Baseball Betting in the US

Find all the information you need to know about betting on baseball including the best sportsbooks and types of wagers you can place.

Read our tips for baseball betting strategy to get the most out of your wagering and discover which sites have the best bonuses. On top of all that, we also rank the best baseball betting apps and show sites with the most favorable baseball bonuses.

Best Baseball Betting Sites

Every baseball betting site has been thoroughly tested by our team of experts so that only the best sportsbooks are recommended.

#	Sportsbook	Bonus
1.	FanDuel Sportsbook	Up to $1,000 risk-free bet Free bet	Play	Use bonus code: No bonus code required; Register to claim Qualifying bet: No minimum bet amount Wagering requirement: 1x bonus
2.	Caesars Sportsbook	Up to $1500 free bet Cashback	Play	Use bonus code: CZR15 Qualifying bet: No minimum bet amount and no odds restrictions Wagering requirement: 1x bonus
3.	BetMGM	Up to 1000$ free bet Free bet	Play	Use bonus code: No bonus code required. Register to claim offer Qualifying bet: No minimum bet amount and no odds restrictions Wagering requirement: 1x bonus
4.	BetRivers	100% up to $250 Match deposit bonus	Play	Use bonus code: 250MATCH Qualifying bet: No minimum bet amount and no odds restrictions Wagering requirement: 1x bonus
5.	PointsBet	2 risk free bets up to 2000$ Cashback	Play	Use bonus code: WELCOME Qualifying bet: No minimum bet amount and no odds restrictions Wagering requirement: 1x bonus
6.	WynnBET	Bet $100 get $100 in free bets Cashback	Play	Use bonus code: No bonus code required; Register to claim offer Qualifying bet: Bet $100 or more at minimum odds of -120 Wagering requirement: 1x bonus

Category Winners

Bettors are not a hivemind and there is no sportsbook that is perfect for everyone. Our category winners are tested based on a range of specific criteria to find the best betting site that suits your needs.

Best baseball sportsbooks

Best baseball odds	DraftKings Sportsbook
Best baseball live betting site	BetMGM
Best baseball markets	PointsBet
Best baseball futures	FanDuel Sportsbook
Best baseball bonus	PointsBet
Best baseball promotions	BetMGM

Baseball Betting Sites to Avoid

There are so many legal betting sites to choose from that, sometimes, offshore sportsbooks can find their way into consideration. Using a betting site that is not licensed in the US is definitely something you should not be doing.

Crucially, there’s pretty much nothing you can do if something goes wrong, and they often charge you exorbitant amounts for depositing and withdrawing money.

No US license

High deposit and withdrawal fees

No app

No US license

High minimum deposit

Withdrawal fees

No US license

High fees on deposits and withdrawals

Withdrawals take over a week

How to Place a Baseball Bet

Learning how to bet on baseball looks like it should be complicated but in actuality, it is far from it. Once your wrap your head around the basic concepts, things become much clearer.

Find legal US betting site

Make sure the sportsbook you decide to use is a legal and legit one, as well as being licensed to operate in your state.

Follow the instructions on the betting site to sign up, taking advantage of the welcome bonus if you want to do so.

Find the game you want to bet on

You can usually only bet on baseball games that are played on that day, so you have to wait for a future fixture.

Do an analysis of the game

MLB stats are easy to find online and even a fairly rudimentary look at them can make the difference.

Find the market

It should be relatively easy to find what you want to bet on as betting sites tend to offer fewer markets than on football.

Compare odds

If another betting site is offering the exact same bet but at better odds, then it makes sense to bet with them instead.

Place your bet and wait for it to settle

Choose your wager amount then wait for the game to be played.

How We Rate Baseball Betting Sites

The best baseball betting sites excel at multiple things and give you a bunch of good reasons to sign up with them.

It is not always easy to know which factors are important, especially for new bettors, and so we have outlined how we decided on which baseball betting sites are the best.

Security

The last thing you want from your sportsbook is your money and personal data to be at risk. Being licensed to operate in the US means your money is much safer than offshore betting sites.
Odds and markets

Odds are usually very competitive from the top betting sites in the US and so it is all about finding the sportsbooks that offer them most consistently. As well, the betting sites with the best range of markets put control in the hands of the bettor.
Promotions

It is not imperative that a site has baseball promotions if they are excellent at other aspects, but it certainly helps their case when they do. Promotions that reward you for bets you would have placed anyway or ones that have low minimum qualifying wagers are usually the best ones.
Mobile betting

Having a good app for both phone and tablet that is available on iOS and Android is crucial. This enables you to bet on the go or anywhere that isn’t in front of a computer.
Customer support

You should always be able to get a quick and informative response to queries you have. Sportsbooks that don’t have a live chat function lose points quickly.
Payment methods

The more deposit methods a betting site accepts, the more attractive it is. Not every betting site will allow the payment method you want to use and so those that accept a larger variety will get rated higher.

Which States is Baseball Betting Legal in?

