in a game will be over or under a number set by oddsmakers.
You’re likely to find the totals line at eight for that same Dodgers-Diamondbacks game. The odds on totals vary, but you should be able to book either side of the bet from -105 to -120 at most sportsbooks.
The Major League Baseball futures market
Close to the MLB season’s halfway mark, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball and lead the National League’s West Division. In the meantime, the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs also lead their respective divisions.
Legal sportsbooks in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Mexico also offer moneyline odds on who will win each division, league, and ultimately the World Series. Sportsbooks refer to these as the MLB futures markets.
Sportsbooks adjust the odds for each team as the season continues and contenders separate themselves from pretenders.
For the most part, that means that the price on favorites is better the earlier you can book the bet.
Below are today’s odds for the division leaders to win the World Series at four of the country’s top sportsbooks.
This includes the newly launched PlaySugarHouse online sports betting app and PA sports betting operator Parx Sportsbook. Plus, NJ sports betting operators BetStarsNJ and FanDuel Sportsbook.
To Win The 2019 MLB World Series | FanDuel Sportsbook | Parx Sportsbook | BetStars NJ | SugarHouse Sportsbook |
---|---|---|---|---|
LA Dodgers | +270 | +325 | +275 | +325 |
Houston Astros | +400 | +400 | +333 | +400 |
New York Yankees | +400 | +400 | +425 | +400 |
Minnesota Twins | +800 | +800 | +900 | +800 |
Atlanta Braves | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Chicago Cubs | +1600 | +1800 | +1500 | +1800 |
There isn't a sport around that features more games during their year than that of Major League Baseball. There are 30 teams playing 162 regular-season games, plus the postseason as they each look towards the goal of winning the World Series. But with over 2,000 games in the regular season, oddsmakers form a bunch of MLB betting odds relating to the daily matchups, season totals, futures and more.
Betting on the MLB is not much different than wagering on NHL betting lines or those for other sports. With run lines, moneylines, and over/unders as only a minute amount of options for betting on the MLB, this page is designed to cover all of the topics to support you. Whether you are an experienced bettor and just getting started, the basics of Major League Baseball betting and the expected betting line options are all presented on this page.
MLB Game Lines
MLB Run Lines Explained
The run line for Major League baseball is essentially like a point spread. Though with the run line, it is consistent across the board. Whereas in football, oddsmakers will install various point spreads for different games, an MLB run line stays at 1.5. Where you see the changes are in the payouts on the run line. So, for every game oddsmakers will set a team in the role to have to cover 1.5 runs by winning by two or more, and a team to cover by losing by one run or winning straight up. But just because a team is set in the role of having to cover 1.5 runs, does not mean they will be favored to cover. In fact, a lot of times, teams installed where they have to cover with a two-run win or more payout more than the team on the other side of the line.
MLB Moneyline Betting Odds Explained
Betting the moneyline on Major League Baseball is simply betting on the straight up winner of the game. There is no run line, there is no point spread. If you think the Dodgers are going to beat the Padres, you bet on the Dodgers to win the game outright. However, the payouts on the moneyline can look a lot different than on the run line. Since there is no run line where a team has to cover any spread, the payouts for the favorite will be a lot less. And on the other side, the payout for the underdog will be quite a bit higher. Making a straight-up moneyline wager is definitely easier than betting the run line, but that will also be reflected in the payouts.
MLB Run Totals Explained
Betting on the run totals for the MLB is one of the easiest methods to sports wagering. As one of the most popular styles of MLB betting, oddsmakers project a combined total run amount from both of the teams playing in a given contest. A bettor must only select whether they believe the total number of runs at the end of the game will be higher or lower than the projections. Because there are only two options, the odds are generally close to even, with the exception of the vigorish. Oddsmakers may also set a run total line on individual MLB teams to give more betting options.
MLB Team Props
Team prop wagers for Major League Baseball are set for each game, but can also be for more broad betting lines relating to the entire season in a particular stat category, or whether or not a certain team makes the playoffs. In most cases though, oddsmakers will set down a variety of team + game prop betting lines for each matchup during the season. And these team props do not necessarily directly relate to the outcome of the game. They are wagers placed on smaller outcomes. For example, the team to hit the first home run in the game, or record the first hit could be examples of a team prop. Once the bet has been satisfied, it is done, and the rest of the results of the game do not matter.
