HOW TO BET BASEBALL? - SPORTS BETTING 101

How to Bet on Baseball

Betting on baseball keeps bettors in the action during the summer months when the sports schedule is little lighter. One of the advantages of betting baseball is the sheer amount of games. Bettors have 2,430 games from which to choose throughout just the regular season. Add in futures, props, and other specials and there are plenty of opportunities to achieve success.

Betting on MLB is bit different than football and basketball though. Baseball is primarily a moneyline sport. Because of the lack of scoring in baseball, bettors typically wager on the moneyline, betting on which team wins. It is possible to bet on a point spread – known as the run line – in baseball, but it is less common. There are also totals bets in baseball just like in other sports. 

Here is a guide to help you learn how to bet on baseball.

Moneyline Bets

Just as in other sports, bettors can wager on which team wins a game when betting on the moneyline. A typical MLB moneyline bet looks like this:

PITTSBURGH +200

PHILADELPHIA -175

In the above example, the Pittsburgh Pirates are the underdog as indicated by the +200. The Phillies are the favorite to win. If you bet on the Phillies and they win, a $175 wager would win you $100. A $100 bet on the Pirates would win $200 if Pittsburgh pulled the upset.

It makes good sense then for MLB bettors to find plus-money underdogs that feature a pitching advantage, for example. One of the biggest factors in baseball betting is the starting pitching matchup.