Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
Author: Anthony Vlahovic
Last Updated: 07 October, 2024
MLB
Interest in sports betting is growing daily, so it makes sense that America’s pastime is one of the most bet on sports in the U.S. The talent pool in the MLB has arguably never been deeper, and while the league works to attract more young fans of the game, sportsbooks are working to bring more appealing markets to baseball bettors.
Recommended apps for MLB betting:
Comparing online sportsbooks and their MLB betting markets
Like all sports, betting on the MLB requires a lot of line shopping. The most commonly bet market in the MLB is generally the moneyline, and sportsbooks could have a line that varies by a few cents. This is important since those few cents in either direction can make a bet gain or lose value.
Every day is different, which is why we recommend having multiple betting accounts. However, on the most consistent level, we’ve found that BetRivers offers solid moneyline prices, while shops like Bet365 generally offer strong odds on player props.
For bettors who like to play out-of-the-box markets or capitalize on promotions, FanDuel is an excellent shop to check out. The brand name sportsbook offers markets like daily strikeout leader, along with interesting live betting specials that add excitement to each game. FanDuel’s layout also makes it very easy for bettors to form parlays or same-game parlays across the MLB, whether that be a moneyline parlay or a strikeout prop parlay.
MLB and Daily Fantasy Sports
Football may be the first sport that many people think of when they hear DFS contests, but the reality is that the MLB has a very large market of DFS users. With the MLB regular season lasting 162 games, fans of the sport have countless opportunities to enter DFS contests, whether that be a best ball draft for a given night slate or a Pick’em entry.
When looking to enter a daily draft, customers can select a team to compete against a varying number of other users. The number of users a customer wants to put their lineup up against will typically determine how large the payout is for a contest. The top DFS operators like Underdog or OwnersBox make it easy for customers to filter and enter contests that fit their needs.
As for Pick’em entries, almost all DFS products offer some form of these contests under a similar name. Customers simply need to choose over or under on a given player's stat, for example, RBIs, and the more picks they put into an entry, the higher their multiplier or payout would be, similar to a parlay.
What kind of bets can you place on Major League Baseball?
Like most sports or leagues nowadays, a bettor can wager on a vast range of markets. At the most basic level, though, for the MLB, the three most common bet types are moneylines, totals, and run lines. Each can be wagered on for the full nine innings, or bettors can wager on those markets for the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th innings.
Betting on the MLB is about getting the right price. Unlike the NFL or NBA, the spread or run line typically will not move from (-1.5) or (+1.5); instead, the price of that wager will fluctuate. The same goes for the run total, as typically, the average MLB game may fluctuate a run in either direction for the total, depending on the action the market is seeing. Ultimately, the moneyline is the market fans will see move the most for the MLB.
Outside of the three primary markets, MLB bettors have plenty of other options. Team totals are a very popular and common market, as they can be bet on for the full game or through a certain number of innings. In the same vein, bettors can also wager on the “Race To” market, which is a bet on which team will reach an X amount of runs first, and the NRFI or YRFI market, which stands for No Runs in the First Inning or Yes Runs First Inning.
Player prop bets are also a significant factor in MLB betting. There are markets for both hitters and pitchers, which allow MLB fans to wager on the amount of strikeouts a pitcher will have or the amount of hits they allow. For hitters, wagers can include the over/under on RBIs, hits, strikeouts, walks, and more.
Team futures
Bets on the MLB don’t need to be limited to just one game, as fans can place future wagers on every step of a team's journey. Of course, the World Series winner is one of the biggest futures markets for the MLB, but bettors can also place futures on division winners, league winners, or whether or not a team will make the playoffs.
Each of the aforementioned markets can be wagered on anytime before or during the season, and most sportsbooks will also offer far more specific futures. For example, a wager can be placed on who the two finalists will be for the World Series, the exact result of the World Series, and even which division will have the World Series champion.
Win totals are also a massive piece of the future market for the MLB. Fans have the option to bet the over/under on the amount of wins a team will get either before the season or during. Additionally, they can place futures on who will have the best record, worst record, or if a team will hit a certain amount of wins, like 100, during a season.
World Series winner
Every team grinds out a 162-game season, hoping it ends with raising the World Series trophy over their heads. Each season there are always a few teams who dominate the regular season, but due to the unpredictability of baseball, that doesn’t mean they are a guarantee to make the World Series.
Baseball's unpredictability could make the World Series futures market an incredibly profitable one for bettors. In 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks went from being one game below .500 at the trade deadline to beating the Dodgers and Phillies to reach the World Series.
League & Divisional winners
Winning a division is the first step in getting a good seed in the MLB playoffs. However, a few teams have a much tougher path than others. The strength of a division will significantly affect how each team is priced for a given market; for example, the Dodgers have maintained a strong hold over the NL Central over the years, which has led to them being (-6000) favorites before the All-Star break to win it for the 2024 season.
Now, just because a team dominates their division does not mean they are a great bet to win their respective league. The Atlanta Braves are a good example of this since they won the NL East every season from 2018-2023, yet only won the NL once in that span.
READ MORE: MLB League Winner Odds
READ MORE: MLB Divisional Winner Odds
Who makes it to the playoffs?
Betting on which teams will make the MLB playoffs is a very straightforward market, as bettors can place wagers on either yes or no. This is a popular in-season future market as fans can identify teams they think can go on a winning streak and place a wager on them to make the postseason before their price drastically shifts.
READ MORE: Odds to Make the MLB Playoffs
Player futures & awards
The MLB has one of the most iconic awards in all of sports with the Cy Young Award, and not only can bettors wager on that throughout the season, but they can also bet on the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and more.
