MLB Odds & Betting Lines for Today

How To Read MLB Betting Odds

Understanding how to read MLB odds is crucial for making informed bets. Odds are typically displayed in moneyline odds format (or the American format), with negative numbers indicating favorites and positive numbers representing underdogs.

For example, in a game between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, the American odds might be Yankees -140 and Red Sox +120. If you bet $140 on the Yankees and they win, you’ll earn $100 in profit plus your original wager. Conversely, a $100 bet on the Red Sox would return $120 in profit if they win.

Understanding MLB Line Movement

MLB betting lines are constantly adjusting based on a variety of factors and understanding these movements is critical for making smart bets. MLB line changes can result from injury news, where the absence of a key player or starting pitcher can drastically shift the odds.

Weather conditions, such as wind direction or rain, also play a significant role in influencing totals and other lines, especially in outdoor stadiums. Public betting trends can cause sportsbooks to move lines to balance the action. If a majority of bettors are backing one side heavily, oddsmakers may adjust the line to reduce their potential losses.

What are the different types of MLB bets?

The leading sportsbooks offer 200+ MLB betting options on an individual game, which is quite impressive but may seem overwhelming to some. To help you narrow it down, we’ve listed the most common bets on Major League Baseball:

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline bets are the most straightforward way to bet on an MLB game. It’s a prediction of which team will win outright. With these types of bets, the sportsbooks assess the two teams, determine an underdog and a favorite team and then release the lines. For example:

• Tampa Bay Rays +126 at FanDuel Sportsbook
• New York Yankees -135 at DraftKings Sportsbook

In this example, the New York Yankees are the favorite and the Tampa Bay Rays are the underdog. A $100 bet on the Yankees would earn you a $74.07 profit if they won the MLB game, whereas a $100 bet on the Tampa Bay Rays would earn you a $126 profit.

Runline Betting

The runline is the closest thing you will find to point spread betting in other sports markets when it comes to baseball betting. The standard runline is 1½ runs, which is what we will focus on in the following:

• San Diego Padres +1½ (-115)
• Los Angeles Dodgers -1½ (+105)

In this example, a $100 bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers would earn you a $105 profit if they won the game, whereas a $100 bet on the San Diego Padres would earn you an $86.96 profit.

• Bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers -1½, meaning they would need to win the game by 2 runs or more.
• Bet on the San Diego Padres +1½, meaning they would need to win the game or lose by no more than 1 run.

In this example, a $100 bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers would earn you a $105 profit if they won the game, whereas a $100 bet on the San Diego Padres would earn you a $86.96 profit.

Run Totals (Over/Under Betting)

This is another popular betting market in Major League Baseball. With baseball totals, you just need to estimate if the number of runs that are scored in a baseball game will be over an amount set by a sportsbook. Sports betting operators release a total run line on each upcoming game.

• Over 7½ runs (-115)
• Under 7½ runs (-105)

If you expect the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets to have a combination of at least 8 runs, you can bet on over. If you believe the game will see 8 runs or fewer, then you should bet on under. There will be a standard total run line, but you will also find alternate total run lines (usually valued at around -110 odds.) They allow you to move the line up or down, which changes the odds.

Prop Betting

MLB prop bets provide you with hundreds of additional betting opportunities on any given baseball game. Prop bets focus on whether something will happen during a game and they are not always tied to the final result. Proposition bets often fall into two distinct categories:

• Player Props
• Game Props/Team Props

Player props concentrate on individual performance stats. With these types of wagers, you can bet on the total number of walks, singles, doubles, triples, home runs, strikeouts, etc. You can also bet on the following popular metrics: total bases, RBIs (Runs Batted In), hits and runs.

Game props might include betting on the highest-scoring inning or first five innings or whether the game goes into extra innings.

You can bet on the following game props: teams with the most hits, walks, home runs and total bases as well as teams with the least strikeouts. You can also bet on the exact score, extra margin of victory and on a team to score the first run.

Series Betting

MLB series betting allows you to wager on the outcome of a multi-game series between two teams, rather than on individual games.

This bet type is unique to sports like baseball, where teams play consecutive games against the same opponent during the regular season or playoffs. Series bets typically cover two to four games and focus on which team will triumph in the majority of the games in that series.

For example, the New York Yankees are scheduled to play a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox. A sportsbook offers the following odds for the series winner:

• New York Yankees: -140
• Colorado Rockies: +120

If you believe the Yankees will win at least two of the three games outright, you can bet on them at -140 odds. This means you would need to bet $140 with your original stake to win $100. Conversely, if you think the Colorado Rockies will win the series, an initial stake of $100 at +120 odds would yield a $120 profit if they succeed.

