Betting on Baseball

Article Courtesy of Poker Site Reviews

MLB Baseball is a very long season that gives bettors many opportunities to make money. The goal in baseball is not to win a ton of money at once, but to instead win a little bit at a time. If you can consistently make money, you won't need to worry about some losses from time to time. One of the biggest differences between winning sports bettors and losing sports bettors is money management. If you lose a few games and start chasing your losses, it is going to cost you dearly. You have to remain calm and always make logical decisions, no matter how tempting it might be to put a few hundred on a game in an attempt to regain your losses. Look for small edges on a daily basis, and with a little bit of luck, you could come out of the season as a big winner.

Betting on the Over/Under

The over/under is like flipping a coin when betting on baseball. An over/under is the total runs scored by both teams in a game. For example, if the Chicago Cubs face the Baltimore Orioles and the final score is 5-4, you would win if you bet over 7, as the total runs scored was 9. The over/under varies from game to game, and is always one solidified number. This number can vary throughout the course of a day, but you only have one bet to choose from. If you think two pitchers are weak, go for the over. This is a very generalized strategy, but it is an example of when to bet on an over/under. Maybe you see that the offense for a particular team is slumping. This would be an ideal time to bet the under. Consider the bullpens, starting lineups, and starting pitchers when betting on an over/under.

Betting on the Run Line

Betting on a run line is like betting on a spread in other sports. Where spreads in football or basketball could be 5-10 points (or more), in baseball they are almost always 1.5 runs. In other words, you have to bet that an underdog will lose by one run or win, or that a favorite will win by two or more runs. Betting on a run line is a way to earn a better return when betting on a favorite. If you are betting on an underdog, however, betting on the money line will cut your earnings. Run liune bets are safe bets when betting an underdog, but riskier when betting a favorite. The payouts always correlate with the risk in any given bet. Run lines can be frustrating because baseball games often end in one run games, so pick your bets carefully.

Betting on the Moneyline

Betting on the money line is when you simply pick a winner. If you think the Yankees will win, but you aren't sure that they are going to win by two or more, bet on the money line. Favorites are indicated by a (-) while underdogs are indicated by a (+). For example, if the Astros were (+165) against the Phillies (-175), it would mean that the Astros are a big underdog while the Phillies are a big favorite.

Calculating money lines is easy. For every $100 you bet on an underdog, you earn the number on the line. In the Astros example above, you would earn $165 for a $100 bet. If you bet a favorite, the Phillies at -175 in this case, you earn $100 for every time you bet the amount on the line. In other words, for every $175 you bet, $100 is won.

There are many different ways to bet on baseball. Find out which is easiest for you, look for free baseball picks, and start making money.