Florida sports bettors have a variety of ways to bet on Major League Baseball online. There is one real money site available in Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, plus social sportsbooks like Fliff where you can also legally bet on the MLB. That’s in addition to retail sportsbooks at several Seminole-owned properties in the state.
Here is a complete guide explaining the key aspects of how to bet on MLB baseball. From the various available bets to some general advice, this page covers everything you need to know about MLB betting in Florida. the high points.
The basics of betting on baseball
When placing a bet on any sport, the two most important factors are your selection and the odds associated with it. Once you understand the various bets and how to read odds, you will be able to bet with confidence.
While we’ll explain all the bets below, the odds are something that people sometimes overlook. After all, knowing the odds tells you the potential return, which is a crucial aspect.
When betting on baseball in Florida, the odds for different selections will appear in American format by default. American odds will appear as a number beside the team name. This number will either have a positive sign or a negative sign next to it. If the odds appear as a positive number, that represents how much money you’d win on a successful $100 wager. For example, if the Miami Marlins were +300 to win their next game, a $100 bet would win $300, for a total return of $400.
On the other hand, if the odds appear as a negative number, that represents how much money you would need to wager to win $100. For example, if the Tampa Bay Rays odds are -200 to win their next game, you would need to bet $200 to win $100, totaling a potential return of $300.
Types of baseball bets
There are a few baseball bets that are always available both at retail sportsbooks and online at sites like BetMGM Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and others. All regulated Florida sportsbooks also offer these bets for every MLB game, including the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. If you have experience with betting on other sports, some of these bet types will be very familiar, and it should be an easy transition.
Run lines
The run line is baseball’s equivalent to the point spread for basketball and football. The default run line is 1.5. This means that the favorite will have a run line of -1.5, meaning it must win by at least two runs for a bet on that side to win. On the other side, the underdog will have a run line of +1.5. If you bet on that side, you win if the team wins or loses by one.
There are also alternate run lines that many sportsbooks offer where you can move the line to 2, 2.5 or even higher in exchange for different odds.
Moneylines
The moneyline is simply a bet on one side to win. Whichever team has won the game at the end of the day will pay out on any moneyline bets. Because teams differ in strength, the odds are a crucial component to any moneyline bet.
Baseball also offers many first five inning bets including moneyline bets. This simply means betting on whichever team is winning after the conclusion of the first five innings. With such a bet, you generally don’t have to worry about the bullpens and can just focus on each starting pitcher.
Over/unders
The final of the three main baseball bets, alongside the moneyline and run line, the over/under is a bet on the combined score of a game. The sportsbook will set a line, and you wager if you think the combine total score will be over or under that line.
For example, the sportsbook might set the over/under for a game between the Rays and Marlins at 8. If the game ends with a score of 7-6, the combined total of 13 would make anyone who bet on the over the winner.
Parlays
Parlays involve combining multiple selections into one ticket. The MLB odds increase exponentially as you add more selections, offering the potential to turn a small stake into a large profit. The downside is that if any of your selections are wrong, you win nothing. So while the potential rewards are high, so are the risks. For example, you might parlay the run lines of both the Rays and Marlins if they were playing separate games. If both teams won by at least two, your bet would win.
Futures
Futures are bets on season-long outcomes or what happens in the playoffs. Common futures bets for MLB involve betting on who will win the World Series or which player will win the Cy Young or other major individual awards for each league.
Betting on the Marlins to win the World Series would be an example of a futures bet. Because of the difficulty involved in predicting events so far in the future, futures bets often have big odds and high potential returns.
Additional bets on baseball games
Now that we’ve discussed some of the more common baseball bets, it’s time to explore some more. These additional couple of bets are becoming more popular as betting market continues to grow.
Player props
Player props involve betting on the accomplishments of an individual in any given game. For fans who have a favorite player or just enjoy following the game on a micro level, these bets can be a fun activity.
For example, betting on a specific player to have a certain number of total bases or to hit a home run in the game that night is a player prop. Because there are baseball games nearly every night during the season, these bets are nearly always available.
Live bets
Live betting involves placing wagers on games as they happen in real time and is becoming super popular, especially with those who are watching the game. You can gain information from the first few innings and then place bets for the rest of the game.
Live betting can be as exact as betting on the outcome of a certain at-bat. If you think that a player will get a hit, you can make that wager as you watch the game.
Calculating payouts on MLB bets
Before you place a bet, you want to make sure that you know how much you stand to win. The good news is that if you are using an online sportsbook, it can do the work for you. It’s still a good idea to have a handle on the basics, though, before placing your bets at top Florida betting sites.
When using the American format and the odds are negative, use this formula (converting the odds to a positive number beforehand):
- Potential profit = stake / (odds/100)
And for a positive number, use this formula:
- Potential profit = stake x (odds/100)
MLB betting tips and strategy
When it comes to MLB betting and sports betting in general, here are a few betting tips to keep in mind. These can help you stay profitable, though they often require some growing pains at the start to fully learn.
- Bet with your head, not your heart: All baseball fans have certain teams or players that they like more than others. When it comes to betting, your only loyalties can lie with the numbers. You should not be favoring certain teams or players if the numbers are saying otherwise.
- Don’t play too many parlays: Everyone loves parlays as they can offer huge potential returns, but it’s best to think of them as more of a lottery ticket. They can be very difficult to win, and any experienced bettor will tell you that they do not make up the backbone of a successful strategy. Keep these bets to a minimum.
- Track your bets: Perhaps the most important tip of them all, tracking your bets is a practice that anyone can do. Not only will you be able to have a better idea of where your money is going, but you will also be able to see if there are certain bets you do better on and refine your strategy as you go along.
Sportsbook rules for MLB betting
While every sportsbook has slightly different MLB betting rules, there are a few common practices that one should know before betting on baseball. After reading this section, check the house rules that your sportsbook uses to see what exactly you may need to take into consideration.
Because baseball games can be rained out or suspended for other reasons, it’s important to know what happens to your bet in this situation. The general rule is that full game moneyline bets become official once five innings are in the books. Other bets such as the run line and over/under don’t become locked in until the game is complete.
Thus even if your bet has already cashed — perhaps you picked the over and it hit midway through the game — your bet will be void if the game ends early. This is generally how the majority of sportsbooks treat suspended games, though it’s worth checking out the rules at each one.