Guide to Major League Baseball Betting Online in 2023

The following section will explain a couple of the most common types of MLB bets. Every MLB betting sportsbook sets up the bets in its style, but there are a few general categories that you’ll recognize instantly. A simple working knowledge of the following bets is enough to keep you busy.

MLB Money Lines

MLB money lines are like the money line bets for any other sport. The object in these bets is to pick which team will win an upcoming game. Sportsbooks manipulate the payout odds to account for uneven matchups. Here’s an example:

NY Yankees -165

Detroit Tigers +140

The Yankees are the stronger team in this matchup, so the sportsbook has assigned money line odds of -165 to the Yankees. All bettors are asked to risk C$1.65 for every C$1.00 in potential winnings.

The Tigers are the weaker team in this matchup, so the sportsbook has given them odds of +140; This means that all bettors can potentially win C$1.40 for every C$1.00 they risk on the Tigers.

MLB Run Lines

Run lines are a combination of point spreads and money lines. Baseball is a relatively low scoring game, so most sportsbooks avoid straight-up point spread bets. The easiest way to explain these bets is with the help of an example:

NY Yankees -1.5 (-180)

KC Royals +1.5 (+200)

First of all, let’s look at the point spread part of this bet. The Yankees are giving 1.5 points to the Royals. If you place a bet on the Yankees to win, they must win by at least two runs. You will lose the bet if the Yankees do not win the game by at least two runs.

If you place a bet on the Royals, you will lose the bet only if the Royals lose by two runs or more. If the Royals win outright or if they only lose by one run, your bet will be considered a winner.

At the same time, the sportsbook has incorporated a Moneyline. If you wager on the Yankees, you will be asked to risk C$1.80 for every C$1.00 in potential winnings. If you wager on the Royals, you will be paid C$2.00 for every C$1.00 you risk betting on.

MLB Point Spreads

MLB point spreads are pretty rare on the internet. These bets are the same as run lines, except they do not include the money line element.

MLB Totals

MLB totals are basic bets in which the sportsbook chooses a number, and then you try to predict whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under that number. If you guess correctly, you will be paid even money (or close to it).

The Yankees and Royals are playing a game in a few days. The sportsbook analyzes the game and then sets the total at 10.5 runs. In this bet, you would place a wager on the “over” if you think the combined score of both teams will be 11 points or more. You would place a bet on the “under” if you think the combined score will be 10 points or fewer.

MLB Prop Bets

MLB prop bets are fun baseball betting that involves things other than which team will win the game. A few examples of baseball prop bets include wagers such as which team will score the first run whether or not there will be home runs within a certain amount of time.

One of the exciting things about MLB props is that they are limited only by imagination. Over the years, we have seen some pretty wild MLB prop bets. If you want to switch it up to keep things interesting, consider looking into baseball proposition bets.

MLB Futures

MLB futures are bets that take longer than most before they are resolved. These bets involve which team will win a championship or which player will have the most home runs this year. As a result, MLB futures typically involve many potential outcomes. They are challenging to win, but they often promise large payouts for winning bets.