MLB Player Props
Just like with team props, player proposition betting lines within Major League Baseball are based on smaller outcomes within a game, as opposed to the run line or moneyline for a matchup. These are player performances, or can put players against each other. An example might be how many hits a player will have in a specific game. The result is not based at all on the score of the game, but only on how that player performs. The bet is won or lost on how you bet on that player prop.
Major League Baseball Betting Line Explanation
MLB Live Betting Odds Explained
With the increase in online sportsbook technology, Live Betting is a new facet of betting that is gaining a lot of momentum. It's very interactive, and with Major League Baseball having so many games during the season, they occupy a large section of this area. Betting live on the MLB can involve a number of different wagers, from alternate moneylines, to team and player props and more. Most online sportsbooks will detail which games are available within their live betting platform along with a list of the bets that are available at the time. These live wagers change all the time, which is part of the fun of it.
World Series Odds Explained
World Series Betting odds for Major League Baseball are up and formed almost year-round. From the moment the World Series from the previous season is completed, oddsmakers from World Series Futures for the next season. They are up during the offseason, and through the regular season on into the playoffs. They can change throughout the year, obviously hinging on the performance of the teams during the season. This allows bettors to gain access to a variety of teams’ odds to win the World Series no matter how poorly or amazingly the team is playing.
Bovada Sportsbook - Top Sportbook With MLB Games
This something that all players know when it comes to signing up for Bovada. There are always baseball games on the site for players to bet on. The games are great and even during the playoffs, players know that the games will still be very important and very good all season long. This means that players can place all kinds of wagers which only means more money.
Prop bets will be everywhere for MLB games and that also means using the live betting feature as well. Bovada also offers mobile betting as well for players and this means that players can use their phone to place their bets. With Bovada, they make sure players can place wagers at any tim
BetOnline Sportsbook - MLB Games Will Always Be On BetOnline
There should be no issues with players who have an account on BetOnline. The reason this is true is that there is so much on here for players to bet on and that includes wagering on MLB games. All sports are here for players to wager on but players like all the MLB games that are presented to them to wager on during the regular and the playoff season. The MLB season is so long that many bets can be made and then there are also the MLB feature bets as well that have great odds as well.
The point spreads, moneylines, and other options are here for all players to take advantage of and when players put in big cheese, the return is even greater! There are also surprises that occur during the season so players that take upset capitalize big time. Knowing that there are live betting options and mobile betting feature here on BetOnline is just another bonus that lets players know this is the best sportsbook out there to sign up for.
MyBookie Sportsbook - MLB Games Big On MyBookie
Signing up for a MyBookie account is one of the top things that players should do. No matter what sport you like, MyBookie has it all and sticks out because every sport is on the sportsbook. MLB has all of their games on here as well! Baseball games can be very long from time to time so now that means that live betting on baseball games is one thing that many players take a glance into. With nine winnings in each game, live betting will have many prop bets pop up and that means more money to be won.
Live betting isn’t the only thing that is exciting when playing MLB games on MyBookie. Using your phone and using the mobile betting features is something that many players use as well so they can travel and still make the huge wagers they want to on their favorite team. MyBookie has great banking methods as well which means players have no issues transferring their money on and off their MyBookie account. This online sportsbook is so easy for players to use it only makes sense to sign up for an account!
SportsBetting Sportsbook - Top Betting Options On MLB On SportsBetting
One of the things that stick out to players about SportsBetting is the age requirement to sign up for an account. All players have to be is 18 and older and all the things that these online sportsbooks offer are there for players to use. MLB is one of the hot sports to bet on so there will be a lot of games here to bet on for your baseball fans! Even with all sports here on SportsBetting, MLB has a lot of different games which means more prop bets are here for players to wager and make money on.
The New York Yankees are one of those teams that are always good and the thing is sometimes when players choose the upset of them to lose, SportsBetting has the odds set up to where players can cash out huge. This is the main reason why this online sportsbook is better than any other one out there for players to choose from. Check out SportsBetting before the real MLB games show up!
Major League Baseball Trade Rumors
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