Make Money Enjoying America’s Pastime
The Boys of Summer return each spring and nothing compares to the umpire yelling, “Play ball!” From April through October millions sit in front of their television screens or take in a game at the ball yard to watch their favorite teams play the game we all loved as kids. But this brand of baseball is unlike any other you’ll find because Major League Baseball features the finest players in the world and nothing else compares.
If you’re in love with the game of baseball and have a knack for picking the winners, perhaps it’s time to get in on the action instead of just sitting in the bleachers. Oftentimes, when people think of sports betting, they often think of football or even soccer. Sports picks come in all forms and are wagered on all kinds of events. But betting baseball is different because it primarily involves money lines and not point spreads like football. All you need to do is pick the winner and nothing else matters. No worrying about your team emerging victorious but not winning by enough. Baseball is simply about backing the team that wins the game at the end of nine innings or even extra innings.
Of course, the oddsmakers & betting sites have to make it fair which is why the risk on the favorite is greater than the risk on the underdog. When you start betting baseball you must know a little about how the money line works and below we will give you a few examples to help you get started with your MLB picks.
Money Lines Made Easy
Betting baseball is simple. All it involves is the bettor making his MLB picks on what we call a money line. Depending upon the online betting site that you use, the difference between the favorite and the underdog is usually delineated as follows:
New York Mets +125
San Francisco Giants -135
This is based on a $100 bet and is referred to as a “dime line”. It means that if you bet $100 on the underdog Mets (any team with the + sign in front of their odds is the underdog) you can win $125. If you bet the favorite, which in this case is the Giants (any team with the – sign in front of their odds is the favorite) you must risk $135 to win $100.
Some online sportsbooks deliver a bigger spread between the favorite and the underdog and we call that a “nickel line”. In this case, it would be the following:
New York Mets +125
San Francisco Giants -145
Notice the same return on the Mets but the bettor must lay more money on the favorite. Baseball bettors generally like to shop at online betting sites with dime lines but sometimes a nickel line bookmaker will have better odds on the underdog because they tend to make their favorites so high. So don’t necessarily exclude a sportsbook that hangs nickel lines as an option because sometimes you can find value there as well.
The higher the MLB odds on the favorite, the wider the spread. If a favorite reaches -200 (meaning $200 to win $100) the underdog will be offered at +185 and not +190 because the favorite is so big. Furthermore, if a favorite is posted at -250, you might see the underdog posted at +225 or +230. Normally you won’t see favorites in excess of -300 but like anything else, there are exceptions to every rule.
Just remember, including heavy favorites as a staple to your MLB picks might seem like the smart thing to do because of a clear pitching mismatch or a huge talent disparity in the lineups but watch out because if you lose a bet where you are risking $300 to win $100, you must win approximately three bets to negate that one loss. We call heavy favorites the “chalk” and people who can’t resist betting them are called “chalk eaters.” Don’t be a chalk eater, it’s not good for your teeth and it will deplete your bankroll!
Starting Pitchers Matter
Understand that the most critical aspect of choosing which team to include in your MLB picks is assessing the pitching matchup. Starting pitchers are the single most important ingredient to the oddsmakers when they set a line. Study your pitchers and see how they have performed historically against the opponent they will be facing in that game. This is a major component of increasing your chances of success and making money over the long grind that is the MLB season.
Once you have determined which team you want to back in your MLB picks, the smart bettors or “wise guys” always name the pitcher. That means that if a pitcher you’re counting on to start the game is a late scratch then so too is your bet. If you don’t name the pitcher, then the MLB odds will be adjusted accordingly and you will be saddled with that bet no matter who starts for the team you backed. That’s not good because all your homework just went out the window and you are essentially playing craps at this point, just hoping the new starting pitcher gets you into the win column. In short, never forget to name your pitcher!
