Baseball Betting
There are several different ways to bet on baseball games. The rules and types of betting are usually the same regardless if the game is a MLB game or college baseball game. This course will teach the basic ins and outs of betting on baseball.
Moneyline
Moneyline betting is the most common baseball betting type. The moneyline wager is simply a bet on the winner of the game based on a given price rather than a pointspread. To win the wager the team you bet on just has to win the game without any predetermined point value. These are also known as Straight bets.
Moneyline example:
New York Yankees -155 at the Atlanta Braves +135: In this example the Yankees are favored to win the game. The team with the negative value is always the favored team. Betting on the Yankees to win you would bet $155 in order to win $100. A bet of $100 on the Braves to win would result in a win of $135.
Moneyline wagers can be made in one of two ways. There are Action wagers and Listed Pitcher wagers. For an action moneyline bet, the bet stands regardless of the starting pitcher. For a listed pitcher bet, if a starting pitcher is changed the bet is called off and deemed “no action”. Action wagers are usually the default.
Over/Under
Another common baseball bet is a Total wager, or Over/Under wager. These are bets on the combined total runs by both teams, extra innings included. In the previous example, if the Yankees scored 6 runs and the Braves scored 3 runs, the total would be 9. For total betting the game must go 9 innings (8 1/2 if the home team is ahead) to have action.
Total betting example:
For the New York Yankees at the Atlanta Braves with a total of 8 runs Over -125 Under +105: A bet on the Over would win if the combined runs are more than 8. A bet of $125 of the over would win $100. For the Under bet, a bet of $100 would win $105 if the total runs are less than 8.
Run Line
A Run Line bet is a wager based on a combination of a pointspread and moneyline. To win the run line bet the team must beat the point spread. All run line bets are listed bets and deemed “no action” if there is a pitching change.
Run line betting example:
New York Yankees -1 +130 at the Atlanta Braves +1 -150: For a bet on the Yankees, the Yankees must win by 2 or more runs to beat the spread. A bet of $100 would win $130. At bet on the Braves would win if they win the game or lose by only one run. A bet of $150 on the Braves would win $100.
Other Exotic Bets
Futures bets in baseball are bets on which team will win each pennant and the World Series. The odds are constantly adjusted as the season progresses. Odds for futures bets are usually very simple, such as Yankees 5 to 1 to win the World Series.
Overnight dime lines are betting lines for the following day’s baseball games. These lines are usually posted within one hour of the start of the final game of the day. There are sometimes maximum wager limits placed on overnight dime lines.
Parlay bets are basically bets placed on two or more teams. These are also known as Multiple bets or Combo bets. To win a parlay all the teams wagered on must win. Parlay bets can be a great way to earn a large amount of money in baseball betting. In the event of a tie the parlay reverts down to the next lowest number for payoff.
