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How to Bet on Baseball & Effective Baseball Tips

How to Bet on Baseball
  • Learn how to bet on baseball with our betting tips.
  • We explain the best types of baseball bets you can place to be a more effective bettor in 2020.

With the 2020 Major League Baseball season appearing to be getting underway in late July for a much-abbreviated season, fans are getting ready for both watching, and in many cases, betting on the action.

  • While placing a bet is easy, it’s not always as easy to win.
  • What are some of the best types of bets and how can you maximize your chances of winning?.

Baseball Betting Tips

See which baseball types of bets are the most effective with our baseball betting tips.

Money Line Bet

A very common and most easy type of bet to make, this is just a matter of picking which team will win the game.

One important thing to note, however, is that most of the money paid out is not based off even odds. How are the odds determined?.

Generally, the odds are based off the pitching match-up.

Suppose the Philadelphia Phillies face the Atlanta Braves at home.

  1. A line might read -150 for Philadelphia and +130 for Atlanta.
  2. This means to win $100 betting on the Phillies, a $150 dollar bet must be place.
  3. On the flip side, a $100 bet on Atlanta would yield $130 payout if the Braves win.
  4. Therefore, the team with the minus sign is the favorite.

Be aware that since the scheduled starting pitchers determine much of the odds, should a change be made prior to the beginning of the game, the odds will change as well.

Therefore, you have some other options to deal with the possible change in pitching match-up.

You can place a listed bet, which means the bet it nullified if the pitchers change.

Placing an action bet, your bet stands but your odds of winning will change accordingly by the change in the pitchers, however you cannot change the team you are betting on.

Therefore, it’s wise to be a certain as possible that the pitching match-up doesn’t change last minute.

Totals

This bet is very similar to the over/under bet on football games.

In the case of baseball, it’s a bet on the total number of runs scored in the game.

  1. If the line for the game is set at 7 1/2, betting the over means you win if the teams score a combined eight runs or more.
  2. If you bet the under, you will win if the teams score a combined seven runs or less.
  3. In the case where a line is set at a whole number, such as 9, you get your money back if the teams score 9.

The best way to approach this kind of bet is to examine the offensive outputs of teams compared to the pitching they will face.

Look for trends as well.

A team that is scoring 4 runs per game for the game but have been on an offensive roll putting up 6 runs per game over the last week might lead you to going the over.

If one or both teams have been struggling at the plate, perhaps the under is a better play. Look at trends with pitching as well to help increase your chances with a totals bet.

Parlays

Some people enjoy taking their chances on betting multiple games with the idea that the only way to cash is to win your bet on each game.

These parlays are attractive to bettors who see a large payout at one shot.

Of course, the odds are much more against winning than betting the outcome of a single game.

With parlays you don’t have to just bet on who will win the game. The bettor can add an over/under, totals and even prop bets. However, you still have to get every bet correct or you win nothing.

Perhaps one may consider multiple individual bets instead of a parlay, but the payout for the parlay is much larger.

A scenario that could occur is a push.

If that happens then that portion of the bet doesn’t count.

So if the parlay is 6 games, for example, and one is a push, it’s now a parlay of 5 games.

In the rare occurrence of so many pushes that only a single game is remaining, it counts as a single bet and not a parlay.

Run Line

While it can be relatively easy to pick straight-up winners, it’s more difficult to predict and correctly pick the margin of victory.

This is where the run line bet comes into play. This is very similar to the football pick with or against the point spread.

  1. In an example relating to baseball, suppose the New York Yankees are -3 versus the Detroit Tigers.
  2. This means if you bet the run line with the Yankees, they must win by more than 3 runs in order to win the bets.
  3. If you bet the Tigers +3, then you win if the Tigers lose by less than 3 or win outright.

It may be best to research past games between opponents for run differentials, general trends, margin of victory and defeat per team. Do your homework and you can cash in regularly on the run line bets.

Prop Bets

These types of bets can be some of the most enjoyable for many bettors.

It’s about whether or not a specific event occurs.

One such bet that is very popular is which team will their respective division.

The teams are listed with a + or -, which will indicate how much you win if you bet $100 or how much you have to bet in order to pocket $100.

  • How many wins will a particular team have?.
  • How many home runs will a certain player hit?.
  • How many wins?.
  • How many saves?.

These are all types of prop bets which are based on an over/under number. The possibilities are nearly endless for such bets, which include betting on the MVP for the league or Cy Young Award winner.

Be aware that while these kinds of bets are fun, the oddsmakers place the odds to give themselves the advantage. Clearly, they are in the game to come out ahead, so be wise when placing prop bets.

