Best MLB Betting Sites
How We Review the Best MLB Betting Sites
You’ll find hundreds of baseball betting sites out there, but only a select few are worth your time. Here’s how we decide which MLB betting sites are the cream of the crop.
License
Great betting sites must have a license from a gambling authority, such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Only reputable sportsbooks can obtain a license, which demonstrates a commitment to fairness, betting site security, and reliable payouts.
Avoid betting at sites that don’t have a license, no matter how good the promos seem. Unlicensed betting sites may have unfair odds, rig events, and refuse to pay out winnings.
Payment Methods
Top betting sites accept a variety of payment methods, such as credit/debit cards, bank transfers, cashier’s checks, money orders, and player-to-player transfers. Most offshore sportsbooks also accept cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other major currencies.
It’s also important to mention payout speed. The best betting sites process withdrawals quickly when you request a payout. Typically, crypto payouts take 24 hours or less.
Bonuses
Betting sites use bonuses to attract new members, and it pays to shop around for the sportsbook offering the most appealing promos. Common promos include welcome bonuses, bet insurance, risk-free bets, and cash back. You can learn about these and other promos in more detail below.
Customer Support
If you need help with your account or betting on a baseball event, you’ll be glad you chose a betting site with good customer support. Top betting sites offer 24/7 support and a variety of ways to contact an agent, including email, phone, and live chat.
Security
The best betting sites prioritize security and safety for bettors. Top-notch sportsbooks use the strongest available encryption to protect financial transactions. They also give you the option of enabling 2FA (two-factor authentication), which requires you to verify your identity on a separate device before you can log in to your account. This protects your account even if someone manages to steal your password.
Odds
Betting sites have a variety of odds for different baseball events, so it’s smart to shop around for sportsbooks with the most favorable odds in the industry. You shouldn’t limit yourself to just one sportsbook, either. Switching between sportsbooks based on the odds for select events is how pro bettors come out ahead.
Top Bonuses at MLB Betting Sites
If you’re wondering why to choose an MLB betting site over a local brick-and-mortar sportsbook, bonuses are the answer. Betting sites offer so many awesome promos that your local sportsbook can’t possibly compete.
Check out some of the top bonuses you’ll find at MLB betting sites below.
Match Deposit Bonus
This is one of the most common bonuses found at betting sites. Most offer it as a welcome bonus to new members. Some betting sites also offer matched deposit bonuses to existing bettors.
The matched deposit bonus works like this: Deposit money into your account, and the sportsbook will match that deposit up to a certain amount. For example, suppose that a betting site offers a 100% match bonus. If you deposit $200, the sportsbook will deposit another $200 into your account.
No Deposit Bonus
The no deposit bonus is harder to find than the match deposit bonus, but definitely worth seeking out. That’s because this bonus doesn’t require you to deposit cash to earn it. All you have to do is claim the bonus, and the sportsbook puts the money into your account.
No deposit bonuses are usually small, ranging from $5 to $20. Still, it’s always nice to have a bit of extra cash to bet with.
Bet Insurance
You’ve heard of auto and homeowners insurance, but what about bet insurance? As the name implies, bet insurance protects you if you place a losing bet. When your wager loses, the sportsbook returns a portion of your bet up to a certain amount.
Note that bet insurance typically isn’t offered for every bet, and at some sportsbooks, you must opt in to activate the promo — it doesn’t apply automatically.
Free Bets
Free bets are a type of no deposit bonus, and you don’t have to deposit any money to earn them. They’re sometimes called stake not returned (SNR) bets. If your free bet wins, the MLB betting site will give you the profit from your wager, but will not return the stake.
Risk-free bets are another variant to look out for. This bonus requires you to place a bet with your own money first. If your bet is successful, you keep the profit. If it loses, the sportsbook will provide you with a free bet.
Odds Boosts
Odds boosts provide improved odds and better payouts for moneylines, point spreads, and totals. Such boosts can reduce or even eliminate the house edge, so they’re certainly worth seeking out.
Note that odds boosts don’t increase the chances of your bet winning; rather, they increase the payout you’ll receive if your bet wins. Odds boosts usually increase your profit by 10% to 50%.
