Best US Sportsbooks for Baseball

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.

Most Popular Baseball Betting Events

The MLB’s regular season runs from late March to late September with each team playing 162 games. The 2022 season is scheduled to begin on April 7 2022 after it was delayed a week due to a player lockout. 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.

If you’re ready to get going at a top baseball betting site, here are five of our top picks for Major League Baseball.

1. FanDuel
   Punters at FanDuel can net a $150 bonus in site credit when they bet just $5 on college basketball. Along with MLB, there are 15 other sports to bet on, plus exciting options like same-game parlays, in-play betting, and live streaming of events.
2. DraftKings
   Another massive name in the US sportsbook landscape, DraftKings has plenty to offer bettors — including betting pools to compete against your friends and family, plus promotions like free bets and odds boosts. New players can get a 20% deposit match up to $1,000 too.
3. BetMGM
   Popular resort brand MGM launched its online BetMGM sportsbook in 2020, offering punters a wide array of markets and flexible banking options. Its welcome offer of a risk-free first bet up to $1,000 is sure to appeal to many MLB bettors with just a $10 minimum deposit to qualify.
4. PointsBet
   If you want to spice things up, PointsBet is worth a look — along with same-game parlays and in-play bets, the bookie’s unique Points Betting feature lets players win and lose variable amounts based on the accuracy of their predictions. There’s a generous welcome offer of two risk-free bets up to $1,500 in total, and all free bets come with no wagering requirements.
5. Caesars
   Another physical brand entering the online space as MGM has done, Caesars is affiliated with the resort chain of the same name. New sign-ups can bag $1,500 in free bet credit when depositing just $50, so it’s a great place to get started with online baseball betting.

Boosting Your Bankroll with a Baseball Bonus

Both new sign-ups and existing customers get access to a range of bonuses at baseball betting sites. Here’s a quick explanation of a couple of potential offers you’ll see and some important terms and conditions to keep in mind.

First Deposit Bonuses

Available to new bettors only, a baseball first deposit bonus usually takes the form of a matched deposit — that’s where the betting site literally ‘matches’ the value of your first deposit with bonus credit you can wager at the sportsbook. Here’s an example offer:

• 100% First Deposit Match up to $500 with No Wagering Requirements when you deposit at least $20

In this scenario, you’re effectively doubling your bankroll. Say you deposit the maximum amount of $500; the sportsbook gives you another $500 in bonus credit so you’ll have a total of $1,000 to wager. In this example, the bonus credit has no wagering requirements so you can immediately withdraw any winnings — more details on that shortly. 

Free Bets

Another bonus handed out frequently at baseball betting sites is a free bet, a kind of token you can use to place a wager on eligible markets at zero cost to yourself. You don’t usually get the stake back if you win, keeping only the profit — subject to any wagering requirements. To receive the free bets, you might need to make a deposit, but no deposit free bets exist too and are given as soon as you sign up.

Here’s an example:

• $20 in Free Bets with 5x Wagering Requirements when you Sign Up

The $20 might be one free bet of the full value or several smaller bets, say four free bets worth $5 each. In this example, you’d need to wager $100 (5 x $20) of your own real money before you can withdraw the winnings.

Understanding the Bonus Terms and Conditions

Before accepting a bonus, it’s essential you check the T&Cs to be sure it’s right for you. Here are some common stipulations to watch out for:

Wagering Requirements

You need to meet these before any bonus winnings can be withdrawn. Sportsbook offers usually come with much lower wagering requirements — 1x–10x or even none — than casino bonuses. 

Minimum Odds

The free bet or bonus credit can only be used to make bets that meet the minimum odds requirements, usually around -120. This is to prevent punters making an easy profit on a low-risk bet.  

Eligible Markets

Sometimes the bonus can’t be used on certain sports or bet types like parlays. If you want to use your bonus on MLB, make sure it’s included. 

Excluded Payment Methods

Some payment methods like e-wallets might disqualify you from receiving a bonus.

Time Limits

You’ll need to use your free bet or bonus credit before it expires — the best MLB sportsbooks give players at least 30 days to do so.

How to Find the Right MLB Betting Site

All our top baseball betting sites have been through our rigorous review process, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all right for you. Here are some factors to keep in mind when you’re picking an MLB betting site.

Licensing

You should only play at a site licensed to operate in your jurisdiction as these sportsbooks adhere to regulatory requirements around player safety. 

Deposit Options

If you have a preferred payment method you’d like to use, make sure it’s supported by the sportsbook before you sign up.

Betting Lines

Think about the bets you want to place; the best baseball betting sites will offer a wide range of betting lines, whether it’s props, futures, parlays, or anything else that takes your fancy.

Odds

Competitive odds are a must — you want to get the best deal when you bet on baseball as it means a bigger profit if you win. 

