Baseball may not be the biggest betting sport on the board, but there comes a time in the heat of summer when it is the only betting sport on the board with daily action. Add in the fact that 30 MLB teams are playing an extended 162-game schedule plus the playoffs. This pretty much guarantees a steady supply of betting opportunities from April into November.
Most sports bettors understand how a MLB money line, total line and run line work since these three bets garner most of the action coming in on the games at your typical online sportsbook. What most bettors may not know are all the other ways that you can bet on Major League Baseball. Game, team and player props bet odds are released for every MLB game and the top online sportsbooks offer a full menu of live in-game betting options for every contest on that day’s slate. One of the more interesting ways to bet on baseball is on the three-game series price odds that are set ahead of Game 1.
Most new MLB series start on Monday or Tuesday for that week’s schedule and on Thursday or Friday for a weekend series. All series price odds are based on three games even if that matchup extends to four games. Odds are usually not set for quick two-game tilts. The basic bet covers which team will win the series with at least two victories.
One of the most basic tips for betting MLB series is making sure that the starting pitcher for each team in each game has been set. Since the starters for each team have a significant impact on the moneyline odds for each individual contest, they will also have an effect on the series price odds. By knowing who is going to be on the mound for each team in each game, you can gain a clear picture of how that series might play out.
Another important tip is to understand where each team is in their starting rotation coming into a new series. One team may be at the top of its rotation with its best three pitchers designated to start the next three games. The other team may have a five-man rotation with No. 3 on deck for Game 1.
While you have to be careful about putting too much weight on MLB statistics and recent betting trends when betting an individual game or series price simply because this sport is the king of stats and betting trends. You can dig down into the numbers to find out how many right-handed batters a left-handed pitcher struck out in their last start.
Some of the more relevant stats and trends that can provide some good insight into a three-game series are the results from recent matchups when the two starting pitchers did face one another. It is also helpful to know a pitcher’s stats and overall record pitching at home verse on the road. This could also pertain to a team’s starting lineup in terms of average runs scored. You should also pay close attention to each team’s recent record in Game 1 of a new series.
Current form is an essential factor coming into a new series. This applies to the team, as a whole, as well as to the key players that can have an impact on the outcome. You should also take into consideration a team's past schedule coming into a new series. A team coming off an extended road trip playing at home is far more attractive than a team heading on the road after a long stint at home. The road team tends to be the underdog in most series matchups so you might be able to find some solid value in a team playing well on the road at that time.