How to Bet on MLB Games

Betting on Major League Baseball has never been simpler! Whether you want to wager against a rival or put some capital behind your team, Dimers.com is here to show you how to bet on baseball. 

So, let’s break down the best betting options when it comes to Fernando Tatis Jr., Mookie Betts and company.

MLB Run Line

Often you’ll hear the term against the spread in sports betting, well the run line is exactly that in baseball. 

The run line and spread are one of the same — sort of. Like Hockey’s puck line, baseball has its spread often set at 1.5 ( +/-). This is because the sport is usually so low scoring. 

The reason a team is given a +1.5 run head start, or starts at -1.5, is because  sportsbooks are trying to level out two unequal opponents. 

An underdog team is given a ‘head start’ in the form of runs. To cover a spread a favored team needs to win the game by the specified amount of runs. Meanwhile, an underdog can either win or lose by less than the number to cover.

Example  

Chicago Cubs -1.5

Colorado Rockies +1.5 

Using the example above, if you bet Rockies +1.5, they would need to lose by one run or to cover the spread. 

Conversely, if you bet Cubs (-1.5) against the spread, Chicago would need to win by 2+ runs for you to profit. 

MORE: How do MLB odds work?

Traditional Spread 

In the event of a push — where the bettor and sportsbook tie —  your stake will be refunded.

Example:

Bet: New York Yankees -2 vs. Boston Red Sox 

Final: NY Yankees 10 - Boston Red Sox 8

Given the Yankees only won by 2 runs, and not MORE THAN 2, this is considered a push. You would be refunded your bet, and yes, sadly that means no profit. 

You will also see alternate spreads available for MLB games. Often the spread number is shifted slightly, enabling you to choose between multiple options, all of which give you either a better chance of covering or larger odds.

Example: 

New York Mets -3.5 

Miami Marlins +3.5

MORE: MLB live betting explained

Over/Under (Total)

Betting the over/under in a MLB match simply means you are wagering on how many homers will be scored overall, NOT how many one team will score, nor who will win. 

Example:

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets — Over/Under 11.5

• Bet the Over (12 runs or more to be scored by both teams). 
  
• Bet the Under (11 or less runs to be scored in total). 

There are other options to choose from, including run totals for a particular innings, home team total runs and more. 

MORE: The best strategies for betting on MLB

Moneyline (H2H)

The moneyline is the simplest bet to make in baseball! Betting the moneyline simply means you are picking a team to win the game outright. 

If a team is favored they will have a “-" next to their name. Conversely, the underdog will have a “+.” 

Example 

• If a team has a -200 moneyline it means you need to wager $200 in order to win $100. 
  
• If a team has a “+” moneyline, the goalposts shift. The + tells us how much you would win betting $100, if you win of course.
  
• For example, a +150 moneyline would mean — if successful — a profit of $150.
  
• Similarly if a team had a +185 moneyline, you would make $185 profit — $285 total — when betting $100. 

MORE: When will sports betting become legal in my state?

Futures 

Futures bets are exactly what they sound like. You are wagering on an often far away event. If you’re looking to lay down some capital in the hopes of large winnings down the line, this is the bet for you.

Example: 

Popular future bets include:

• MLB World Series Winner 
• American League MVP
  
• National League MVP
• MLB Regular Season Win Percentage 
• American League Winner 
• National League Winner 
• Division Winner 
• Baseball America Major League Player of the Year

The only downside to futures bets is they can take weeks or even months to occur. If you’re patient, they can pay off big. 

MORE: How to user Dimers Bet Hub

Prop Bets

Prop bets are popular throughout the MLB season and enable you to bet on almost anything which may unfold in a baseball game. 

You can wager on player props; choosing whether they will achieve over/under a certain run total and so much more. 

Example: 

Common prop bets include:

• Most home runs scored by player
• Player v Player (Which pitcher will have more strikeouts)
  
• Which team will score last
  
• Anytime home run hitter
• Will a home run be scored in X inning
• First team to X home runs

Depending on the sportsbook, there may be options to include props in a mixed parlay. Although most books force you to have a parlay strictly involving props. 

In Dimers’ MLB Bet Hub you have the perfect opportunity to locate some of the best prop bets across the United States. Our predictive analytics model simulates each MLB game 10,000 times to give you the best probabilities for over/under, moneyline, spread betting and same game parlays.

MORE: How to use Dimers Quick Picks

Multiple-Game Bets

Parlay 

A parlay simply involves more than one wager combined together for greater odds. You can place a same-game baseball parlay — multiple events from one matchup — or alternatively, events across multiple games.

Example: 

You could take San Diego Padres (-6.5) to cover against Arizona and take the over 13.5 points total in a same-game parlay. You could add bets from other games, say LA Dodgers to beat Anaheim (moneyline). 

More legs = higher odds and a greater chance at a larger return. Beware, some sportsbooks do not allow you to bet both the moneyline and spread within the same game. Books may even cap the number of events you can have in a parlay, although there are those without limits.

In any parlay you will need to get each event correct for there to be a payout. Often there is no refund for getting 7 out of 8 accurate. 

In the event of one or more legs resulting in a push, your parlay as a whole will be considered a push, meaning your stake will be refunded. 

MORE: How to use Dimers Live Now section

Live Betting 

Live or in-play betting is where you wager on a baseball game currently in progress. As odds shift throughout the game, you can find the bet to suit you whilst the action continues on. 

Example: 

• Moneyline
  
• Spread
  
• Prop bets
  
• Next team to score a home run
  
• Next home run scorer

Utilize the Dimers live in-play probabilities section to increase your knowledge and chances of winning on your live bets. 

The live probabilities of any MLB match can be accessed through the scoreboards at the top of the Dimers website, the Live Now section and even in the MLB Bet Hub [link].

Move fast in the live betting space, otherwise your odds will vanish quicker than Alex Rodriguez in the postseason.