How To Bet Responsibly On MLB

have plenty of betting markets, and the goal of this guide is to familiarize you with the mechanics of betting, basic bet types, responsible betting principles, and betting strategies that could be of use when baseball season comes around.

How to Bet on Baseball Step-by-Step

1. Pick an online sportsbook and read through real user reviews on the brand(s) you are considering.
2. Register an account. To verify your eligibility, fill in the required personal details, such as name, email, and age.
3. Fund your account. Deposit methods include credit/debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and prepaid cards. Choose what works best for you.
4. Go to the sportsbook's baseball section. It may be called "Baseball" or "MLB"
5. Browse the available baseball games and markets. You can bet on game results, total runs, in-play, and more.
6. Choose the baseball game and market you want to bet on. Click on the odds to add to your bet slip.
7. Decide how much you want to bet.
8. Check your bet slip to make sure everything is correct. Confirm your bet by clicking "Bet."

Understanding baseball odds is critical to having a positive experience with MLB betting.

The purpose of these odds is to show the probability of various outcomes and possible winnings. 

Below is a summary of the types of betting odds you are most likely to see when wagering on MLB games that will give you a better understanding of how betting on baseball works:

• American Odds: Used in the U.S., shows winnings on a $100 bet. Positive numbers for underdogs mean winnings from a $100 bet; negative numbers for favorites mean the amount you need to bet to win $100. Example: If New York Yankees are +150 and Boston Red Sox are -120, a successful $100 bet on the Yankees wins $150, and a $120 bet on the Red Sox wins $100.
• Decimal Odds: Shows total payout per unit bet, popular in Canada. The higher the decimal, the less likely the outcome, but the bigger the payout for a win. Example: Toronto Blue Jays 2.75 vs. Detroit Tigers 3.10 means a successful $100 bet on the Blue Jays as the winning team returns $275, and the same on the Tigers returns $310.
• Fractional Odds: Used in the UK, shows profit relative to the stake. The first number is the profit for every unit of the second number bet. Example: A game with St. Louis Cardinals 1/3 vs. Chicago Cubs 4/1 would return $133.33 for a $100 bet on the Cardinals and $400 for a $100 bet on the Cubs.

There is no shortage of MLB betting options, but below is a rundown of the most common ones you are likely to encounter.

Moneyline Bets: A bet on who will win outright. MLB games never result in a tie, meaning there are only two game outcomes to consider, and a moneyline bet always wins or loses and never pushes.

Run Line Bets: Baseball's equivalent of a point spread bet. A run line bet is generally a wager on a favorite to either win by two runs or an underdog to either win outright or lose by a single run.

• Total Runs (Over/Under): A bet on the total number of runs in the game in half-run increments. The total line can be set based on a number of factors, including lineups, starting pitchers, ballparks, and weather conditions.
• Team Total: A bet on a particular team to score a certain number of runs. This is like a total runs scored wager, but it applies to just one team. Team total bets are often wagered on an over/under line, but in many cases, that can be adjusted by the bettor.
• Parlays: A combination of multiple bets into one wager for bigger returns. This can take many different forms and include many types of bets. One of its most popular forms is the same-game parlay, which incorporates multiple outcomes from the same game.

In all sports betting, prop bets are wagers on specific things that happen in a game that aren’t directly related to the final score.

For MLB betting, this usually means the performance of individual players, such as starting pitchers and hitters. How much you incorporate prop wagers into your baseball betting strategy is up to you, but there is certainly no shortage of options.

Starting Pitcher Props

Starters are popular players to bet on because they significantly impact the game. In 2024, the average MLB start lasted more than five innings, meaning that starters pitched more than half of all MLB games. Considering they have such an impact, it makes sense there would be a number of markets related to their performance.

Here are the most common starting pitch pitcher markets:

• Outs recorded: Starter performance is often discussed with the term innings pitched, but because they can pitch partial innings, this over/under line gets to specifically how many outs they recorded.
• Strikeouts/Walks: Like outs recorded, there are over/under lines set for these metrics prior to the game, and bettors can project whether a starter clears them or not.
• Earned Runs Allowed: This metric is slightly more complicated than runs scored against because it excludes runs that an official scorer determines were caused by a passed ball or error. Because ERA is considered a flawed and subjective metric, advanced MLB betting strategies may skip this market.
• Wins: According to MLB.com, a starter's performance earns a win if it meets the following criteria:

A pitcher receives a win when he is the pitcher of record when his team takes the lead for good -- with a couple of rare exceptions. First, a starting pitcher must pitch at least five innings (in a traditional game of nine innings or longer) to qualify for the win. If he does not, the official scorer awards the win to the most effective relief pitcher.

