Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the country. That’s why it’s no wonder the sport is known as America’s favorite pastime. And in this pastime, there is another pastime; betting on Major League Baseball. Since online sports betting is now legal in many states, baseball fans all over the country are now rushing to take advantage of MLB betting odds.

How to read MLB Odds

If you want to make money from Major League Baseball as a fan, you need to understand MLB odds. Fortunately, it’s not that hard of a task since it follows more or less the same rules as in other sports.

What do MLB odds look like?

In Major League Baseball lines, there is an underdog and a favorite. The sportsbook assigns odds based on which team they think is what. The underdog gets positive odds, while the favorite has negative odds.

MLB Moneyline Odds

Baseball moneyline odds are perhaps the most common. They represent simple winner/loser bets. Here, the better backs the MLB team they think will win the game. For example, if the Boston Red Sox are meeting the New York Yankees, and you feel that the Yankees will win, you simply wager on them.

MLB moneyline odds are usually based on $100. Assuming the Yankees are the favorites in the above matchup, they may have -120 odds. You’ll need to wager $120 on them to win $100 if they win the game.

On the other hand, the Red Sox may have +130 MLB odds. They are the underdogs. So, they will have higher potential winnings. A $100 wager on them will bring you $130 if they win.

MLB Runline Odds

If you’ve bet on the NBA or NFL before, you must’ve come across the point spread. Well, runline is the equivalent of that in Major League Baseball. Here, the oddsmaker chooses a spread and creates MLB odds around that spread.

Most runline odds use a spread of 1.5. Depending on who you back, the favorite must win the game by more than 1.5 points, or the underdog must either win or lose the game by no more than  1.5 points. This is a way of handicapping the favorites to spread the risk of betting on MLB games.

MLB Total Or OVER/UNDER Odds

MLB total odds represent wagers on the total points scored by both baseball teams in a game. The odds are typically set depending on the weather, ballparks, and the strength/weakness of either team.

Take a game between Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox;

Over 7.5, -110

Under 7.5, +110

Here, the totals line is set at 7.5. If you think the combined scores will exceed it, you bet over. But if you think it won’t, then under is your choice.

MLB Futures

Futures are wagers on upcoming events/tournaments. These odds are made available even before the MLB season begins and are adjusted over the sports year.

Wagering On Futures Odds

MLB futures odds are very interesting. Given that they are high-risk, they have some of the biggest winnings in online sports betting. Here are several baseball odds to look out for during the sport’s calendar;

MLB World Series Odds

The world series is an annual championship series in the United States and Canada. It’s a prestigious and competitive tournament with exciting future odds. You can bet on which team will be the champion and which player will be the standout performer alongside a variety of other players or team-based future bets.

MVP Awards

You can also make a future bet on who will win the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). The earlier you make a bet, the bigger your winnings. Odds for the MVP awards range from +500 to +4000 among the top 15 superstars.

MLB Postseason Odds

The Postseason (MLB playoffs) is an elimination tournament that follows the conclusion of the MLB regular season. There are 12 teams competing to win the national league, and it’s often an exciting affair. As for making future bets, you can wager on which teams will make it to the postseason and even who will win the whole thing.

Where to Bet on Major League Baseball

You can bet on Major League Baseball games on many sportsbooks. Our favorite sportsbooks have some of the best MLB odds in the betting market and offer exciting signup bonuses to new users. So, if you’re looking for an excellent platform to bet on MLB games, we recommend that you bet with Caesars Sportsbook, BetRivers, BetMGM, FanDuel, or DraftKings.