Daily odds boosts are very common, as are boosts for special events, such as the MLB World Series. Some sportsbooks also offer season-long odds boosts.
MLB Betting Promo
This promo is specific to MLB betting, so you can’t use it for betting on other sports. MLB betting promos might include free bets, odds boosts, no deposit bonuses, and matched deposit bonuses.
Cashback Bonus
Cashback bonuses, as the name suggests, provide money back on your losses at a fixed percentage. Usually, sportsbooks offer cashback bonuses as part of a loyalty program. The higher your level in the program, the bigger your cashback bonus will be.
Cashback bonuses start out small, usually about 1% of your losses. At the highest level, you could get anywhere from 5% to 10% back.
Rewards and Loyalty Bonuses
The best MLB betting sites offer loyalty programs to entice customers to stick around. Bettors can climb the ranks of a loyalty program simply by spending money on bets.
Cashback bonuses are one of the biggest perks you’ll get as a loyalty program member. Some sportsbooks also reward you with points for every dollar you spend. You can redeem your points for goodies such as gift cards, movie tickets, branded merchandise, and tickets to the next big MLB game.
How To Bet on MLB
Whether you’re new to MLB betting or already have a few bets under your belt, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on the basics. Here’s the general gist of how to bet on MLB games:
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Choose an MLB betting site that ticks all your boxes. Be sure to pick a sportsbook that offers fair odds, generous bonuses, great customer support, and a variety of baseball events to bet on.
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Sign up for a sportsbook account. You might have to verify your identity when signing up. This may involve supplying a copy of your driver’s license or a recent utility bill. If you’d rather not hand out your personal details, stick with crypto sportsbooks. They often have no “know your customer” (KYC) requirements.
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Fund your account with your preferred payment method. Keep in mind that the sportsbook might charge transaction fees depending on your payment method. If you use a credit card, for example, transaction fees can range from 10% to 15%. There typically are no transaction fees for using cryptocurrency.
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Claim your welcome bonus if the sportsbook offers one. Some MLB betting sites automatically add the bonus to your account if you’ve made the minimum deposit. At others, you’ll have to enter a promo code.
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Head to the MLB betting section and find an event to bet on. Decide whether you’d like to place a moneyline, run line, total, or parlay bet (or a combination of these). We’ll explain these bets in more detail below.
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If your bet wins, congrats! You can cash out your winnings or keep on betting.
If you don’t know the difference between a run line and a moneyline, we’ve got you covered. Here’s an explanation of the different types of MLB bets you’ll find at most online sportsbooks, including:
- Moneylines
- Three-way moneylines
- Run lines
- Over/under
- Player props
- MLB team props
- Parlay bets
- Futures
- Live betting
Moneylines
Moneylines are the simplest type of MLB bet, and most pros recommend beginners start with them. A moneyline bet is simply a bet on which team will win the game. Odds for the favorite are displayed with a minus sign (-), while odds for the underdog are displayed with a plus sign (+).
For example, suppose the Boston Red Sox are playing against the New York Yankees. The odds might look like this:
- Boston Red Sox: +150
- New York Yankees: -110
If you placed a $100 winning bet on the Yankees, you’d get back your $100, plus a $110 profit. If you bet on the Red Sox with $150 and they win, the sportsbook would return your $150, along with a $100 profit.
The closer the gap in odds, the more evenly matched the teams are. If both teams have equal odds to win, this is called “even money.” The odds for each team would be +100.
If the teams are unevenly matched, there’s a potential for a big profit if you choose to bet on the underdog. The underdog is less likely to win, but if it does, you’ll enjoy a nice payout. The favorite, on the other hand, is more likely to win, but the payout for betting on that team will be smaller.
Three-Way Moneylines
For a three-way moneyline, you can either choose one of two teams as the winner or bet that the game will end in a tie. Baseball games do not end in ties, so instead, the sportsbook will let you bet on the score when regulation time is over (the outcome after nine innings).
Run Lines
Run lines are the same as point spreads (the expected margin of victory by the favored team). In baseball, it’s called the run line because teams score runs instead of points.
