How to Bet On Baseball

Betting Expert

Updated: 3 October 2023

Baseball betting is something that is very popular across the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest fanbase in the UK, there are still many bettors who love the MLB and enjoy placing wagers on the action. Before we go into detail about how to bet on baseball, let’s take a brief look at the steps involved.

1. Start off by selecting one of our recommended UK-licensed betting sites and create an account.
2. To place your first bet, you will need to make a deposit. Make your way to the banking page and click on the “Deposit” tab.
3. Select the payment method you’d like to use, enter your details as well as the amount you’d like to transfer before confirming the transaction.
4. Go to the “Baseball” section of the site and choose the game you’d like to wager on.
5. Browse the available markets before selecting the odds to add it to your bet slip. Select the amount you’d like to bet and click “Place Bet” to complete the process.

It’s as simple as that! Other aspects we’ll look at in this guide include outlining the most common bet types, tips to keep in mind when betting on baseball, and much more.

If you are interested in baseball betting online, then you will likely want to know straight away how to get down to business and start placing your wagers.

There aren’t too many hurdles that you need to negotiate to get fully up and running. Here are the main steps involved when you want to learn how to bet on baseball.

Step 1: Visit the Betting Site

First, you will need to choose a reputable site. There are many great baseball betting sites available these days. However, when it comes to bonuses, odds, and live streaming, we found William Hill to be the very best. This casino is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and provides a safe and secure gambling experience for baseball betting fans.

Step 2: Create an Account

You will now need to create an account. Begin the registration process and provide the necessary information, such as your home address, date of birth, and full name. You also need to create a username and password before completing the registration process.

Step 3: Make a Deposit and Start Betting on Baseball

Once you’ve registered, make your way to the banking page, select your preferred method, enter the relevant details as well as the amount you wish to deposit. Once your funds become available, select the “Betting” tab at the top of the page and select “baseball” to get started.

Understanding Baseball Odds

When it comes to baseball betting, you might come across different odds formats. This is because baseball is predominantly an American sport and they have their own way of doing things compared to the UK. In this part of our guide to betting on baseball, we’ll take a look at a quick breakdown of the different types of baseball betting odds formats you’ll be coming across.

Fractional

Fractional odds are what is seen the most when you are betting in the UK, with some people calling them “British” or “traditional” odds. You simply multiply the odds by the stake size to get your potential profit.

$fractional odds$

In this example, if the Cubs win at odds of 20/27, this means that for every £100 bet, you’ll earn a profit of £74.07 (20/27 x £100). If the Tigers win, you’ll make a profit of £115 from each £100 wager.

Moneyline

The moneyline odds format this often called the ‘American’ odds and will include either a plus or minus sign. The plus sign is going to be associated with the event that has a lower probability and as a result, will have a higher payout than a minus sign.

In this example, if the Tigers win, you will make a profit of £115 for every £100 that you bet on the Tigers. If the Cubs win, you will need to wager £135 to make a £100 profit.

Decimal

Decimal odds are also seen from time to time in the UK. The odds represent the sum that you will win from each £1 that you bet. With decimal odds, they include the size of the original bet in your potential return.

In this example, you will have a total return of £1.74 for every £1 you bet on the Cubs to win (a £0.74 profit) if they’re victorious. If you bet £1 on the Tigers and they win, you will get a £2.15 return (a £1.15 profit).

Different Types of Baseball Bets

When looking at how to bet on baseball, it is important to consider the different types of wagers that you are going to be able to place. This allows you to tailor your approach depending on the given game that you’re considering. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main types of bets you can place on baseball games.

Baseball Bet	Definition
Moneyline	The most basic type of wager for baseball betting will be a moneyline bet. This sees you betting on the team that you think is going to win the given match.
Run line	A points spread is a way in which a lot of people bet on games, as it applies a handicap to the favourite. This is called the run line in baseball. For example, the Yankees might be given a -1.5 run handicap, so they have to win the baseball game by at least two runs for your run line wager to be a winner.
Totals (under/over)	There will be plenty of over/under bets in place when it comes to baseball. You might bet on the over/under runs that a given team will get in a game or what the final result will be.
First five innings (FS)	This type of wager sees you betting on what you think the outcome of the first five innings in a given game will be. A tie is possible to bet on with this option.
Proposition (Prop) bet	Prop bets are another popular betting option as you can bet on individual players. For example, you might wager on an over/under total of strikeouts a given pitcher will have during a baseball game.
Parlay	A parlay bet sees you adding numerous selections together into a single wager. You need every one of these selections to win in order to get a payout.
Futures bet	This type of wager sees you betting on some future event happening, such as betting on the team you think will win the World Series at the end of the season.

Baseball Betting Tips To Boost Your Chances of Winning

If you’re looking to incorporate some baseball betting systems, there aren’t really any fool-proof ways to guarantee success. However, there are certain baseball betting tips that you can take into consideration when deciding on the types of wagers you wish to place. Here’s a look at some general pieces of advice to keep in mind the next time you’re placing wagers.

