MLB Betting

Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the primary sources of sports investing in the summer as the season starts in April and continues through October. One of the reasons baseball is popular to invest in is due to the high number of games every day. Continue reading below to learn more about how to invest in baseball.  If you would like to learn more, please email us at Info@BettingKings.com and we will connect you with one of our Sports Investment Consultants.   

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MLB Moneylines

For a moneyline bet, you are betting on who will win or lose the game. In baseball, one of the biggest factors for the odds is the starting pitcher. The favorite for the matchup is always going to have a negative sign in front of the odds, so if the Baltimore Orioles are playing the New York Yankees at the Yankees, the Yankees are likely going to be the favorite. New York Yanees might come in at -225, and what this means is that you would win $100 by betting $225 on the Yankees. On the other hand, the underdog will have a positive sign in front of the odds, so the Orioles might be rated at +200. This means you would bet $100 to win $200.

MLB Spreads

Run lines are the baseball betting version of spread betting, which is popular with NFL and NBA betting. In the previous example, a run-line betting would look something like this: New York Yankees Run Line -1.5 at -120, Baltimore Orioles Run Line +1.5 at +120. This means that New York is favored by -120 to win by more than a run, so if they were to pull that off, you win $100 off a bet of $120. Baltimore is an underdog to lose by more than a run, so if they did that, you would win $120 off a bet of $100.

MLB Totals

Over Under betting is when you bet on how many runs will be scored in a game. Specifically, if the actual total will come in over or under the set total. Baltimore and New York might have a total set for themselves at 8.5, so you would be betting on whether the total falls over or under that number. This is why you’ll also hear it called the over/under bet. Factors that typically influence over / unders include whether the teams are playing in a dome or outside, weather (rain/wind), pitchers, hitters in the line up for that game, etc.

Most totals in baseball range from about 7-11 runs. A seven-run total suggest that it will be a low-scoring pitcher’s duel where as a total of 11 or 12 would suggest a lot of hits and runs.

Listed Pitchers

One key factor to baseball betting is the starting pitcher of each team. They’re very valuable and the betting odds are set based on who is taking the mound. To protect yourself in case of a pitching change, you can list pitchers, which means that you are only betting on a specific team if that pitcher takes the mound. If they for whatever reason don’t pitch that game – either a late scratch, injury, etc. – then you’re bet becomes void and you get your money back. If you don’t care about listing the pitcher, then you bet the game ‘action’, which means you’re bet is active no matter who ends up taking the mound. Betting Kings recommends that you specify the pitcher as our investment advice is based on the listed pitchers at the time our investment plays are posted. 

MLB Futures

Finally, there are futures bets where you are betting on things that will happen later in the season. For example, you can bet on who you think will win the World Series, along with the American League and National League pennants and the divisions as well. You can also bet on player props like the Cy Young award for each league, as well as the Most Valuable Player. As with all futures, you want to make sure you invest in a future with a high return as the sportsbook holds your invetsment for a long period of time. One of the key factors in baseball futures is the MLB trade deadline. Waiting until after the trade deadline to see what moves teams makes will help inform your future bet.