Point spreads can vary dramatically in other sports, such as basketball and football, because the margin of victory usually varies widely. For baseball games, the run line is typically 1.5 runs. That’s because about 30% of games are decided with one run.
Just as with moneylines, run line odds are represented by a plus and minus sign. Underdog odds have a plus sign, while favorite odds are depicted by a minus sign.
If you were to place a run line bet on the favorite, they would need to win the game by two runs. If the favorite wins by only one run, or if the underdog wins outright, your bet would lose.
Over/Under
Over/under bets, also called totals, are one of the easiest ways to bet on MLB games. This is a bet on how many runs both teams will score during the game. It’s called “over/under” because you are betting on whether the number of runs will be over or under a specific number.
For example, suppose the New York Yankees have an over of 8.5, while the Red Sox have an under of 8.5. If the Yankees win the game 5-4, bets on the over would win because there were nine runs in the game. On the other hand, if the Yankees win 5-3, bets on the under would win because there were only eight total runs.
Remember that over/under bets aren’t affected by which team wins the game. The only thing that matters is whether there were more or less than nine total runs scored in the game.
Player Props
Player props are bets on specific actions that a player may perform during a game. For example, you could bet on how many strikeouts a player will throw or how many home runs a player will hit.
MLB Team Props
You can also place prop bets on MLB teams. For instance, you can bet on whether a team will score in the first inning or which team will score the first run.
Parlay Bets
Parlays are multiple bets combined into one. To win the bet, all parts of the parlay must win. If one part loses, you lose the whole bet. Parlays are difficult to win, but if you pull it off, the payout can be huge.
Futures
In futures betting, you’re placing a bet on an event that will occur in the distant future. For example, you might place a bet on the World Series or Home Run Derby that will happen six months from now. Baseball betting sites often make futures bets available up to a year before the event.
Live Betting
Live betting allows you to change your bets in real time. MLB odds are updated to reflect each team’s performance, and if one team is doing better than the other, you can adjust your bet on the fly.
Major Baseball Events and Biggest Rivalries To Bet On
You’ll find plenty of exciting baseball events to bet on at the best MLB betting sites. Here are a few of the biggest ones.
Opening Day
Opening day is the day when baseball teams begin their regular season. For MLB leagues, this is typically in the first week of April or the last week of March.
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is one of the most well-known in MLB history. This fierce rivalry began decades ago and continues to this day. It’s speculated that the rivalry began in 1919 after the owner of the Red Sox sold its star player, Babe Ruth, to the Yankees, after which the Red Sox didn’t win a World Series for 86 years.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants
Just like the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Dodgers and the Giants have been embroiled in a bitter rivalry since the late 19th century. Currently, the Giants have 23 National League pennants, while the Dodgers have 24. Fans engage in heated debates over which team will win the next big game.
World Series
The World Series is perhaps the best-known event in baseball, and even those who don’t normally pay attention to baseball come out in droves to place their bets. It was first played in 1903 and takes place in October every year. The winner is determined via a best-of-seven playoff.
All-Star Game
The MLB All-Star Game is also known as the Midsummer Classic. It’s an annual game between all-stars from the National League (NL) and American League (AL). This is one of the most exciting baseball events because fans get the chance to select its starting fielders.
Nippon Professional Baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is Japan’s premier baseball league. It’s made up of 12 teams divided into two leagues, the Pacific League and the Central League. Currently, the Yomiuri Giants hold the most championship wins.
KBO
Founded in 1982, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) is Korea’s top baseball league. The Kia Tigers are the long-standing champions of the league with 11 championship wins under their belt.
LMB - Lidom - LVBP - CPBL
The LMB, Lidom, LVBP, and CPBL are the top baseball leagues for Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Taiwan, respectively.
Premier12 World Championship
Organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the Premier12 World Championship is a special tournament that features the 12 top-ranking baseball teams in the world. Presently, Japan and South Korea are tied for the most titles.
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic, often simply called the Classic, is an international tournament sponsored by the WBSC. This is the only tournament to award the winner with the coveted title of “world champion.”
MLB Betting Tips and Strategies
Want to go from a baseball betting novice to a pro in no time? Consider these killer MLB betting tips and strategies.
