how to bet on baseball

When opening a sportsbook app to scour the options for wagering on baseball, customers will see a combination of traditional and newer markets created from the legalization of sports wagering in the United States. For year-round free MLB picks, check out WagerTalk’s handicapper picks every day!

For experienced baseball bettors who know a bit about how to bet on baseball and who are aware of the classic money line, run line and totals runs markets, there are enormous options for player and team props for baseball betting.

Baseball betting offers player-by-player strikeouts, RBIs, and home runs, combined with more live (in-play) markets than ever before, such as same game parlays. You can even find wild and incredibly timely baseball betting markets such as next at-bat and combination wincast markets.

This may all be completely even for folks who have experience betting on baseball. Our How to Bet on Baseball guide is for all levels of experience in terms of baseball betting. Hopefully you’ll gain some valuable information it’ll be more of a how to bet on baseball and win guide!

How to Bet on Baseball: The Traditional Baseball Markets

The most frequently wagered on baseball markets are the ones that have been around for the longest amount of time, which are the game's money line, run line and total runs.

A money line wager is simply picking who will win the game with the corresponding odds attached. If a customer picks the favorite at a price of -140, that customer would have to risk $140 to win $100.

If a customer picks the underdog at a price of +120, that customer would have to risk $100 to win $120.

how to bet on baseball

How To Bet on Baseball Online: The Run Line

The run line is baseball's version of a spread wager, where a customer chooses a team to win by at least two runs or more. If a customer chooses the run line and their team wins by one run, that is graded a losing wager. This is often considered being used during a lopsided matchup.

For example, if a baseball money line is -300 and a customer does not want to risk that much, that customer can choose a run line wager to win by two or more runs with odds of -130 instead.

Total Runs in Baseball Betting

A major component of how to bet on baseball, a total runs wager is super straightforward, as the customer is picking whether the two teams will score over or under the listed number of runs combined during the game.

How to Bet on Baseball: Introducing Hitter Props Markets

Bringing more of a fantasy sports element to the wagering card, hitter prop betting allows customers to choose their favorite players, or players in the most favorable matchups, to record hits, smack home runs, drive in RBIs, steal bases and other offensive props tied to one player.

Wagering on baseball props such as 'Player To Hit A Home Run', 'Total RBIs', 'Total Runs Scored', 'Total Hits', 'Total Singles', 'Total Doubles' and 'Total Bases', are popular building blocks for baseball Same Game Parlays.

How to Bet on Baseball: Fun With Pitching Props

Like hitting props, bettors are allowed to select how their ace pitcher will perform on the mound. Each starting pitcher usually receives a list of pitching props, such as: 'Total Pitching Strikeouts', 'Total Hits Allowed', 'Total Outs Recorded', 'Total Earned Runs Allowed', and more.

One can even wager on if a pitching staff will record a shutout as a team, conceding zero runs after nine innings.

how to bet on baseball

How to Bet on Baseball – Check Out Baseball Same Game Parlays

Same Game Parlays are prominently featured and promoted by most sportsbook operators and especially so during baseball season. A somewhat 'new' feature for the online digital sportsbook landscape, same game parlays allow customers to wager on multiple props within the same event. Customers tend to choose correlated props within the same event to get a higher payout.

For example, if a customer believes the Yankees are going to win against the Tampa Bay Rays, the customer can add props within the game, such as Giancarlo Stanton to hit a home run, Aaron Judge to get two hits and Gerrit Cole to record five or more strikeouts.

This creates one single baseball Same Game Parlay wager that features all those legs to achieve a higher payout result.

A customer can use this method to turn a huge favorite in a single game into an even odds or plus-odds ticket by choosing a Same Game Parlay with multiple legs.

How to Bet on Baseball With Alternative Baseball Lines

The team quality and starting pitching matchup are key components to a pregame baseball line. Alternative lines allow customers to tighten the game for an overwhelming favorite, such as picking the Houston Astros to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates by more than three, four, five runs etc.

Each of these selections will have their unique odds assigned to it. The same goes for alternative total runs, where if the starting pitcher matchup isn't of high quality, a bettor can choose over 12, 13 or 14 runs when the original total runs number is 10.

Baseball Inning Markets – Advanced Baseball Betting

Feeling a big inning on the way or see a relief pitcher that isn't quality coming into the game? Baseball has inning bets which allow customers to wager on specific innings of the baseball game if he or she doesn't have three or four hours to hang around watching an entire game.

Perhaps some teams are looking at a fast start against a poor opposing starting pitcher, a customer can wager on the New York Mets winning the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Innings bets provides money line, run line and total runs options for the first three innings of a game or the first five innings of a game. This is also a favorable option for bettors who don't want to get bogged down by all the pitching changes and strategizing in the back half of a baseball game.

1st inning money lines are available, along with a three-way selection for 1st inning betting (Mets, Phillies, or tie) and even how many runs will be scored in the 1st inning. This can be done for most innings throughout the game or even pregame if the provider displays it. A customer can also choose which is the highest scoring inning of the game.

how to bet on baseball

How to Bet on Baseball – Baseball Runs Markets

Another popular option for baseball betting is 'Any Run in 1st Inning' bets. There are many quick fixes when betting on baseball and this selection seems to have rose to the top in terms of popularity.

A Yes/No option is usually listed for every game, with the odds fluctuating based on team quality and pitching matchup quality. Other runs betting options are '1st Team to Score', 'Both Teams To Score X Runs', 'Total Match Runs Odd/Even', '9 Inning Correct Score', 'Race To X Runs' and more. A bettor should familiarize themselves with all the possible options available to them before diving into the depths of a baseball betting card.

Baseball Prop Markets

There are plenty of baseball prop wagering options that usually deal with the results of individual players, but there are always team-driven baseball prop markets as well.

'Winning Margin' is a market where a customer can select, for example, 'Milwaukee Brewers Win By Exactly 3 Runs', along with other final score predictions. Each of these exact winning margin selections will have their own assigned odds to them. 'Double Result' is deciding which team will be ahead or tied during the first five innings and then which team will be winning by the end of the ballgame.

Live Baseball Betting – Changing Baseball Betting Forever

Although some people see it as a detriment, the length of a baseball game allows an inordinate number of opportunities to place live baseball wagers on almost anything a customer may have missed pregame.

It differs per provider, but many of the options listed above will be live betting options throughout the game with odds adjusting in real time depending on how the game is progressing.

Just because a customer missed the first pitch does not mean they are excluded from wagering on what player will hit a home run, which player will steal a base, or any of the traditional markets.

When the game begins, even more options present itself such as betting on the result of the next pitch or the result of the next at-bat. With every pitch and/or at-bat available to be live bet on, no baseball wagers are off the table until the game completes all nine innings. How to bet on baseball guides are not complete without considering the impact of live betting on baseball!

Want to Learn More about Sports Betting?

Now that you’ve learned how to bet on baseball, WagerTalk offers an expansive group of guides to all elements of sports betting. Check out our guide to betting on golf, guide to betting on hockey, guide to betting on soccer, or learn more about specific types of bets, like what is the run line in baseball, what is a round robin bet, or even how same game parlays work.

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.

Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)

Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.

Make sure to bookmark all the above!

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Free sports picks allow you to monitor a handicapping service to see how they perform before signing up for a long term package. WagerTalk provides daily free predictions to our visitors so they can find a handicapper that is right for them.

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

  • Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
  • Last-Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
  • Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.

Make sure to bookmark all the above!