Best MLB Betting Sites

Major League Baseball is set to take centre stage over the summer as the premier sport to consume. In this article we will attempt to tell you everything you need to know about betting on baseball!

Major League Baseball is the premier sporting league of the summer. The boys of summer compete over a 162-game season, culminating in the postseason and eventual World Series. With 30 professional teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), there is a large pool of talent in between the white lines of baseball.

The league is separated into 6 divisions, 3 in the American League and 3 in the National League. Each league has 15 teams, with one team representing their respective league in the World Series. Major League Baseball added new rules to the 2023 season, like the pitch clock and the removal of defensive shifts. These changes may seem minor but have impacted MLB betting odds since its implementation in Spring Training.

Betting on baseball is an exhilarating experience. From classic wagers such as the Runline and Moneyline to the always entertaining prop bets, MLB odds are a hot-commodity for online sportsbooks.

What makes baseball betting is the unknown. On any given night, a star could be born. Players from small town USA to hotbeds like the Dominican Republic and Japan have changed the game with each appearance, allowing fans to witness something never before seen!

The partnership of baseball and betting has been a dynamic duo thanks to baseball’s interesting betting lines and unpredictability.

Now that we have seen some options for sportsbooks to use and have general information on the MLB and baseball, let us look at it from a betting perspective. How does a bettor wager on the MLB or baseball?

Moneylines: Obviously the classic wager on any sporting event or competition is betting the moneyline. The moneyline in baseball is determined at the end of each game. It does not function like a 3-way moneyline unless otherwise specified, so if your moneyline bet goes to extra innings, it is still live. The MLB is special in that there are 162 regular-season games for each team, which means there are many games to bet almost every day of the season. When betting on these games there are so many different factors that go into an MLB moneyline bet. Who is the starting pitcher? Does the batting lineup have left handed hitters and/or switch hitters? Who is the home team? Is it a divisional game? You must ask yourself all these questions as with a 162 game season, there is bound to be a fair bit of parity.

Personally, for myself I typically try to look for moneylines that are -130 or greater odds. It is really hard to justify betting on a moneyline favourite with odds of say -175, because you must risk 1.75 times more to win only 1 times your wager. As of the end of May, if you had bet $100 on the underdog’s ML in every game excluding the Oakland Athletics (the worst team in the MLB), you would be up $1944.55. If you love betting favourites, then I have another option that may favour your betting desires for baseball.

Runlines (Spreads): Runlines in baseball refer to the spread on a game. Your standard MLB runline will set one team as a -1.5 favourite and the other team as a +1.5 underdog. So this means if you are betting on a favourite, they must win by 2 runs or more and if you are betting on the underdog, they can either win outright or lose by 1 run and your bet would still be considered a winner.

Now it is important to understand that if you are betting underdogs here at +1.5 spread, you still need to try and find value. Runline underdogs are covering in 58% of games, but a $100 bettor would still be down $1262.01 this season, because some of these +1.5 underdogs are -200. It is important to look for value. For example, road underdogs typically get greater odds and it has proven to be a more profitable avenue this season. Road underdogs are cashing at 59.7% and would leave $100 bettors up $254.90 on the season.

Totals: Just like NHL, NBA, NFL or Soccer Betting, the MLB offers totals on the runs scored in every single game. Baseball much like football, can be greatly affected by the weather, so it is important to note when a game is being played indoors and when a game is playing outdoors. Baseballs will encounter less air resistance during warmer weather versus colder weather. The lower resistance means the ball will carry further in warm weather. Therefore, early in the season run totals will start off lower more often than not and increase as we reach the summer.

Additionally, there are certain stadiums that are considered more of a “hitter’s park” or alternatively a “pitcher’s park”. This insinuates that the hitter or pitcher may have an advantage based on the layout of the park and in special cases, like Coors Field they may have an advantage because of altitude. Coors Field in Colorado consistently has the highest run totals in the MLB, because of altitude which makes the air thinner and results in balls carrying further.

Accordingly, sport betting apps juice the run totals up much higher for a game at Coors Field compared to somewhere like Nationals Park in Washington.

First 5 Innings: One of the worst feelings when betting on baseball is when you pick the right starting pitcher, but the bullpen lets you down. When betting on the first 5 innings, you can usually avoid wagering on bullpens. On average starting pitchers should be able to pitch for 5 innings, which makes a first 5 innings bet the perfect bet if you are focusing your research and knowledge on starting pitching. Most teams have a rotation of 5 pitchers and depending on which pitcher is starting, it can greatly sway the odds and outcome. For example, the San Francisco Giants are 28-28 on the season, but their F5 record is 25-19-12, which is obviously a much more profitable number. 

Alternatively, some teams are very reliant on their bullpen and it may be worth fading their starting pitching. The New York Mets are 30-27 this season, but their F5 record is 23-30-3. It should also be noted there are F5 totals as well, so if you find the total for the game to be an intimidating number, perhaps the F5 total may be more attractive. For example, when a game has a total of 8.0 runs, the F5 total could be anywhere between 4-5 runs, which leaves a fair bit of room for a value play based on the F5 line itself.

MLB promotions are integral for users. When registering for an online betting site, you’ll want to join one that has great MLB bonuses and promotions to help your money go further!

Two bookmakers we highly recommend for MLB promotions and bonuses include Bodog and Bet99!

Bodog’s offer of daily specials are enticing for baseball fans of varying experience. Their daily specials are usually prop bets or parlays but the boosted odds and potential payouts are unreal. These daily specials are a hit among baseball fans and a sure-fire way to get baseball bettors to join their site. Furthermore, Bodog also offers live cash outs and a 100% matched deposit up to $400. It’s no surprise Bodog’s baseball betting is top notch.

Not to be outdone, Bet99 comes in clutch for baseball fans. Bet99’s ongoing promotion of offering free bet bonuses after 10 MLB wagers has baseball fans excited. On top of that, Bet99’s welcome bonus features a 100% matched deposit up to $500. This extra bonus is quite generous and is considered for its great value. Bet99 also has tons of betting options and markets for you to take advantage of!

When placing bets on the MLB, you need to follow the rules! Below, we look at popular MLB betting sites and how the rules can shift between different sportsbooks.

Still looking for additional information? These baseball betting FAQs should cover anything we missed in the content above!