MLB Betting Systems
MLB betting systems are strategies that you can use at baseball betting sites. Not all strategies are good ones, though. Here are a few that tend to produce reliable results.
Pay Attention to the Wind
Placing your bets based on which way the wind is blowing sounds like superstition, but there’s science behind it. Wind direction and speed affect the trajectory of the ball. Thus, it can turn the tides of a game, giving the underdog a shot at the win.
Evaluate the Pitching Lineup
Pitchers have a massive effect on the outcome of MLB games, so before placing your bets, evaluate the statistics of the team’s pitcher. Head to a sports statistics site and look for a pitcher’s “splits” section. This section tells you how the pitcher tends to perform in different scenarios. For example, perhaps a pitcher does best in certain types of stadiums or performs better during night games.
Look at home-away splits, too. These splits tell you how a pitcher performs in home and away games, and you can use those stats to inform your bets. For instance, if a pitcher performs well in home games but not so much in away games, you’d want to avoid betting on their team when it isn’t playing on home turf.
Focus on the Umpires
Most baseball bettors focus on the pitchers and hitters, but you shouldn't forget about the umpires. The umpire can seriously affect the trajectory of a game. For example, a flexible umpire might result in fewer runs and baserunners, as well as more strikes called on corners. An umpire with a tight strike zone may call more walks, which means more baserunners and runs.
Limit Wagers to the First Five Innings
It can make more sense to only wager on the first five innings rather than the full game. That’s because the game becomes more unpredictable the longer it goes on, and starters don’t usually pitch for the entire game either. Focusing on the first five innings means there are fewer variables that can affect the outcome of the bet.
Back the Under in Games Between Two Winning Teams
If there’s a game between two teams that each have a winning percentage above .500, experts usually recommend that you back the under. Since 2012, in games where both teams have a win percentage above .500, the underdog has won 58% of the time.
Stick With a Bad Team After a Win
Statistically, “bad teams” are those with a winning percentage below .400. These teams don’t tend to win many games, but when they do, pay attention. Bad teams, once they’ve won a game, tend to go on to win more.
It seems counterintuitive to bet on a team that consistently loses, but all it takes is one win to hit it big. That’s because, to most people, it makes sense to bet on the clear favorites. If you’re one of the few betting on the underdog, and that team pulls off a win, you’ll make out like a bandit.
Keep an Eye on Your Bankroll
This isn’t really a baseball betting strategy so much as it is good advice. Before you place a single bet, decide on your bankroll and don’t go over that amount. That means no depositing more money after your bankroll is gone.
If you’re having trouble managing your bankroll, ask the sportsbook about its responsible gambling features. Many allow you to put a temporary hold on your account that prevents you from depositing money or betting.
History of Betting on MLB
Baseball and sports betting have gone hand-in-hand for decades. In the early days, before televised baseball games existed, fans placed bets on local teams through brick-and-mortar betting shops.
In the 1950s and 60s, televised baseball burst onto the scene and forever changed the landscape for betting fans. Now, people could watch teams from around the nation compete in the comfort of their living rooms. Sports analysts began providing commentary on games in real time, allowing bettors to make more informed bets.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, online sportsbooks emerged. Fans no longer had to head to a local sportsbook to place their bets. Now, they could easily bet on MLB games from their computer or mobile phone.
Today, baseball betting is more popular than ever before. That’s largely due to the 2018 Supreme Court decision which struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), in turn giving states the power to legalize and regulate sports betting. Currently, 38 states have legal baseball betting sites.
The Dark Side of MLB Betting
It’s difficult to discuss the history of MLB betting without mentioning its seedy underbelly.
In 1877, the National League was embroiled in a scandal when four Louisville players were accused of throwing several exhibition games. In the years that followed, there were many accusations of bribery against players. According to rumors, bettors with deep pockets would bribe players to fake injuries or throw games in exchange for a tidy profit.
Start Your MLB Betting Journey Today
Can’t make it to a local sportsbook to bet on baseball? Give one of the best MLB betting sites a shot! Follow the tips above to find a winning betting site, put a few of our baseball betting strategies into practice, and you’ll be off to the races in no time.
FAQ
Have more questions about MLB betting sites? Find the answers below.