MLB Futures Betting

Because futures are wagers on season-long outcomes, online sportsbooks release MLB futures odds on a range of markets before the season begins, typically a few months in advance. These odds update often and remain available throughout the season, allowing bettors to wager on long-term outcomes such as MLB Playoffs qualification and MLB World Series odds.

Futures do not depend on a single game but rather on a team’s or player’s performance over an extended period. Popular bet types in the futures market include:

• Odds to Win the American League: A bet on which AL team will claim the pennant. Betting lines will be updated over the course of the entire season.
• Odds to Win the National League: A bet on which NL team will win the league. National League odds update throughout the season.
• Odds to Win the AL/NL Wild Card Game: Wagering on which teams will advance from the Wild Card round into the Playoffs.
• Division Winner Bets: Betting on which teams will win their respective divisions, including the AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East, NL Central, and NL West.
• Will Team X Make the Playoffs: This option focuses on whether a team will secure a postseason berth, an essential market for those following MLB Playoffs betting trends.
• MLB World Series Odds: A season-long wager on which team will win the championship game, with odds for the MLB future shifting based on team performance, injuries, and roster moves.
• Individual Awards: Betting on individual player awards, such as American League/National League MVP, AL/NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young winners.

The odds for these futures wagers change throughout the MLB season, reflecting team form, injuries and market adjustments. By tracking futures odds, bettors can identify valuable opportunities before sportsbooks adjust their lines.

Parlay Betting

A parlay bet lets you combine predictions on multiple games into a single wager with a higher payout potential than the individual legs. There are both same-game parlays and multi-game parlays available at most major sportsbooks. For example, let’s say you like these four moneyline options:

• Toronto Blue Jays (-280)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (+155)
• Oakland Athletics (+160)
• Colorado Rockies (-115)

If you combined these parlay odds into a four-leg $100 parlay, that’s a potential payout of $1,582. The winnings from each leg roll over onto the next leg, meaning the profit compounds inside the parlay, leading to large payouts. However, if one leg fails, then you lose the baseball wager. Parlays provide numerous wagering opportunities to baseball fans throughout the entire MLB season.

Major League Baseball Betting Tips & Strategies

Successful MLB betting requires more than just luck — it takes research, strategy and discipline. Use these tips and strategies to increase your chances of making profitable wagers:

• Research Pitching Matchups: Starting pitchers have a significant impact on MLB betting odds. Analyze a pitcher’s recent performance, ERA, WHIP, strikeout rate and history against the opposing team to gauge how they might perform.
• Factor in Ballpark Conditions: Ballpark dimensions and weather can influence game outcomes. Smaller stadiums like Coors Field in Colorado often result in higher run totals, while larger parks may favor pitchers.
• Monitor Line Movements: Odds and lines can shift leading up to an MLB game. Sudden movements may indicate where sharp money (professional bets) is going. Understanding these changes can help you make informed bets.
• Line Shop for the Best Odds: Different sportsbooks offer slightly different MLB odds for the same bets. Comparing multiple sportsbooks ensures you get the best odds possible, which can make a significant difference in long-term profitability.
• Take Advantage of Sportsbook Promos: Many sportsbooks offer promotions such as deposit bonuses, risk-free bets and odds boosts. Using these offers strategically can increase your potential returns and reduce risk.
• Consider Our MLB Picks: Access computer-generated predictions with our MLB picks. These computer picks can help you identify strong opportunities and maximize your chances of success.

By following the tips and insights in this baseball betting guide, you’re well-prepared to enhance your betting experience and make the most of each wager throughout the entire season.

MLB Odds FAQs

What are MLB odds?

MLB odds represent the likelihood of outcomes in Major League Baseball games, expressed as betting lines. They include moneyline odds, run line odds (point spread) and totals (over/under on runs scored). These odds help bettors to make wagers based on implied probabilities and potential payouts.

Is baseball easy to predict?

Baseball is a passionate sport in which specific outcomes are not always guaranteed. However, by conducting research on the factors that can influence the likelihood of making accurate predictions, bettors can seriously maximize their potential returns.

What is a first five innings moneyline?

A first five innings moneyline is a wager that only takes into account the outcome of an MLB game’s first five innings.

Do most people bet on the underdog?

Underdog betting is common among baseball fans. Though anticipated to be the defeated team, underdogs frequently achieve victory.

How many times has the underdog won the World Series?

Underdogs have won the World Series several times, with notable examples including the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, the 2003 Florida Marlins and the 2019 Washington Nationals.