Hitting Props

• Hits: Bettors can bet on players to accumulate any number of hits between one and four prior to a game. In most cases, a bet on one hit carries an extremely low payout, while a wager on any multiple-hit game has long odds and a large payout. To give a sense of why that is, 2024 MLB hits leader Bobby Witt Jr. got a hit in at 79.0% of his games but managed two or more hits just 37.9% of the time.
• Total Bases: Instead of focusing on the quantity of hits, this market zeros in their power production. Traditionally, an over/under is set at 1.5, and a player can clear it by getting two hits of any kind or an extra-base hit like a double, triple, or home run.
• Walks/Strikeouts: These function the same way they do for starting pitchers, except the over/under line is usually set at 0.5, as it's unusual for players to accumulate more than one walk or strikeout in a single game. For extreme strikeout hits, a 1.5 line can be used.
• Home Runs: A simple bet on whether a hitter will produce a home run. This is always a long shot, even for elite hitters. In 2024, Aaron Judge led the major leagues in home runs (58), but he only hit a homer in 32.3% of his games.

Baseball futures are bets on long-term outcomes, such as who will win the World Series or an individual award like MVP.

These bets are offered before and during the season, with odds shifting depending on performance trends.

Team Futures

When betting on team futures, it's important to note that the MLB playoffs are known for their unpredictability. From 2014 to 2024, nine different teams won the World Series, with only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros earning multiple titles.

During that time, those two teams have dominated World Series appearances though, indicating a consistency that other franchises lack:

Individual Futures

The predictability of individual futures tends to depend on the award. The Cy Young Award, for instance, has had a great deal of variability lately. Over the last five seasons, there has been a different Cy Young winner every season in both the American League and National League.

The MVP Award is a different story. In the American League, just three players have won it in six of the nine seasons between 2016 and 2024.

Betting on Judge, Ohtani, or Trout to win the AL MVP has been an extraordinary betting strategy in recent years.

Understanding historical trends like this is helpful when approaching MLB futures betting.

Sports bettors make informed bets on MLB with a variety of baseball betting strategies, from betting underdogs to backing the biggest favorites on run-line bets.

No matter what your baseball betting system is, there is no guaranteed way to turn a profit, but below are some important strategic considerations for any bet:

• Injuries and Lineups: Single-game outcomes are often driven by which players are available. Whether you're betting on the moneyline, run line, or player performance props, stay up to date on which players are injured or resting.
• Head-to-Head Matchups: Sometimes, specific head-to-head matchups are more predictive than overall numbers. A hitter may be a star player on most days, but his expected performance could change significantly against a pitcher who is able to exploit his weaknesses. Baseball Savant has an excellent player matchup tool that allows you to see how hitters in one team's lineup have fared against a specific pitcher. Here's an example of how the Los Angeles Dodgers have done against New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole:

• Take Ballparks into Account: There is a significant difference between ballparks around baseball, which affects the run-scoring potential in games. Whether a game is taking place at Coors Field or Dodger Stadium may affect how you want to approach total run and team total bets, as well as props on a variety of players.
• Be Aware of the Weather: Any baseball betting strategy that doesn't consider the weather throughout the MLB season is missing a bit piece of the puzzle. Both heat and humidity can change how the ball travels. A hot, dry game in Texas and a cold, wet one in Seattle are different propositions when it comes to bets on home runs and overall scoring.
• Shop Around: It is useful to shop around for the best MLB betting lines. Different sportsbooks may have similar odds, but there can be subtle differences. By examining the options available to you, you maximize your chances of finding value and improving your overall profitability over time.

As exciting as baseball betting can be, it's important to make sure you bet in a responsible manner. Here are four tips to keep your betting fun and in control:

By being responsible, you can enjoy MLB betting without it affecting your life. Remember that betting should enhance your enjoyment of the game, not cause stress or financial strain.

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