MLB betting is legal in every state that accepts online wagers, so there are no restrictions if you live in one of those states. Baseball is available at almost all of the best online sportsbooks, regardless of the location.

It’s not quite so clear-cut in regards to college baseball, with each state imposing certain rules. All the information you need about each state’s college baseball rules can be found here.

Colorado	Oregon	Connecticut	Pennsylvania
Illinois	Rhode Island	Indiana	Tennessee
Iowa	Virginia	Michigan	Washington
Montana	Washington DC	Nevada	West Virginia
New Hampshire	Wyoming	New Jersey

Top Baseball Apps

Any US betting site worth their license offers both Android and iOS betting apps, allowing you to bet anywhere within state lines on your mobile or tablet.

Being able to wager wherever you are, even if that’s just in your own home or when you’re out and about, gives you more power over your betting experience.

Best baseball betting apps

Best overall baseball app	Caesars Sportsbook
Most user-friendly	BetMGM
Best for bonuses	PointsBet
Best Android app	Caesars Sportsbook
Best iOS app	Caesars Sportsbook

Baseball Live Betting

Live betting is one of the most interesting advents in recent years, giving bettors the chance to place wagers on games as they happen in real time – creating a world of possibilities.

Statistics, though incredibly useful if applied in the correct way, can only tell you so much. Sometimes even the best attacking teams can struggle to get on base in a game and you can use in-play betting to wager on them to not improve.

Best baseball live betting sites

Competitive live odds

Lots of stats available

Fewer markets than others

BetMGM review

Competitive odds

Easy to use

Not many markets

PointsBet review

Good range of markets

Lots of live stats

Worse odds

FanDuel Sportsbook review

Pros and Cons of In-play Baseball Betting

It is important that you understand the pros and cons of live betting before having a punt. This list is not exhaustive but highlights some of the key pros and cons of in-play wagering.

Pros

Value bets
Bet on how the game is going
Hedge potential

Cons

Bet delay
Can lose track of amounted wagered

Use Live Streaming to Your Advantage

Live streaming of baseball is available on some US betting sites and is an incredibly useful feature to utilize if you’re unable to watch games in any other way.

The stream can be watched on the sportsbook itself, meaning you can watch and bet on the same page to cut down the amount of screens you need to pay attention to.

Baseball Betting Bonuses

There are plenty of bookmaker bonuses that are specific for baseball and also most welcome offers can be used on MLB or NCAA baseball if you want. The best welcome offers usually come in the form of free bets or risk-free bets, allowing you to place wagers without spending your own money.

You should always check the main terms of bonuses to ensure you do everything right to qualify for the promotion, as those with the biggest rewards may require you to spend more than you’re comfortable with.

It is worth noting that free bet wagers are not included in any returns. So a $20 wager on the Toronto Blue Jays moneyline at -120 would normally return a total of $36.66 if they win, whereas if that initial risk was a free bet or bonus credit, the total return would be $16.66.

Baseball Promotions for Registered Bettors

Baseball promotions reward you for wagering on the sport and ideally you want ones that complement your betting strategy.

If you like to bet on the number of home runs hit, then you should look for a sportsbook with a baseball promotion that gives you rewards – such as free bets – for doing exactly that.

Baseball betting bonuses

Best baseball betting free bets	BetMGM
Best baseball cashback bonuses	Barstool Sportsbook
Best baseball boosted odds	BetMGM

How to Bet on Baseball

Betting on baseball can look confusing at first but it’s pretty straightforward once you get your head around a few basics.

Learn what -110 means, what the run line is, and how player props work in this section, along with all the other information you need to begin baseball betting.

Baseball betting explained

How to Read Baseball Odds

If the number starts with a minus, that is how much you theoretically need to wager to win $100. As an example, if you put $120 on a market priced at -120, you would win $220 including your initial stake.

If it starts with a plus, that is the amount you would win from a theoretical $100 wager. If you punt on +250 and you wagered $100, you would win a total of $350 including stake.

You do not have to wager $100, that is just used as an example as that is how the odds system was built.

Baseball odds examples

-110	Wager $110 to win $100 profit
-200	Wager $200 to win $100 profit
+100	Wager $100 to win $100 profit
+500	Wager $100 to win $500 profit

Bet Types

Baseball is different from the other major American sports in the way that it is played, and as such it offers slightly different betting options.

Run Line

Run line is the equivalent of the spread in football and basketball, with each team assigned a handicap either positive or negative.

Whichever side you bet on has that number of runs added or taken away from their final total, depending on whether you wagered on the favorite or the underdog.

The run line is usually set at -1.5 but can realistically be anywhere from -0.5 to -3.5, and unlike football and basketball, the odds are not always set at -110.

Example: Toronto Blue Jays are -1.5 favorites against Chicago Cubs. Toronto need to win by two runs or more to cover the run line, whilst Chicago can either win the game or lose by exactly one run to cover.

The run line is usually a half-point (like -2.5) but in cases where it is a full point (like -1) and the winning margin is that exact amount, this is called a push. A push returns your stake as if the bet was voided.

