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Unless you grew up betting daily fantasy years ago, jumping into the baseball props arena can be an overwhelming task. Taking a look at several top-rated sportsbooks, both in the U.S. and abroad, the amount of choices can be mind-numbing to the point of utter frustration.
Does that mean you should pass and stick to the traditional methods of betting in the big leagues? Of course not. If you use the adage – The quickest distance from Point A to Point B is a straight line, that can be where you start.
Get Started by Not Doing This
The first thing to do is avoid batter props. Why? At least five days a week there are 15 games and each contest has up to 18 potential batters.
Take that figure times 15 ballgames and there are possibly 270 hitters a day to go through. Unless you developed or know someone who has a computer program that can sift through this unruly number of options, the task is too cumbersome. And even if you take the best three hitters on every squad, that is 90 players to research almost daily.
If your preference is hitters, look for props and examine the top hitters for home runs or total bases. This will reduce your time considerably. When looking at batters, you will find those that are hot or cold, which makes your decision-making process easier.
Remember, Keep It Simple
Besides batter props, there are other alternatives to ponder that can further simplify the process. For example:
- Starting Pitcher Props
- Team Total Runs (Over/Under)
- 1st Inning Scoring Options (Over/Under)
- Race to Total Runs (Various choices)
There are several other props, but this writer/handicapper has found these for ease of use and simplification. In each instance, you are looking over a max of 30 choices per prop, and many of those, once you become accustomed to a process, will fall off.
Starting Pitcher Props
Starting with pitchers, focus your attention on Outs per start, Yes/No whether the pitcher will post a decision for a ‘Win’ or Strikeouts in a start. For Outs and Strikeouts, any statistical baseball website will work to look up and find recent performances. Compare that against the quality of the opponent and some sites will also have past performances against the current opposing club.
In digging for an answer on a ‘Win’ for a starting hurler, you want those that frequently pitch at least six innings, where they are more likely to get a winning decision. Also, look to Play Against those that barely average five innings a start and only have a – decision – in half their starts. In addition, knowing the quality of the bullpen, whether it will hold or blow leads, should also influence your decision.
Team Total Runs
For Teams Runs, you must know the history of the team and the opposing club. Some betting sites now offer more variables, however, your first job is to know the expected total from the sportsbook and match the runs for each team to that number. Anything else is looking for a possible better preference, make certain you are not making a pick to make more money, because being correct matters more.
1st Inning Scoring Options
1st Inning bets have to do with the score Over/Under 0.5 runs for all six outs.
If you have two stud pitchers who are in good form and don’t allow many home runs, that can be a good wager. Conversely, if you have a pair of back-of-the-rotation hurlers, who have scuffled of late and are facing an early lineup with power, the Over can come into play.
Don’t bet on any odds that are greater than -125, too many aspects can go wrong in just one inning.
Race to Total Runs
Race to Total Runs is similar to team runs, except you are dealing with actual runs like 3, 4 or 5 vs. 3.5, 4.5 or 5.5. The premise is the same, with this prop adding a variation of what is essentially a parlay with ‘neither’, which is a terrible bet.
Best Advice
If you bet baseball daily or at least five days a week, you are following many of these props without really knowing it. Even then we would recommend learning one prop thoroughly (making a profit) before adding another.
If you want to add MLB props to your arsenal, but don’t wager on baseball regularly, spend time practicing and keeping records to where you have a level of skill. Losing money without knowledge is a rough road to take.
