How to bet on baseball

01 Oct | BY Betway Insider | MIN READ TIME |

Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Looking to learn more about betting on baseball? Our comprehensive guide has all the information you need, including popular betting markets and different types of baseball bets.

If you’re a fan of America’s favourite pastime and want to bet on MLB games, then it’s definitely a good idea to take on some baseball betting advice.

But this isn’t just about baseball betting lines or about finding where to bet on baseball – we are covering everything from reading odds to different bet types and the common mistakes made in the baseball betting markets.

How to read baseball betting odds

To be able to figure out how to bet on baseball and win (or at least give yourself the best chance), you need to know how to read the odds provided by the bookmaker. Baseball prices are often shown using fractional odds, which are easy to read once you know how they work.

The number on the right of the fraction is the stake – while, on the left, you see the potential winnings from a given stake. For instance, if the San Francisco Giants are 20/1 to win the World Series, it means a £1 wager would return £20 in winnings (plus your £1 stake).

It is also easy to calculate the implied probability with fractional odds. In this instance, the Giants would have a 4.8% implied probability of lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy. Read our supporting guide if you’re interested in learning more about reading betting odds.

Baseball betting advice

Looking for further baseball betting advice?

Baseball has more publicly accessible data than perhaps any other sport. Sites like Baseball Savant, FanGraphs, and Baseball Reference are your friends when carrying out research to decide on the baseball betting markets.

For bets on a specific game, it’s important to look at weather conditions, how the starting pitchers have performed in recent appearances, and the form of the respective lineups.

We would also recommend looking at the expected statistics for the two starters, along with how the bullpens have performed in recent weeks. Check if the offences have notable splits, like struggling against left-handed pitchers or underperforming on the road.

Notably, with so many games played across a long season, it’s worth narrowing down your research to the last few weeks, rather than looking at data from several months ago.

Common mistakes when betting on baseball

It’s important that bettors avoid making common mistakes when betting on baseball. Here are some errors that can make baseball betting more difficult:

Ignoring advanced statistics.
Focusing solely on season-long data and not recent production.
Overlooking splits.
Only betting on the favourites.

Popular baseball betting markets

Ready to place your first bet? Here are the top markets to look at when betting on baseball:

World Series: Bets can be placed on the World Series winner year-round. It is the most popular wager among our MLB outright markets.
MLB American League winner: This is a bet on which team will win the ALCS and represent the AL in the World Series.
MLB National League winner: This is a bet on which team will win the NLCS and represent the NL in the World Series.
NPB winner: Nippon Professional Baseball is the highest standard of baseball in Japan. Often referred to as ‘NPB’, Betway enables bettors to place wagers on which team will win NPB.
MiLB matches: Alongside the MLB regular season, markets are also available for minor-league baseball games.
KBO League winner: One of the best baseball leagues in the world, the KBO is watched by baseball fans worldwide. If this is of interest, explore the latest KBO odds.

Types of baseball bets

If you want to bet on your team to win, you’ll need to know the type of baseball bets you can place. We recommend starting with one of the following:

Inning bets: Inning bets are wagers on a certain number of innings. For example, you might bet on the Yankees to win after the first five innings of a game.
No runs first inning: Often referred to as ‘NRFI’, this is a common bet that there will be no runs scored by either team in the first inning.
Grand Salami: A bet on the total number of runs scored across every game in the majors on a given day.
Series bet: Relevant in the playoffs, these are bets on which teams will win a series. Playoff series are played as best-of-three, best-of-five, or best-of-seven.
Futures bet: A futures bet is a wager placed on the outcome of an event in the future. This includes a wager on a player to win MVP or a team to win their division.
Outrights: Outright wagers are another name for futures bets. Betway provides baseball outright markets throughout the year.
Props: Prop bets are wide-ranging, including team, game, and player props, and refers to an in-game occurrence (or non-occurrence) that doesn’t necessarily rely on a certain result.
Bet builder: A bet builder is when an accumulator is created from a single game. This could include a mix of the moneyline, team props, and player props.
In play: Any wagers placed once a game has started.

How to place a baseball bet

To place a baseball bet with Betway, you need to create an account. This is a simple process:

Visit our account registration page. You will then need to provide your personal information, including your full name, date of birth, and address. You may need to verify your age and identity by providing a personal document.

Once you have done this, you will need to deposit some funds into your account. This requires you to select your preferred banking method and enter your details. Then, it’s a case of selecting your wager and entering your stake to place your first baseball bet.

Where to bet on baseball markets

Betway is the best place to bet on baseball odds. Whether you’re placing outright bets on the MLB season, looking for the latest NPB game lines, or keen to wager on the next World Baseball Classic matchup, Betway has you covered with its array of baseball markets.