How To Bet On MLB: Bet Types, Strategy & More

Reading MLB Betting Lines

We live in a time where you can find information on anything just with a few taps on your smartphone, but unfortunately sports gambling hasn’t fully caught up. Many sites that display MLB odds are showing images of the opening line and you are left to fend for yourself when you go to place a bet at the book. 

BetQL prides itself on having the most up to date MLB betting odds at all time. We are able to work closely with sportsbooks and are able to reflect up to the second MLB run line odds changes. If the line changes at your book you can be sure that BetQL has that updated MLB line. No longer do you have to go searching around to find MLB lines for the day because BetQL has everything you need and more!

Betting The Moneyline

MLB Moneyline betting is the simplest and a popular form of MLB betting. In MLB moneyline betting you are simply picking which team will outright win the game. MLB moneyline odds will list the the favorite in a given game as a negative number (ie. -200) that means you will have to bet that amount to win $100. MLB moneyline odds will also list the as a positive number (ie. +500) that means you will win that amount on a $100 bet.

The lines in MLB moneyline betting typically range from -110, which would be considered a small favorite all the way up to -350 which would be considered a massive favorite. Many bettors like to parlay multiple moneyline bets together to help to improve the potential payout.

BetQL will help you to make the most informed MLB moneyline bets using our MLB picks against the moneyline as well as our MLB picks against the spread, and MLB totals.

Betting The Run Line

Betting against the spread, or ATS for short, is the most popular way to bet on MLB games and is also very simple. Betting against the spread in MLB is also commonly referred to as betting against the Run Line (RL). 

The team that is favored will be listed with a negative number (ie. -1.5) and that is the number they need to win the game by. MLB run lines are always listed as -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdogs. This means that the favorite must win the game by 2 runs and the underdog can lose the game by a run or win the game outright for you to win an MLB run line bet. Since MLB games cannot end in a tie, there is no situation where an MLB run line bet can “push”. 

For example, we will look at two different scenarios: 

Example 1: The Red Sox are +105 vs. the Yankees who are -125 on the money line, their odds against the run line would be Boston +1.5 at -180 odds while the Yankees are -1.5 at +150 odds. The large difference in the run line odds are due to how close of a game this is projected to be via the money line odds. 

Example 2: The Orioles are +220 vs. the Rays who are -270 on the line, their odds against the run line would be Baltimore +1.5  at +105 odds while Tampa Bay is -1.5 at -125 odds. The run line does not adjust to a higher number (ie: +/- 2.5), but instead will adjust the odds on the +/- 1.5 runs. 

Betting The Run Total

Betting the total for a game in a bet on how many total runs will be scored in a game. In MLB, game totals are typically between 6 and 13 runs. There can be a “push” if the total amount of points scored in the game exactly equals the total. MLB over/under can also be used to describe betting the total in the MLB. 

MLB run totals and MLB over-under bets are the combined points scored between both of the teams playing in a selected game. There are also options to bet on how many points only one of the teams will score. This is referred to as MLB team total betting. You can also bet on the total points scored in the first five innings, otherwise known as MLB first five innings (F5) totals or MLB first half over/unders.

MLB over-under betting can be tricky and you must find value in your MLB totals in order to remain profitable over the long term. To do this, BetQL has created value models to help you find which MLB games have the most value for MLB spread bets, MLB money line bets, and MLB totals. 

Betting The First Five Innings

MLB first five innings money line bets are ideal for teams that have a trend of getting off to a hot start or have better odds on a first five inning only money line bet. There are also options to bet MLB first five inning run line bets. Betting MLB first five inning spread betting is the same concept as betting MLB first five inning moneylines, except you are betting against the spread (ATS), which in MLB is typically +0.5 or -0.5 runs for the first five innings. 

MLB first five innings moneylines are typically at lower odds than the MLB full game money lines. This makes MLB first five innings moneyline betting popular among bettors who like to target teams who are big favorites in any given matchup. Underdogs should not be overlooked in MLB first five innings moneyline betting, especially from home underdogs who tend to come out and play well in front of their home fans before talent and ability take hold in the second half of a game.

BetQL has best bets for all of the bet types above! Get in the game now!

Betting MLB Player Props

Betting on a player prop many times is just like betting on a game, except you are betting on how an individual player performs in that game. Most books each game will have odds on all the players listed in the lineup, and you can bet on them to do a modicum of things, including hitting homers, getting RBI's, stealing bases, getting hits etc. There are a ton of different bets you can make with player props, so go to your favorite book and take a look at all the options available. You can also bet on pitchers as well, like if they get the win, how many strikeouts they will have, how many runs they give up and more. You thought I was kidding when I said you can bet on just about anything, but you were wrong.

Most player prop bets have lines that are juiced in favor of how good a player is. If a guy is leading the league in home runs, you can be sure his home run prop will cost you a pretty penny to place a wager on. If someone isn't particularly good at hitting homers, you can usually get him at plus money to get one in the game. It's all about getting the most value out of your bets, and analyzing every situation to figure out what bets have a good chance of hitting. Maybe that home run leader has been awful against a certain pitcher in his career, but the guy who doesn't hit many homers has had big success against him. That could be your way of betting on a player prop. There are many strategies you could implement.

You know how they say there's an app for everything? There's a bet for everything as well.

Betting MLB Futures

Futures bets are not the same as any of the other bets listed above. When you bet on a future, you're betting on something that will win or lose at the end of the season typically. These bets include who will win the World Series, which teams will win their division, who will win AL/NL MVP, who leads the league in home runs, RBIs, hits etc. Basically, you are betting on awards and records at the end of the season. Almost all futures bets are going to be at plus money, because you are tying up that money for a longer period of time rather than just one game. Say you bet $100 on Mike Trout to win AL MVP at +400 at the beginning of the season. If he actually wins the award, you would get paid out $500, but that $100 you bet had been sitting there for the length of an entire season in which so much could go on. He could get injured or not perform well, and then you would be regretting your bet.

When making a futures bet, just make sure it is well-informed before tying up any money in them. Luckily for you, myself and all of us here at BetQL write articles on futures bets to make all the time, so you can decide for yourself if our picks are something you want to invest in as well.

See all of the betting options from our sportsbook partners below and capitalize on exclusive offers!