Baseball teams play more games per season than any other major sport. In Major League Baseball (MLB), each team plays 162 games before the playoffs start. That is about twice as many as NBA or NHL teams play, and about 10 times more than NFL teams play, in a season.
In the depth of summer, baseball is the only major American sport on the betting menu. With so many games, and no way to push outside of a rain out, some sportsbooks offer a break on the house edge, known as the juice or vig. Football, basketball or hockey games might have a spread of 20, like -110 on both sides. In baseball, this is often -105.
Sadly, dime lines in baseball are slowly disappearing. These are most likely to be found at smaller Las Vegas sportsbooks.
Getting started at an online sportsbook
Before making your baseball bet, you will need to create an account. You can do that by clicking one of the links in the ads above. This helps support Vegas Advantage.
The first step in creating an online sportsbook account is to click the sign-up button. You will need to create a username and password. You will then be asked for your name, address, email, date of birth, and last four digits of your Social Security Number. The sportsbook’s security department will use this information to verify your identity as required by “know your customer” rules.
Online sportsbooks players in most states must be at least 21 years of age. In New Hampshire and Wyoming, it is 18. It is 19 in Washington DC. The player must be in a state where the sportsbook is licensed to make a wager. Unregulated sites usually have a minimum age of 18.
The online sportsbook betting menu will break games up into sports. Choose baseball from it to bet on this sport. Most games will be MLB. Most sportsbooks only post odds on college baseball during its playoffs and World Series. Regular season NCAA games are typically not on the board.
The same can be said of minor league baseball. However, in some cases, these games will be on the boards in the team’s market. For example, Station Casinos post odds on the Las Vegas Aviators.
Making a baseball bet at a live sportsbook
Baseball wagering at a sportsbook in Las Vegas and other cities is simple. There are typically sheets with baseball odds placed throughout the sportsbook. Note that these are useful for rotation numbers, which are needed when making a bet. However, always check the digital board to see if the odds have changed.
Decide which type of bet you would like to make before heading to the counter or kiosk. Remember to have the rotation number of the game ready. A straight bet is one game. Parlays involve tying two or more outcomes together. You can choose between a moneyline, run line, or total. Baseball also has prop bets, in-play, and futures betting.
Always check your ticket before leaving the counter or kiosk. If you are in Las Vegas, you can ask for a drink ticket. This is common, especially at locals casinos. A tip will increase the number of tickets you may be able to receive.
If the sportsbook accepts a player card, use it. You will earn points off your bet, and if you lose your ticket, it will be easier to replace as it is assigned to your account.
Listed pitchers versus action
At both live and online sportsbooks, you may be asked to decide whether you want a listed pitcher or action. If this occurs you may pick both pitchers, just one pitcher, or have action regardless of whether a pitcher gets scratched. If you pick one or two listed pitchers, and that player does not throw the first pitch for his team, your baseball bet has no action. It pushes. The money is returned.
Many sportsbooks now have all action on baseball bets, regardless of the starting pitcher. This has evolved in recent years due to the pandemic. It was problematic having listed pitchers when covid could create a change before the first pitch. It also helps account for some instances when a bullpen starts a game, and it is not known which one of those pitchers it will be until closer to game time.
Betting baseball moneylines
The most popular way to bet on a baseball game is by moneyline. This is picking an outright winner. A favorite requires the bettor to lay money. If a team is listed as -150, that means that for every dollar you want to win, you will need to lay $1.50. A $100 win requires a $150 lay.
In that same game, the underdog might be listed as +130. This means that for every dollar you bet, you will win $1.30 if the underdog prevails in the game. The original bet is returned on winning bets.
If a game is rained out before it goes five innings, or whatever the rule is at a sportsbook, the game pushes. All bets are returned.
Baseball run lines
Baseball games can have point spreads. These are called run lines. The spread is always 1.5 runs. This is such a huge advantage that it typically flips the favorite to an underdog. One example is a game where the favorite lays 1.5, but the moneyline is an underdog. It might say Yankees -1.5 +130, with the Mariners +1.5 and laying -150.
It would take a major mismatch for the run line not to flip the moneyline from one side to the other. Run lines typically push if a game is rained out before the fifth inning, or the game is tied in the last full inning when play stops. This rule varies by sportsbook.
Baseball totals
A baseball total is the over/under on the total number of runs scored. This might be for five innings or an entire game. The typical spread between the over and under is 20. This means that you might see an MLB total that is 9.5 where the over side lays -120 and the under gets even money. It may be -110 on both sides or somewhere in between.
Totals can be both even and half numbers. A total with a half-point cannot push.
Totals require a full nine innings to have action. This can be 8.5 innings if the home team wins. Overs and unders push if a game goes eight innings or fewer for any reason. If a game goes to extra innings and gets postponed, the total still plays. It is calculated after the last full inning.
Baseball parlays
Baseball games and totals may be parlayed. You may parlay all sides, run lines or totals, or some combination of these. However, you may not parlay a moneyline and run line on the same game.
If one leg of a parlay loses, the entire ticket is graded as a loss. A rainout or push on a total will drop a parlay by one team. If there is a rain out on a two-team parlay, the ticket becomes a straight bet on the other game.
Baseball futures
All mobile and online sportsbooks offer baseball futures. Most are on MLB teams. Some major books offer these for the College World Series.
A futures bet tries to predict the winner of a division, league, or World Series. Examples include picking the National League East winner, the National League winner, and the winner of the MLB World Series.
These bets may be made before the season starts or during it. Teams that are not in contention are removed from the futures markets at most sportsbooks.
Baseball props
Prop bets are typically reserved for MLB games. These are not typically available for college games. Baseball props involve whether a run will be scored in the first inning of a game, sides and totals on the first five innings, or bets related to a team or player’s stats. This might include whether a certain player gets a hit during the game, if there is a grand slam, or if the pitcher has a specific number of strikeouts or gives up a home run.
In-play and live betting
In-play, sometimes called live betting, is when a wager is made after the first pitch. These bets are generally accepted during commercial breaks between innings and pitching changes. The typical offerings are moneylines, run lines, and totals.
Last Updated on August 1, 2023 by John Mehaffey