Baseball Betting

With the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and the rapid legalization of sports betting across the country, Americans can now bet on one of the nation’s most popular past times, baseball. Although baseball is enjoyed across the world, Major League Baseball (MLB), reigns supreme in the US. The league is made up of 30 teams: 15 from the National League and 15 from the American League. But with such variety, you might not know where to begin with baseball betting. Here at Compare.bet, we have everything you need to know about betting on baseball, from the biggest events to where you can place your bets.

Looking to bet on baseball in New Jersey? We’ve got a line up of the best sports betting sites available to punters in the Garden State. Compare our expert reviews, scores and the bonuses on offer to pick out the bookie that suits you best. All of our featured sportsbooks are legal and regulated in the state of New Jersey. All that’s left for you to do is make your pick, sign up and start betting.

US States with Legal Baseball Betting

Even with the repeal of PASPA, it is not yet legal to be on baseball in every state. You can, however, bet on baseball in the following states:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Rhode Island
• Mississippi
• West Virginia
• Nevada
• New Mexico

Each of these states has separate rules and regulations in place when it comes to sports betting. While some of these states permit baseball betting at licensed online sports sites, others only allow betting at a land-based commercial or tribal casino.

Major Baseball Events

The MLB’s regular season runs from late March to late September with each team playing 162 games. But it’s not just the regular MLB season that you can bet on, here are some of the best betting opportunities for baseball fans.

Division Series

The Division Series takes place after the regular season and sees both the American League and the National League hold a one-off wild card playoff between two randomly selected teams. From here, the wild card team that wins will face off against that league’s winner. The top-performing teams will then go on to play in their League Championship Series.

League Championship Series

The American League playoffs culminate in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) while the National League playoffs come to a head in the National League Championship Series (NCLS), which both consist of best of seven games. The winning team in each series will then compete against each other in the World Series.

The World Series

The World Series is MLB’s annual championship series and sees the winners of the ALCS and the NLCS square off in a best-of-seven playoff, with the World Series winner awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy. There certainly isn’t a shortage of betting opportunities in the World Series, with several games played across the period.

Picking a Winner

As with any kind of sports betting, there is no such thing as a guaranteed winner in baseball. A sportsbook’s odds provide you with an idea of the bookies favorite to win, but there is no guarantee that this prediction will be right. There are hundreds of tipsters out there offering baseball betting tips and advice, but we’d advise doing plenty of your own research too, to help you make the most educated bet possible.

Take time to check out the statistics and figures featured on the official MLB statistics page before placing a wager. These stats provide baseball bettors with statistical breakdowns in various areas, covering information on overall team performance and individual players’ hitting, pitching and fielding performance over a period of time. These statistics can be particularly helpful when it comes to placing prop bets.

Baseball Betting Markets

In states where sports betting is legal, sportsbooks offer a wide selection of baseball betting markets. US baseball fans can place bets on the following markets:

Money Line

A money line bet is essentially a straight bet placed on the team you think will win an individual baseball game, tournament or series event.

Over/Under

Over/under baseball bets involve putting money on a team finishing a game with more or fewer runs than the bookmaker has predicted.

Run Line

Run line bets are baseball’s equivalent to spread betting and involve putting money on a team to win and either maintain a points advantage or overcome a disadvantage. These advantages and disadvantages will be displayed with plus (+) and minus (-) symbols. The baseball run line is usually set at 1.5, which means that your team will need to win by 2 or more runs, or the underdog must lose by 1 run or win the game for your bet to pay out.

Parlays

A parlay wager is a single bet that is linked with two or more other bets. In order to win a parlay bet, you must win every wager on the betslip. Some sportsbooks allow up to 20 bets in a parlay, though the maximum does vary between betting sites.

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets, or prop bets, focus on the likelihood of a certain event taking place during a baseball game. An example of a prop bet would be “Aaron Judge hitting a home run and the opposing team winning” or “Which team will lead in the first 5 innings?”. These bets are usually set by the sportsbook and, while they can be more interesting than straight bets, the specificity of them means they carry much higher risk.

Baseball Betting Odds

Before you bet on a baseball game, you need to know how betting odds work. While most US sportsbooks display their odds in the American format, some bookies will display odds in a fractional format or as a decimal. Odds are a sportsbook’s prediction of what could happen during a baseball game and can vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, so we’d recommend shopping around to find the best odds for the market you want to bet on.

Here is a real-world example of baseball odds:

In a standard season game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, a sportsbook could set odds of +110 for Red Sox to win. Making a successful $100 bet on the Red Sox winning would land you a return of $210.

Betting $100 on the New York Yankees — the bookies’ favourite— to win, with negative odds of -110, would land a slightly smaller return. You would win back your initial $100 wager alongside a modest $90.91 for winning the bet.

You can check out our how to read odds guide for a detailed breakdown of exactly how betting odds work.

Mobile Baseball Betting

As legal sports betting markets open up across America, several US states have legalized online and mobile sports betting. This means residents and visitors can legally wager on the outcome of a sporting event using an internet device. Sports betting odds are usually the same, whether you’re betting online or at the land-based sportsbook, but keep an eye out for potential differences.

Mobile sports betting is legal in:

• Nevada – Online betting is only available via mobile apps.
• New Jersey – Online betting available via apps and browser sites.
• West Virginia – Online betting available via apps and browser sites

Operators in these states have made apps that are available for both Android and iOS devices.

Each state has different laws when it comes to online and mobile betting, meaning that sports betting apps can vary from state to state. For instance, in New Jersey bettors can create a sportsbook account with a sportsbook remotely from anywhere within the state. Nevada, on the other hand, requires punters to register the account in person before betting via a mobile app.

For more information on picking the right sports betting app for you, check out our mobile betting apps guide.

Online Baseball Betting in New Jersey

Online Baseball Betting in Nevada

Online Baseball Betting in West Virginia

Now that you understand the basics of baseball betting, you’re probably ready to step up to the plate and try your luck with a baseball bet. Want to know the latest on US sports betting legislation in general? Compare.bet has you covered!

FAQs

Can I place live bets while a baseball game is underway?

Yes. In states where sports betting is legal, sportsbooks offer bettors the opportunity to place live bets while a game is in play. This means that punters can watch a game and place bets according to how the action is unfolding, making for some exciting betting moments.

Is it safe to bet on baseball?

Yes, as long as you’re betting with a sportsbook that is licensed and regulated in your state. Licensed sportsbooks must be granted approval from the state regulator before they can offer sports betting markets. Of course, this means that bettors should not use offshore betting sites. These sites are unregulated and therefore not always safe as they are not required to meet basic player protection standards.

Can I bet on college baseball?

Yes. Some US states permit betting on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) baseball teams. However, some states, such as New Jersey, don’t allow bets on college sporting events in the state, or events that involve NJ college teams.

Can I bet on other sports?

Yes. The best US sportsbooks offer betting markets on a range of different sports, including football, basketball, hockey and soccer. Most states with legal sports betting also permit betting on these sports at a college level.

Can I use a bonus to bet on baseball?

Sure. The best baseball betting sites all have a range of bonuses and promotions for players. Free bet bonuses are some of the most popular deals and give punters the chance to make wagers on sports without putting their own money on the line.