Total (Over/Under)

Total betting is how many runs will be accumulatively scored by both teams in a game, and whether that will be over and or under the number set by the betting site.

Example: Toronto Blue Jays vs Chicago Cubs has the total runs set at 8.5. If nine or more runs are scored in the game then the over would land, whereas if eight or fewer runs are scored then the under would be successful.

Moneyline

Moneyline betting is simply wagering on which team will win. The margin of victory doesn’t matter and there are no other conditions attached to moneyline betting.

Example: Toronto Blue Jays are -200 favorites to beat the Chicago Cubs. A $10 wager on that would return a total of $15 including stake if the Jays win, regardless of whether it is 1-0 or 10-0.

Player Props

Props are bets that are related to the performance of a specific player. Compared to other sports, they are usually fairly limited in baseball to hits, home runs, and strikeouts.

Example: Max Scherzer’s strikeouts line is set at 7.5. You can bet on whether he will go over that mark by throwing eight or more, or if he will stay under it by recording seven or fewer.

Parlays

Parlay bets consist of selections from different games, all of which have to be successful for your bet to win. The return is higher than if you were to place the same stake on singles, but the chance of success is lower.

Example: Blue Jays moneyline at -200, Giants moneyline at -135, and Braves -1.5 at -110 pays out at just under +400.

Half/Inning Betting

This is very similar to regular betting except the selections are usually settled within the course of a few innings, rather than over the entire game. ‘Half betting’ usually refers to the first five innings of a game but you should always check this on your chosen sportsbook as this can vary by betting site.

Example: Toronto Blue Jays are +100 to be leading after three innings. This pays out if they are winning after both teams have had three innings, regardless of the final result.

Baseball Futures

Baseball futures are bets that are based on the entire season rather than just the outcome of a specific game.

Also known as outrights, they tend to include markets such as player awards and World Series winner – both of which are settled at the end of the year.

Champion – The team that wins the World Series in MLB or the College World Series in NCAA Baseball.
Player awards – Most sportsbooks will offer the main awards like AL MVP and NL MVP, as well as the Cy Young winners. Some betting sites may even have odds for Silver Slugger and Gold Glove prizes.
Win total O/U – Each MLB team is given a projected win total by the sportsbook at the start of the season and you can bet on whether they will win more or fewer.
To make/miss playoffs – The MLB postseason is limited to just a few teams and many betting sites offer odds on each team making or missing out on the playoffs.
To win division/conference – MLB is split into the American League and National League, with each league comprised of three divisions.

Baseball Betting Tips and Advice

Now you know what there is to bet on in the world of baseball and how to read odds, the last step is deciding what wagers to place. Before you do that, there are some final things to look out for that can help you to make sensible bets.

The following is only tips and advice, not a guaranteed way to win most or all baseball bets.

Research matchups – At the very least, you should do some research and analysis of the stats available to you of the teams playing in the game you want to bet on. Remember to check who is pitching for both teams, and who is playing DH if appropriate.
Injuries/rest/absences – Baseball managers tend to stick with the same team in most games where possible, but that should never stop you from checking who is starting and whether any key players are missing.
Current form/upcoming schedule – The sheer number of games played by each team in a season means they are playing or travelling basically every day for six months. You should check which of those they are doing, and how far they have flown if they have.
Line shop – As with everything in life, you want to best price you can find. Betting is no different; if a sportsbook has a selection at +300 but another one has the exact same market at +350, it makes sense to go with the latter.
Manage bankroll – Never wager more than you intend to on betting otherwise you’ll end up having to deposit more. It is important that you stay within your limits and gamble responsibly.
Look for value – The concept of value is where you believe the chance of something happening in a baseball game is higher than the odds suggest. If you do research and find that Bo Bichette has a 25% chance (+300) of hitting a home run but the betting site has him listed at longer than that (such as +350), that would represent value. Value bets are not always going to be successful but the idea is that if you can find value bets, you will make money in the long run.

FAQs

How to bet on baseball?

You can bet on run line, moneyline, and total runs scored amongst many other markets. Sign up to a sportsbook that is legal in your state and deposit using your chosen payment method to be able to bet.

What is runline in baseball?

Run line is a positive or negative handicap given to whichever team you bet on. That team must win after that handicap has been applied for the bet to be successful. The run line is usually -1.5 but this can vary depending on which teams are playing.

What is a first half bet in baseball?

The first half in baseball usually applies to the first five innings, so all “first half” bets only relate to those innings and not the entire match. You should check with your sportsbook before placing a first half bet as some may have different rules.

How to read baseball betting lines?

The run line is the same as the spread in football and basketball, where the favored team has to win by at least that amount, or the underdog has to avoid defeat by that amount. Moneyline refers to which team will win the game whilst the total runs line allows to wager on whether the number of runs scored will be over or under.

How to bet over under in baseball?

The over/under applies to total runs scored in the game. You can bet on whether you think the total runs in the game will be more or less than the specified number. Over/under can also apply to player props, such as hits for a specific player.