How to Bet on Baseball

Baseball is a fun sport to play, watch, and of course, to bet on. For one, it’s got a ton of games all year long. In the MLB alone, each of the 30 clubs plays 162 games over the course of the regular season. It is, after all, America’s pastime, despite how it’s taken the backseat in terms of popularity to other sports and leagues like the NFL and the NBA.

But baseball is more than just an American pastime, as it has also become a global sport, with several countries having their own professional leagues.

Baseball also has lots of moving parts and factors to consider which can be a bit overwhelming, especially to those who are just starting to appreciate this beautiful sport. Among the different sports betting guides published on Nitrobetting.eu, this bit will teach you some the basics of how to bet on baseball.

How To Bet On Baseball: The Basic Options

Those who are new to betting on baseball need to get familiarized with these three standard betting types: moneyline, totals or over/under, and run line. We will discuss each of these as we go forward in this article. You’ll also know where to bet on baseball later in this article.

What Is A Moneyline Bet In Baseball?

One of the first steps in knowing how to bet on baseball is to understand how the moneyline works.

Moneyline can be considered as the simplest type of bet not just in baseball but in most other sports or events. When making a moneyline bet, you are picking which team you think will win in a given game, straight up. If you put a moneyline bet on the New York Yankees to beat the Chicago White Sox and the Yankees ended up winning the game, then you also win your wager. It’s that simple.

What Is A Totals (Over/Under) Bet In Baseball?

When betting on totals, you are wagering on whether the total runs scored by both teams in a game will go over or under the given line. For example, let’s assume that the totals line for a San Diego vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game is 7.5 and you bet the over on it. If the final score turns out to be 5-3, then you win your bet since the combined total of the score is 8 — or .5 over the line. If the final score of that game was 4-2, then your bet loses because it fell short of breaking past the line, as the total is just 6. Also, note that the winner or loser of a game does not have any impact on the result of a totals bet.

What Is A Run Line Bet In Baseball?

If you are familiar with point spread betting in football or basketball, then you’d find the run line as similar to that. But since the range and variation of scores in baseball are significantly lower compared to those in basketball and football, the run line is most of the time set at 1.5.

PuckRun line allows you to bet on whether the favored team will win by at least two runs or the underdog will lose by just a run or win the game outright.

Using the table above as the reference, if you bet on the Nationals +1.5, then you’d win if Washington either wins the game or loses by no more than two runs. Conversely, if you bet on the Phillies -1.5, then you’d get a payout if Philadelphia wins by at least two runs.

With all that being discussed, it’s safe to assume that you now have sufficient information on how to bet on baseball. Let’s now head over to the next section that is just as important as those we have talked about earlier.

Some Baseball Betting Tips

Baseball is a game that requires skill — and luck. And while luck plays a factor in most games, it will still help you make wiser betting decisions if you follow some of the tips we have listed below. Learning about the key factors which can dictate the results of any game or performance of a player is another important aspect in your search for success in wagering on this sport. It can even comprise the entire plan of how you bet on baseball.

Review The Pitching Matchup And The Bullpen

There’s a reason why starting pitchers in baseball are among the best-paid athletes in pro sports, and that’s because they have such a huge impact on games. A team that is scheduled to start a bonafide ace is likely to be labeled as the favorite, but also be alert in monitoring pitching status, as sometimes, there are surprise changes in the starting pitching matchup just before a game.

The use of the bullpen has grown over the years, and starting pitchers don’t go as long as they used to be in the big leagues. Knowing which team has a strong or vulnerable bullpen (or relief pitchers) can get you an advantage when choosing which teams to bet on.

Take Note Of Where The Game Will Be Played

Not all baseball teams stadiums are the same. Some have spacious outfields while others have shorter, and this can be vital to the betting decision you are going to make. Bigger outfields tend to be pitcher-friendly, while smaller ones are hitter-friendly, so if you are making a totals bet, you would want to know the dimensions of the ballpark of a particular game.

Run Support

Pitchers can’t win a game all by themselves. They still need enough offense behind them to give their teams victories. Some elite pitchers still end up losing games despite fantastic performances on the mound because they are not getting enough run support. Take for example New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom back in the 2019 MLB season. That year, deGrom finished with a 15-10 win-loss record in 44 starts despite an ERA of 2.42. He could have had more wins if only he was backed up by a better offense. The Mets gave him just 4.67 runs per nine innings pitched. Meanwhile, Jose Berrios of the Minnesota Twins went 19-12 that year with a 3.76 ERA and 6.02 RS/9.

Where To Bet On Baseball

Ready to make bets on baseball? Create a free Nitrobetting.eu account now and choose from a variety of games to place wagers on.

Be sure to also check out other sports betting guides published on the site to get a good understanding of other sports and leagues to bet on.