If you love baseball and the thrill of baseball season betting, then you’ve come to the right place. Baseball is one of the most profitable sports to bet on. Here at StatSalt.com, we bring you a selection of the best legal sportsbooks and unbeatable baseball odds and offers.
In this segment, we’ll also explain why baseball is one of the best sports to bet on, and how to bet on it — especially, if you’re looking to boost your bankroll.
So, whether you’re an MLB pro, or just beginning your journey into baseball betting, read on for our ultimate baseball guide.
Best betting sites for MLB betting online
How does betting on MLB work?
Starting to bet on the MLB is commonly done by betting on the money line. However, as you can see MLB betting can quickly branch out to other types of bets you can place. No matter what type of baseball bet you plan on making it is very important to know about the available types of bets.
Moneyline
The money line bet is the type of bet that you are placing to pick the team that will win the game. If the team loses then you are not going to win any money, but if the team wins then you win your bet.
Example of Moneylines bet:
| Team | Odds |
| Cincinnati Reds | +110 |
| Saint Louis Cardinals | -100 |
As you can see the game here has the Cardinals favored and the Reds as the underdog. If you were to bet 100 dollars on the Cardinals and they win, you would win 100 dollars. However, a bet on the Reds of 100 dollars, while the underdog team is at a +110, you’d end up winning 110 dollars.
To summarize a money line bet is betting on a team to win the game.
Spreads
The spread type of betting is going to be based on the run line.
Example of Spreads Bet
| Teams | Spread |
| Saint Louis Cardinals | -1.5 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +1.5 |
As you can tell the spread bet is more along the lines of betting on how many runs a team will win or lose the game by. As you can tell from the example the -1.5 for the Cardinals means Saint Louis has to win by 1.5 runs or more. If the Cardinals fail to win by more runs than that mark it is a losing bet, even if the Cardinals win the game. The Reds are listed at a +1.5 which means they only have to win the game outright or not lose by more than 1.5 runs to have a winning bet.
In summary, the spread bet is betting on the number of runs a team will win or lose the game by.
Over/Under Totals
The over and under bet is one that comes in several types of bets for the total. This is based on the number of runs the teams are going to score in the game combined or for the individual teams.
Example of Over/Under Bet
| Team | Total |
| Saint Louis Cardinals | 5.5 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 3.5 |
| Game Total | 9.5 |
The example above shows the total of runs that would be needed for the Cardinals or Reds in the game. You can bet on either team to go over the total number of runs or under the total number of runs for teams. A more common total bet is the game total, which in this case is 9.5 runs. So the teams would have to get over 9.5 if you bet on the over or under 9.5 if you are betting on the under.
To summarize the total bet is covering either the over or under the number of runs an individual team is going to score in a game or how many runs in the game for the teams combined.
Parlays
The parlay bet is when you take a couple of bets and combine them all on the same ticket. The risk is increased which makes the payout potentially a lot bigger.
Examples of a Parlay Bet
| Game | Odds |
| Cardinals at Reds | Cardinals -100, Reds +110 |
| Angels at Athletics | Angels -150, Athletics +120 |
As you can tell this is a bet that has a couple of games listed. The money line bet odds are beside of the games. With that being the case let’s say you decide you think the Reds will win the game, but the Angels will also. In this instance, you would combine the bets on a single ticket and turn them into a parlay. If both teams win you could easily double your money, but if only one team loses then your entire parlay is lost.
To summarize a parlay bet is one that you place on two or more events happening for a larger payout.
Futures
A futures bet is one that is placed well in advance of any major sporting event. For example, you could place a futures bet based on who you think will win the World Series or even the Cy Young award. It is important to note that some states heavily regular futures bets regarding players.
Examples of A Future Bet:
| Teams | Odds To Win World Series |
| Chicago White Sox | +500 |
| Saint Louis Cardinals | +1000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +50000 |
The future bet that you have here is based on who would win the World Series. As you can tell the White Sox are the favorite at a +500, which would pay 500 bucks for a 100-dollar bet. With the Cincinnati Reds, a hundred-dollar bet would win you 50,000 dollars. Now, the catch is that this is a bet that is generally placed in advance of the season starting and if the team does not win you lose your bet.
This is only one example of a futures bet for the MLB, but here is a short list of other future bets for the MLB.
Example:
- Winner of World Series
- The winning league
- Winners of a specific division.
- Winner of a Cy Young
- What teams make the playoffs.
- What player will become MVP
- Team with the Most Regular Season Win
To summarize a future bet is one that is placed well in advance of the expected outcome or game date.
Prop Bets
A prop bet is a betting style that is placed on an individual player or team to do a certain task in a single game.
Example of a prop bet:
| Player Name | Type of Bet |
| Nolan Ryan | Strikeout 5.5 batters |
In this example, the all-time great Nolan Ryan would be who you are betting on. You would pick if he would be striking out more than or less than 5.5 batters. If he is able to strike out more of them and you picked over then you would win. If he strikes out less, though, you would end up losing the bid.
Other Examples Of Prop Bets For MLB:
- Hitting a home run in the game.
- The team total of strikeouts in a game.
- If a player can hit a home run.
- The total innings a starting pitcher ends up pitching in the game.
- The number of pitches thrown by the pitcher.
To summarize the prop bets are the type that is specific to a certain action being completed by the players or team.
Teasers & Pleasers
A teasers and pleasers bet is one that you normally do not see in baseball, but it is one that can be seen. A teaser bet is when you lower the run line for your bets and involves more than a single bet. A pleaser bet you are increasing the run line on your parlay bets.
Example of a Teaser Bet
| Teams | Spread |
| Reds at Cardinals | Cardinals -1.5 |
| Giants at Athletics | Athletics -1.5 |
In this instance what you would be doing is buying a run in the games. So instead of the game being a -1.5, you would be able to lower it to a -.5 or even a +1.5. This helps increase your chance of winning, which decreases the payout.
Example of a Pleaser Bet
| Teams | Spread |
| Reds at Cardinals | Cardinals -1.5 |
| Giants at Athletics | Athletics -1.5 |
With the pleaser bet you are going to increase the spread. So instead of betting that the game will be won by -1.5 runs, you are going to increase it to 2 or even -2.5. This decreases the chances of winning the bet and therefore increases the payout.
To summarize a pleaser bet is increasing the potential run line, but a teaser bet is decreasing the run line.
What to consider when betting on MLB
A great tip to getting to bet on the MLB is to figure out what type of bet you want to make. While spread betting is commonly not used in baseball it could be a great way to make quite a bit of money quickly if you think a team will win on the spread.
The other tip that can really help out is to avoid always betting on your favorite team. For example, if a Cincinnati Reds fan in 2022 bet only on their team in the first month of the season the bettor would be down significantly in their bankroll.
FAQ
Yes, betting on baseball is legal. However, some states depending on where you reside have restricted the betting from being available on in-state teams or prop type of bets.
As with any sports betting the profitability depends on picking the right winners. If you get on a hot streak then yes it is very profitable, but at the same time, a losing streak could ruin your finances.
No. A great example is Pete Rose.
This depends on the sportsbooks and what is legally allowed in the state you reside in.
Historical winners of the World Series
| Year | Team |
| 2022 | TBD |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox |
| 2017 | Houston Astros |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2014 | San Francisco Giants |