Research & Analysis
The most important aspect of betting will often be making sure that you properly research a given event before placing a wager. It is seen as a numbers game. This means checking both the stats of the teams and players, as well as taking into account their recent form. You might look at a team’s performance on certain days of the week. Keeping an eye on the latest injury reports is going to be important.
Home/Away Performance
A key factor in most baseball games will be decided by which team is playing at their home ballpark and which is playing at an away venue. The teams playing at home generally will have an advantage, but this is not always the case. Checking the records of the teams in a given matchup can often throw up some interesting insights.
Pitching Matchups
Everyone has an Achilles heel. Some pitchers might struggle against certain hitters and vice versa. Taking into account the head-to-head records of the pitching matchups is often a good idea. This allows you to potentially get an edge.
Bankroll Management
Another core part of being a successful bettor is making sure that you have a staking plan in place. This means that you aren’t blowing too much of your account balance in one go. Instead, you know how much you’ll bet in a given session or on a given game.
Experimentation
It’s usually a good idea to initially experiment with different types of markets when learning how to bet on baseball. This allows you to grasp the various options that are open to you, then you can figure out which options are best in certain situations.

Live Betting on Baseball

While pre-game betting has traditionally been the most popular way for people to bet on baseball games, a lot of people now prefer live betting. The stop-start nature of baseball games means that there will be plenty of opportunities to do so.

All of the leading sports betting sites will make sure to offer this type of wagering. The range of markets will be more condensed than what you get pre-game, but you will typically get a solid selection.

You might notice something during the course of the game that could be a potentially profitable betting opportunity or you simply might not have been able to place a bet before the game started. Live betting is the ideal situation in these types of cases.

Best Baseball Betting Strategies

There are many different approaches you can take when looking at betting on baseball. While you aren’t going to find a way to guarantee your success, there are certain approaches that can help put you in a better position by following a consistent plan. Here are A handful of strategies to consider.

Ignore the Large Favourite

A lot of the more popular teams in baseball like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs will often have overpriced odds as average baseball bettors will place wagers on them no matter what the price may be, there typically is not going to be any value there, so staying away from these types of teams is usually advisable, as the payouts will be small and you can get smashed if you lose.

Take Small Wins

While it’s not advisable to bet on a strong favourite, there’s a fine balance to strike when wagering on underdogs. By having consistently small wins throughout the season by backing smaller margin underdogs, you can tip away nicely and consistently build up your account balance as the year goes by.

Consider the Umpires

One factor that can sway your decision to bet on one team or another can come down to the umpires. Many expert bettors look back at stats showing the number of calls that a given umpire has given home teams versus the away team. This can throw up some very helpful insights.

Baseball Terms You Should Know Before Placing Your First Bet

When you’re learning about how to bet on baseball, there are different types of terms that you’ll come across. Some of these will already be familiar to you if you’re into baseball, but there might be certain terminology that you aren’t aware of.

Although there are many key betting terms that you should be aware of, here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common ones used when baseball betting is the topic of discussion.

Term	Definition
Home Team	This is the team that is playing in its home ballpark in a given matchup
Away Team	This is the team that is not playing at its home ballpark in a given matchup
Starting Pitcher	This is the first pitcher in the game for a given team
Bullpen	This is the area in which pitchers warm up before joining the action
Bullpen ERA	The earned run average (ERA) is the average number of runs a team’s group of pitchers allows per nine innings
Starter ERA	The earned run average (ERA) is the average number of runs a given pitcher allows per nine innings
Bullpen Save	A relief pitcher saves when they manage to maintain a lead right until the end of the given game
Batting Average (BA)	This is a player’s hits divided by their total at-bats
Home Run (HR)	This is when a batter hits the ball in a way that the defensive team cannot stop them from circling the bases safely in a single play
Strikeout (K)	This is when a batter has committed three strikes while at-bat

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Betting on Baseball

When you’re placing baseball bets, you’ll be hoping that you’re always going to be in with a chance of seeing a decent return. However, a lot of people shoot themselves in the foot and place crazy wagers. Here are some mistakes to avoid with baseball betting.

Not Getting the Best Price

There are tons of great betting sites in the UK today that you can take advantage of. You should make sure that you’re always getting the best odds as a result for wagers that you place. This means using an odds comparison tool to find which bookie gives you the best value for that given wager.

Avoid Accumulators

While accumulator bets bring with them a huge amount of excitement due to the chance of you winning massive sums from relatively small stakes, they are notoriously difficult to win and play into the betting site’s hands. The odds are pretty much stacked against you with these types of wagers, so you’re better off looking at smaller-style bets.

Not Doing Your Research

Baseball is a sport that focuses massively on statistics. This means that you can find numbers about nearly every variable in the game. By not doing the proper research, you are potentially losing out on an edge and not coming up with useful insights along the way.

Conclusion

After reading our baseball betting guide, you should have a better idea of what goes into this type of wagering. You’ll find that there are plenty of great UK betting platforms that offer both pre-game and in-play betting on baseball. So, when the time comes to place your bets, you’ll be able to compare a number of sites to find the perfect one for you.

FAQs

What is the best way to bet on baseball?

What is the most common bet in baseball?

How do you bet runs in baseball?

Is baseball easy to predict?

Andrew O'Malley

Betting Expert

Andrew has been writing guides for SafeBettingSites since 2021, having already spent many years in the industry working for other major publications like Blockonomi and Gambling.com. He is an expert in all things gambling, especially online casinos and sports betting.

View all posts by Andrew O'Malley

Was this article helpful?

How to Bet on Baseball – A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners