How to Bet on Baseball Even If You Don't Know the Infield from the Outfield
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A day out at the ball park is a quintessentially American rite of passage for many families to enjoy together. As well as the thousands of spectators that turn up to support their teams around the country, there are millions of viewers who tune in to live fixtures from the comfort of their own home or at local sports bars. However, you don't have to be a baseball expert to watch or bet on one of the country's most popular sports. While a good understanding of the game will help with some betting markets, there are others that casual viewers can enjoy.Another great thing about modern sports betting apps is that you can bet on the go and keep up to date with all the latest in-match betting, enjoying bonuses and freebies from online sportsbooks, even without expert knowledge of baseball.
The Best Baseball Betting Markets
There are lots of baseball markets for sports fans to enjoy, with some better left until you have a better understanding of the game, and others perfect for people who just want a little fun.
Moneyline
Moneyline betting is as straightforward as it gets, and lets bettors choose the team they think will win the game. It is as simple as that, you will choose the team to be the outright winner and can check the odds to see who is the favorite for the tie. Moneyline betting odds will show as a plus symbol (+) to indicate the underdog and a minus symbol (-) for the favorite. If a team has odds of -110, you would have to stake $110 to get a return of $210, which consists of $100 winnings and your $110 stake back. An underdog priced at +150 would see a return of $250 on a $100 stake, consisting of your $100 stake back and $150 in winnings.
Points Spread
The point spread in sports betting is similar to moneyline betting, but the odds are leveled through handicapping. This means that the odds for both teams share the same odds to win, but the favorite would start with a handicap of -1.5 runs, for example. The Underdog might start with +1.5 runs, and the outcome of the bet will take into consideration the final score and the handicap or head start.
Over and Under Market
The over and under betting market for baseball lets fans bet on how many total runs will be scored in a game by both teams. The market will set odds for specific run amounts for fans to bet on whether they believe the total tally will exceed or be below it. For example, a bet might have an over and under market on 8.5 runs in a game. While it is impossible for 8.5 runs to be made, this helps get a definitive result.
Team Totals
Where under and over bets focus on the total points tally at the end of a game, team totals allow betting on individual team totals. The overall result does not matter with this bet, only the total runs scored by one team.
Parlay
Parlay bets are accumulators that require some selections to be made for one bet. This could include a selection of moneyline bets on different teams. With a parlay, all selections must win for the bet to come up. Though this increases the risk of the bet, it also increases the odds and gives players a better chance of winning more money.
Same Game Parlay
Same game parlays include several selections from the same game that must all come up in order for the bet to be successful. There may be some limitations on the types of bets that can be included, as some will affect others.
Props
Baseball props are bets which focus on events that may happen in a game. This can cover players and teams with bets on individual performances and stats. Popular bets include player hits or strikeouts in a game.
First Five Innings
Some sports offer half-time betting or other sections of games for selections to be made on what happens during this period. Betting on the first five innings discounts anything that happens after this and offers odds on what occurs up to the end of the fifth.
Grand Salami
The Grand Salami bet is an over and under bet on the total number of runs across all games played on the same day. This can be a fun bet that keeps bettors entertained as they check the scores throughout the day.
Conclusion
With so many great baseball betting markets, fans can pick and choose depending on their knowledge or hopes. A flutter on a game can help to increase the excitement, and neutrals tuning in to games will have a bigger interest if the potential to win money is on the table.