Bonuses

Top MLB betting sites will offer player-friendly welcome bonuses and reload offers. Whether it’s a free bet or bonus credit, be sure the deal suits your needs.

Baseball Betting Markets

There are plenty of markets on offer when it comes to baseball. Below, we’ve run through the types of bets you’re likely to see when wagering on MLB.

Head-to-Head

Also known as a money line bet, a head-to-head wager is a straight bet placed on one of two outcomes — in MLB, that’s usually on the team you think will win an individual baseball game.

Futures

A futures bet is a longer-term wager on the outcome of an event, for example, the LA Dodgers to win the MLB World Series. You can also bet on things like the winner of a division, and which league (American or National) or division will win the World Series. Futures bets usually have longer odds and are higher risk, although that obviously means a higher pay-off if the bet comes good. 

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 bet slip. Some sportsbooks allow up to 20 bets in a parlay, though the maximum does vary between betting sites. Parlays offer the possibility of some massive payouts as hitting every bet is much less likely, and they often appeal to punters with a higher risk appetite.

Prop Betting

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, their specificity means they carry much higher risk.

Live Betting

Sometimes you want to place your bets in the midst of the action — maybe the favorite’s star player has just been injured, turning the tide for the underdog. With live betting, you can respond to changes in the game by placing a bet while the baseball match is in play. The bookies adjust their odds as the game unfolds, so your potential pay-off might differ from if you’d placed the bet before the first pitch. 

Another aspect of live betting is cash out, where you can secure an early win — albeit smaller — while the match is going in your favor, or cut your losses and keep some of your stake if things haven’t panned out as you’d hoped.

Deposits and Withdrawals at MLB Betting Sites

One element integral to a sportsbook experience is the ease with which you can transfer funds to and from your account. The best baseball betting sites offer players a multitude of options for deposits and withdrawals — here are a few popular payment methods you might find.

Debit and Credit Cards

The default option in the minds of many bettors, debit and credit cards from issuers like Visa and Mastercard are supported pretty much everywhere and most punters have access to one. They’re generally always eligible for sign-up bonuses, but withdrawal times can be a little slower — up to a week.

E-Wallets

A top choice for those wanting an extra layer of security is an e-wallet like PayPal. With an e-wallet, you won’t have to share your banking details with the sportsbook and will also get the fastest withdrawal speeds. The main drawback is that players using these methods are sometimes ineligible for certain bonuses, depending on which casino you choose.

Prepaid Cards

Another highly secure method well-suited to those on a strict budget is a prepaid card such as Paysafecard. These vouchers can be bought in a physical store and used to top up your sportsbook wallet with the 16-digit PIN. However, you’ll need to cash out with another method; it’s rare for a sportsbook to support withdrawals to prepaid cards.

Baseball Betting Odds

Before you bet on a baseball game, you need to know how betting odds work. Odds are a sportsbook’s prediction of what could happen during a baseball game. Although they can vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, most MLB betting sites price their markets competitively so you won’t find too much variation. That said, there’s no harm in shopping around to find the best odds for the market you want to bet on.

Most US sportsbooks display their odds in the American format, with a negative number representing how much you need to stake to win $100, and a positive number representing the profit from a $100 stake. Some bookies display odds in a fractional format (2/1 or 5/11) or as a decimal (2.0 or 3.5) — there’s usually a setting if you want them shown in a particular format. 

Here’s a real-world example of baseball odds:

• In a standard season game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, a sportsbook has set odds of +110 for the Red Sox to win. 
• Making a successful $100 bet on the Red Sox winning would land you a return of $210 — that’s $110 in profit plus your $100 stake.
• The New York Yankees are the favourite to win, with the sportsbook offering odds of -110.
• If the bet comes good, you’ll win $190.91 — that’s your initial $100 wager alongside a modest $90.91 profit 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 their handheld device form wherever they are in the world.

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.

Best Baseball Betting App

There are several options on the market today for betting on baseball via your mobile, but our top pick is FanDuel. The free app comes with the following features:

• Compatible with Android and iOS – just install from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and you’re good to go.
• Bet on the go – you’ll get access to all the markets available on the desktop FanDuel site.
• Place in-play bets – betting with your mobile means you won’t have to miss any of the action.
• Deposit and withdraw – you’ll get the same banking functionality as on desktop devices, and you can browse promotions and bonuses too.

Is Betting on Baseball Legal?

Following the PASPA repeal in 2018, legal sports betting has slowly rolled out across the United States. Unfortunately, that means it’s not always clear whether you can bet on baseball legally — so we’ve put together a handy list of the availability of sports betting across the USA. Don’t forget you’ll need to check if a site is licensed to operate in your jurisdiction too.