Baseball Betting Strategies
Major League Baseball (MLB) betting has become a favorite for sports betting enthusiasts during both the regular season and the playoffs. Of course, MLB betting is different from NFL (National Football League) and NBA (National Basketball Association) betting, so you need to consider some baseball betting strategies to help you win big at bookmakers.
To get you started, we've compiled some helpful strategies that can easily fit into your baseball betting system. Whether you're a Yankees fan or a loyal Blue Jays supporter, we have some great MLB betting strategies for you to consider.
1. Be Careful with Big Odds on Favorite Teams
Beginners often spend too much time betting on heavy favorites. This is a common and easy mistake to make. You might think the New York Yankees look strong this season and naturally want to bet on them because they have great hitters, or perhaps because they are your home team, and you live near their stadium.
While betting on the expected winners may seem reasonable from a traditional standpoint, this approach often leads to significant losses when it fails, which happens far more often than most people realize. The math behind betting on big favorites simply doesn't add up. For example, if you bet the same amount on three heavy favorites, each with odds of -300, you need to win all three just to avoid losing money.
Let’s take a surprising example: In the 2019 season, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander was a Cy Young Award candidate, and his team was predicted to win the World Series. Bettors had to place large wagers every time he started. Verlander finished the season with a 21-6 record and won the Cy Young Award. However, if you had bet $100 on the Astros in every one of Verlander's starts, you would have ended up losing $234.
2. Pay Attention to Umpire Tendencies
Monitoring and using umpire trends is one of the most overlooked factors utilized by successful, experienced bettors.
For instance, let's say you're looking at two matchups that seem promising. Lance Barksdale is the umpire for the first game. In the second game, Ted Barrett is officiating.
In 2019, Barksdale was behind the plate in games that went under 18/31 times (58%). Meanwhile, games officiated by Barrett went under 13/29 times (45%). If you want to take advantage of these umpire trends, betting on the under in the first game would clearly make sense, but not in the second game.
3. Look for Overnight Odds
Some sportsbooks release betting odds earlier than others, and you can capitalize on the value of these early odds.
For example, say you're watching a Tuesday game and notice that the odds for Wednesday's game have already been posted. Based on the team's performance, you may decide to place your bet before the majority of other bettors do.
4. Track First Five Innings Odds
When considering betting on game outcomes, it’s worth looking at the first five innings odds. First five innings baseball betting allows you to bet on which team will be leading after five complete innings.
There are many reasons to focus your betting strategy on the first five innings, but the most important is being able to focus on the starting pitchers.
5. Study Pitcher Trends
Studying pitcher trends is the final baseball betting strategy that every serious MLB bettor should utilize.
Every action in a baseball game starts with a pitch, and the quality of pitching plays a critical role in the game. Whether betting on team outcomes, total runs, or first five innings, carefully evaluating the performance of each team’s pitchers is crucial.
How to Make Money with Baseball Betting
When looking for large-payout bets during the baseball season, it's highly recommended to first compare the MLB odds offered by different sportsbooks. Finding value differences in certain sportsbooks and apps can greatly increase your bankroll.
Today's introduction covered several betting strategies, but the most important thing is that you need to personally practice these baseball betting strategies to figure out which ones work best for you. Always remember to bet responsibly and enjoy the games. We wish you the best of luck in your baseball betting experience!