How to Bet on Baseball Summary

Overall, the method for betting on baseball is easy.

The difficult part is cashing in on your bets.

Remember the oddsmakers are definitely in the business for making money and place the odds in a favorable way for them.

However, if you do your homework and are diligent and smart about the bets you place, you can come out on top a good percentage of the time, increasing your enjoyment and fattening your wallet.

For a head start in your baseball betting sign up to the top offshore betting sites online that all offer great bonus rewards when you make a deposit.

Popular Questions

Where to bet on Baseball online?

Of course you not only need to know how to bet on baseball but also where to bet on baseball.

This is where we can help you out. See our list of recommended MLB offshore sportsbooks for 2020.

  1. All the baseball betting sites accept US players and worldwide bettors.
  2. The baseball sportsbooks all offer competitive lines and generous sign up bonuses.

Good luck with your baseball bets.

What is a Money Line bet in Baseball?

If you examine other popular team sports such as basketball and football, both at the collegiate and college level, point spreads are simple to understand, even to the novice bettor.

However, it’s a bit more complex if a point spread were used in baseball. Simply put, an increase or decrease of ½ a run on the spread is much more significant than a ½ point in football or basketball due to the much lower scoring nature of the game.

This is where the money line comes into play.

Taking a quick look at a money line in baseball could lead to some confusion, but it’s surprisingly easy to read.

For example, suppose the St. Louis Cardinals are playing division rival Chicago Cubs on the road and the line is St. Louis (+130) @ Chicago (-125).

The team with the minus is the favorite and hence the team with the plus is the underdog.

To bet Chicago, you would have to put down $125 in order to win $100, plus the initial investment.

If betting St. Louis, a $100 wager would pocket $130 plus the initial $100.

Of course, the scale is linear, but the line is based on the $100 baseline amount.

You will notice the starting pitchers listed with the line.

If the pitcher listed does not make the scheduled start, your bet is considered a “push”, which means you get your money back.

The lines are set up so the bookmakers earn a profit only when the favorite loses.

The bigger the odds in favor of one team over the other, the smaller chance the underdog will triumph.

Some bookmakers will adjust the spread so that they will earn more profit when the underdog wins.

That, in a nutshell, explains the different odds depending on the sportsbook you choose to use.

What are the odds of the White Sox winning the World Series?

The current odds for the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series in this abbreviated 2020 season is 30-to-1, according to VegasInsider.com, placing them in the middle of the pack.

What does WSH mean in baseball?

It’s the abbreviation for Washington, as in the Washington Nationals and will often be seen on a schedule.

What does R R mean in baseball?

I have never heard of or found R R in any research, but R in baseball stands for runs scored and is seen in a typical box score for a game or season statistical line for teams and players.

What does G mean in baseball?

G stands for the number of games played, either by a team of player.

What does TB stand for in baseball?

TB means “total bases” and is based on the number of bases obtained on all the hits. For instance, if a player gets a single and a home run, he gets five total bases, one for the single and four for the home run.

Can you steal on a walk?

If there is a runner on first base and a player gets a walk, the man on first automatically gets second base. From here he could try to take the extra base, but unless the defense is completely asleep, that effort will result in an out.

If no runners are on base, the batter that gets the walk could in theory try to get to second base but will be out nearly every time and likely lose his job for the stupid decision.

Has a baseball team ever scored 1000 runs in a season?

Seven teams have scored more than 1000 runs in a season since 1900.

The highest total was 1067 runs by the 1931 Yankees, who made the list four times in that decade.

The other teams were the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals, 1950 Boston Red Sox, and the 1999 Cleveland Indians.

What does P mean in baseball scoring?

P generally means “pitcher” and P in scoring is not normally used. PO means “put out”.

What does R mean in pitching statistics?

This simply means the number of runs the pitcher has allowed.

What does IP stand for in baseball?

IP stands for “innings pitched” and is a stat seen in game box scores for each pitcher, as well as seasonal statistics for pitchers and entire pitching staffs.

What position is a PO in baseball?

There is no position in PO. The only thing PO stands for to my knowledge is “put out”, which was mentioned earlier.

Is ball four a dead ball?

Ball four is technically considered a dead ball.

Can you steal first base?

No, the only way a batter can reach first base it by hit by pitch, single, walk, error, and catcher’s interference.

Why do catchers throw to third base on a strikeout?

There are several reasons. One is to keep the infielders into the game, keep their arms loose as they throw the ball around the infield before getting it back to the pitcher.

Another reason is to give the pitcher, catcher, umpire and new batter time to settle in for the next at-bat.

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