Since the MLB has a long season, the odds for these awards will shift a lot due to injuries, hot streaks, and slumps. This odds movement can allow bettors to find excellent value during the season or potentially hedge a preseason bet they made on an award.
Placing futures bets on players doesn’t just stop at award winners, as fans can also wager on players to lead the league in certain statistical categories like home runs or stolen bases. Additionally, some books may offer player futures bets prior to the season, which provide bettors the chance to wager on the over/under for a player's season-long home run total or hits total.
MLB MVP (Most Valuable Player)
Being able to perform at a high level for 162 games is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. While certain players like Mookie Betts have made it look fairly easy over the years, many players struggle to stay healthy or maintain a strong stat line through the grueling dog days of summer.
Betting on the MVP award can be profitable if a player is wagered on at the right time. For example, a $5 bet on Aaron Juge on April 24, 2024, while he was struggling, would pay out $95, but a $5 bet on June 13, 2024 would only pay out $9.
READ MORE: MLB MVP Odds
Rookie of the Year
Every MLB fan is constantly holding out hope that their favorite team's top prospects will turn into stars. While some of them will, that does not always mean their career gets off to a great start. For that reason, betting on the Rookie of the Year can be extremely profitable since longshot bets on players who start the season in the minor leagues can end up being winning futures by the end of the season.
In 2024, Paul Skenes opened the season in Triple-A as the number-one pitching prospect in baseball. On April 4th, when Skenes was in the minors, he was +2000 to win ROY, yet after just five starts in the majors, his odds dropped to (+220).
READ MORE: MLB Rookie of the Year Odds
Manager of the Year
A manager in the MLB makes more decisions than most people realize. Decisions on when to pull a starting pitcher or which reliever to put in add up over the course of the season, which can result in a team either making or missing the postseason.
While winning is the most important aspect, managing the team with the best record in baseball does not automatically secure the Manager of the Year Award. Other elements, like turning a franchise around or overcoming adversity during the season also matter to voters of this award.
READ MORE: MLB Manager of the Year Odds
Cy Young Award
A strong starting rotation is essential if a team wants to make a deep run into the playoffs. However, a starter doesn’t necessarily need to be on a winning team to win the Cy Young Award. Jacob DeGrom in 2018 is a good example of this, as he entered the year with (+1400) odds to win the Cy Young and, despite losing nine games that season due to a lack of run support, he would still go on to win the award thanks to a 1.70 ERA in 217 innings.
READ MORE: Cy Young Odds
Reliever of the Year
Having a good closer helps ease the nerves of managers and baseball fans everywhere. Being able to come in during high-leverage situations and close the door is arguably the most demanding job in baseball, so it is only right that the best in the league has a chance to be rewarded with the Reliever of the Year Award.
READ MORE: Reliever of the Year Odds
MLB stat leaders
Home run records and chases are part of what makes the MLB so entertaining. There is a reason people say the Sosa and McGwire home run race saved baseball. In today’s game, players like Aaron Judge are in constant pursuit of breaking home run records, and fans can bet on guys like Judge or Yordan Alvarez to lead the league in long balls either before the season or during.
READ MORE: MLB Stat Leader Odds (Home Run & Stolen Base)
Other player specials bets
If a player is heading towards a big season, sportsbooks may offer specialty futures for that player during the season. These bets can typically be found under “Player Specials,” or a player can get his own section in the MLB area of a betting app.
A prime example of this is Elly De La Cruz and stolen bases. On June 13, 2024, De La Cruz led the league with 34 stolen bases, so a specialty bet for him on FanDuel Sportsbook was “ Elly De La Cruz to Reach 80 Stolen Bases (+260).”
College Baseball
The next wave of MLB talent is currently sitting in college baseball, and sportsbooks are adding more and more resources to the game. With future big league stars using metal bats, college baseball remains one of the most underrated sports we have, and as the popularity of the sport grows, the more interest people have started to have to bet on it.
Currently, college baseball betting markets are kept very simple, as full-game moneylines, totals, and run lines are typically the only markets that sportsbooks offer. However, towards the end of the 2024 College World Series, we have seen more sportsbooks open up more college baseball markets, like first five-inning bets, so the betting options could double by the 2025 season.
College World Series
Every year, the eight best teams in college baseball compete for the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. After a regional and super-regional round, typically filled with excitement, the final eight teams play in a double-elimination tournament to crown the National Champion.
As college baseball has grown, sportsbooks have started offering futures on the College World Series, which can be placed either before or during the season.
READ MORE: College World Series Odds
Some commonly asked questions (FAQ):
What types of bets can I place on MLB games?
The three most common baseball betting markets include moneylines, totals, and run lines. Besides those three markets, which can be wagered on for the entire game or just a specific set of innings, bettors can also wager on player and game props.
What should beginners know before placing their first MLB bet?
Before getting into baseball betting, it is important to always check pitching matchups, look deeper into advanced stats, and figure out if you want to bet on the full game or just the first five innings.
How can I find reliable information to help with MLB betting decisions?
Finding trustworthy sources for MLB stats and info goes a long way in the handicapping process. We recommend looking to see which sites the top bettors use, but for us, we like sites like Baseball Savant and FanGraphs.
What does +/- 1.5 mean in MLB and baseball betting?
If you place a -1.5 spread bet on an MLB team, this team must win the match by two or more runs to cover the spread or so-called "run line." When placing a +1.5 bet, your wager wins if the team wins outright or loses by only one run.
