How to Bet on Baseball
Sports Betting in the U.S has been going for decades. In recent years, online platforms like MintDice have been created to allow fans to bet on their favorite sports from the comfort of their homes. Nowadays, you can bet on pretty much any major professional sports in the U.S. including America’s favorite pastime.
If you are looking to place some bets on baseball, then you should keep reading to hear some tips on how to bet on baseball. However, it is important to keep in mind that gambling is risky. You should never bet any money you aren’t prepared to lose.
Can You Bet on Baseball?
First, you may be wondering if you can even legally bet on baseball. The answer is yes! Betting on Major League Baseball games is legal on the federal level across the United States. With that important detail out of the way, you may now be wondering how it’s different from other sports. The main difference comes in the terms you should know.
Because betting is legal at the federal level, many companies and websites have been created to serve as online sportsbooks. These websites and companies make it easier for people to place bets on sports games from home. Just because it is legal for you to gable online doesn’t mean it is legal for you to bets sports in person. Be sure to check the regulations in your state before placing a bet.
Common Betting Terms When Betting on Baseball
Action
The first term you need to know when betting on baseball is “action”. This term means that a bet was placed. More importantly, it means that the bet still counts even if there is a change in pitchers or a change in MLB odds. If this happens, then the action bettor will receive the updated MLB odds.
You must specify action when you place the bet otherwise it will be a default bet which means the starting pitcher has to start in order for the bet to count.
Spread
Another term to know is betting against the spread. This is a type of bet you can place on a game, and it means that you are betting that the sum of the total points from both teams at the end of the game will be less than the predicted score. ATS is the acronym for against the spread betting.
Covered
If you plan on betting against the spread, then it will also be important for you to know the meaning of the term covered. When talking about betting, to cover means to beat the spread. For example, if the Dodgers are favored to win a game by two runs, and they win by 3 then they are said to have “covered”.
Bases and Chalk
Bases means the same as saying baseball. It is a term used to say you are betting on baseball. Saying you are betting on bases is the same as saying you are betting on baseball games. Another term is chalk. This means betting on the favorite.
EV
Even money means that you risk a dollar to win a dollar. This is usually abbreviated to EV or as PK. There are hundreds of more terms when it comes to betting in baseball, but these are just a handful that would be helpful for you to know before starting to bet on baseball games.
Things You Need to Know Before You Bet on Baseball
This might go without saying, but before you bet on baseball you should have a good understanding of baseball stats. You should look at innings pitched, walks, plus hits per innings pitched, earned run average, and wins above replacement for starting pitchers to help you choose what team to bet on.
Unlike other sports such as basketball and football, the pitching rotation has a major impact on game results and betting in Baseball. The starting pitcher is different in pretty much every game, so it is important that you are aware of who is pitching the game you want to bet on.
With these stats in mind, you will be able to make a more informed decision on which teams to bet on and which teams to stay away.
Is it Possible to Make Money Betting on Baseball?
You might have been wondering this whole time if you can actually make money betting on baseball. The answer depends on your knowledge of the game. If you are someone who knows a lot about baseball, and follows the sport regularly, then you might have a chance at making some money by betting on games.
Having a deep understanding of the game, and all of the stats that are involved in the game of baseball can help increase your chances of winning money. However, no matter how much of a baseball expert you are, you will always rely on luck. You have no control over how a player or team performs during a game. With this said, by having a deep understanding of baseball and betting you can reduce the impact that luck has on your odds, and tilt the odds just a little bit in your favor.
There are people who make thousands of dollars by betting on baseball games every season. This is why betting has become so popular especially in recent years. Nowadays, bets are made on even the smallest of details. In some sports, like NFL Football, prop bets are made on things like what color the Gatorade will be at the Superbowl.
It is important to keep in mind that despite all of the money that can be made by placing bets on baseball games, you are still at risk of losing all the money you bet. It is for this reason that you should only bet money that you are willing and prepared to lose. By expecting to lose the money, you will not be disappointed if in fact you do lose your money.
You should always try to be as responsible as you can while betting on sports because at the end of the day, sports betting is gambling. If you develop a gambling addiction you should reach out to someone and seek professional help.
