Bet On Baseball
by Bodog Sportsbook

Baseball may not have the constant excitement and adrenaline rush of some higher octane sports like football and basketball, but it is just as enjoyable to place bets on. There are major league profits to be made from action in the baseball diamond all season long. With a little know-how, betting on baseball is a great way to stack your bankroll for the start of the NFL season.

Baseball Moneylines

Betting on baseball is a little different from betting on basketball or football but the principles of money and risk management remain the same. A key difference is betting on the moneyline as opposed to wagering on teams ATS (against the spread). Bets on the moneyline allow you to pick the winner, and the price you pay is determined by which team is the favorite and which team is considered the underdog in the game.

If you are just starting out betting on baseball, it's easy to gravitate towards betting on the favorites; amateur logic can be blinding. But remember, for every heavy -300 favorite you lose, you would have to win at least your next three in order to get back to even. Block out the amateur logic, because the flip side is a slippery slope as well. You could wind up losing your hair and your bankroll if you take the approach of just trying to land the heavy underdogs.

The fact of the matter is that even the best baseball teams will only win about 100 or so games in a 162-game season. This means you can expect even the best teams to lose between 30-40 percent of the time, even though in many instances, they would have been considered the favorite going into the game. Of course, this doesn't mean that you discard the top tier teams like the Red Sox, Cubs or Yankees, but it's pertinent to understand that in many cases you don't get the most value in just playing the favorite on the moneyline.

Baseball Runlines

Betting on baseball runlines is a relatively easy concept to understand. Basically, by playing the runline, you essentially have a line of 1 1/2 runs on the game and you can then choose to wager to give or take on the 1 1/2-run spread.

For example, if you wanted to wager on the Cubs as a -300 favorite, but were a little hesitant to pay the big price, you could bet the Chicago Cubs on the runline and all that you would need to have happen to win your bet is for the Cubs to win by two. The value in this style of wagering is that you can minimize your losses because the price on the runline would most likely be less at around -150; but you do run the obvious risk of a one-run ball game, which certain teams are prone to more than others.

Again, on the flip side, you can also take the 1 1/2 runline by betting on the underdog. Obviously, for you to win this bet, the underdog must either win or lose by a single run to cover. It's important to remember that typically, when betting on the runline for the underdog, you'll end up paying a higher price for the cushion... and more often than not, you aren't going to get a great value for it.

Baseball Totals

Just like in any other sport, baseball has totals to bet on. Betting on totals is one of the most fun and exciting wagers you can make because it provides you with a unique way to view the game. While many are cheering for one side or the other, you can find yourself doing the same, cheering on both sides or maybe even jeering both sides, depending on your wager. Since betting on baseball totals is the same as in every other sport, if you are new to betting on baseball, you may find this the most seamless way to go.

Betting on totals can also be very profitable in the right circumstances. There's always those times when you have a certain feel, a certain sense of how a game is going to play out. You may not know who is going to win the game, but you know that it's either going to be a slugfest or a pitching duel. It's in these instances that making a wager on the total of a baseball game is your best bet.

Manage Your Money

The baseball season is a long haul. An avid bettor can make anywhere between 250-300 wagers over the course of the season, and betting predominantly on favorites can have you paying a hefty price without an adequate return. So bet accordingly, mix it up, and shop the lines on the games for the best prices available. If you are a beginner, start with single bets and then progress into making small parlays.

The Bodog Sportsbook offers additional wagering options like MLB futures, MLB team props and MLB player props that you should always explore. They can be great tools for hedging your bets and managing your risk.

Stay disciplined and savvy and by the time the NFL season rolls around you'll have the bankroll to enjoy all the action the football season brings.