Major League Baseball season is the most long-awaited event for all fans of this sport. 30 teams are going to play 162 regular-season matches. This means that you can bet on 2,430 games! Baseball provides many opportunities for sports bettors to make some money. It goes without saying that it’s funnier to watch the baseball games when your bets win. However, if you are a beginner, you need to make yourself familiar with the game rules and need to use some baseball betting strategies that will help you stay organized and place the right bets.
The main goal of betting strategies is to improve your chances of winning. In this guide, we’ll review some of the most effective baseball betting tips that will undoubtedly help you raise the bar for the upcoming season. We’ll go through the main factors that you have to consider before placing your baseball bets. Get comfortable and have a look!
Want to learn the basics of betting on baseball? Check out this article explaining how to bet on baseball.
Contents
1. Don’t Bet on Big Favorites
You probably wonder why you have to avoid betting on the best teams because in other sports such bets are the most profitable. Let’s take a closer look at this question. The thing is that baseball has more games than the NBA or NHL. That’s why in baseball, the best teams usually lose more often.
Those who love baseball understand that this kind of sport is volatile. Here, the best teams are usually foiled by a good starting pitcher. But when the best and the most powerful teams like the Dodgers or the Yankees play with their weak opponents, they frequently become moneyline favorites. Still, before placing your bets on them, you need to check if they win at least three of every four games against their opponents.
2. Pay Attention to the Umpires
Experienced bettors wouldn’t recommend making bets based on an umpire. This doesn’t mean you should neglect this aspect. Firstly, you have to remember that all the umpires are humans. Some of them support the home team whereas others can be influenced by the crowd. Some of them have a very tight strike zone and this may lead to more walks or runs.
Let’s take a closer look at this question. If you see that an ace pitcher is on the mound now and an umpire is calling a loose game, batters are expected to struggle. However, the best and most powerful pitchers are very talented guys. When they are given a larger strike zone, the hitters immediately start losing. As a result, the combination of a talented ace pitcher and an umpire who thinks it’s a loose zone is the main reason to bet the Under. So you need to learn more about the teams before wagering on them. Make some research before the game and learn who is responsible for calling strikes and balls. In this case, you’ll learn who is playing, who can be a potential winner, and you will undoubtedly attack the over and under bets.
3. Research Pitcher Trends
If you are currently wondering what the best way to bet on baseball is, you should learn more about this strategy. This tip is one of the most effective and popular solutions used by handicappers and bettors.
You know that absolutely every game begins with a pitch. You know that the quality of these pitches is of utmost importance. No matter whether you are going to bet on totals, sides, or the first five inning lines, you have to evaluate the pitching lineup of absolutely each team. You need to check the splits of each pitcher to learn how they perform in various cases.
For instance, this particular pitcher may play better in night games. Another pitcher plays much better at certain stadiums but, unfortunately, he struggles at others. Simply put, your task is to learn everything about home-away splits and find who is the best pitcher to perform in this particular stadium and game. For instance, let’s analyze a well-known player from the Dodgers, Hyun-Jin Ryu. This man plays much better on the road.
However, pitcher trends develop and change throughout the season. So, you need to be very attentive and do some research about pitchers before making your first baseball bets.
4. Take Advantage of Plus-Money Underdogs
Why do gamblers in Tanzania place bets? There are many reasons why we love betting but the possibility to make some money is surely an important one. However, it is not as easy as it seems to be.
To become a professional bettor, you need to do some research and find out more about players. Statistically, those who wish to earn money betting on basketball or football must win around 53% of the time. But when MLB bettors avoid betting on big favorites and always take plus-money underdogs, they can win at a sub-50% clip. However, they still have a chance to finish the year in the black. Remember that when dogs lose the game, you also lose money, but you only lose what you risked. And when they finally win, you can enjoy superb payouts.
5. Follow Reverse Line Movement
Baseball is a very interesting game, but unfortunately, it doesn’t allow you to relax and enjoy the match (if you want to earn some money betting on your favorite team or player). If you wish to be a successful bettor, you have to be very attentive to absolutely each game. To achieve success, you have to follow the reverse line movement — the period when the betting line moves in the contrary direction of the betting percentage.
6. Monitor the Weather
Weather can surely influence the game results! Weather is an important factor to take into consideration when placing a wager. The wind is even more important because if it blows in at 8 km/h, it can change the game course. In fact, the wind can influence the pitcher and the batter in positive and negative ways.
Besides, when the wind is too strong, it can also make the job of the outfielder harder. For example, if the wind blows toward the outfield, the ball will surely move farther after it is hit, increasing the chances of a home run. Overall, the wind can make an outfielder’s job of catching the ball more complicated.
Thus, before placing your wagers, you should also check the weather forecast and the wind speed!
7. Don’t Lock in Too Early
Lines are often available long before the game. But some bettors think that as soon as this information is available, it is high time to place bets. But you should resist the temptation to make your first bets too early. Remember that managers don’t show the starting lineups until a few hours before the game are left. It would be better for you to wait until a starting lineup is published to make sure that you make the right bets.
On top of that, you should also take into consideration that weather forecasts can also change until the game starts. So be sure you check the weather forecasts, game’s umpiring crew, strike zones, etc.
Additionally, consider the option of live betting, which means you wager as the game unfolds. Whatever you prefer, Parimatch allows you to bet before the game or in-play.
8. Monitor the Schedule
Baseball has a very busy schedule. Sometimes, teams even don’t have days off. Moreover, it is a common practice when teams play for two weeks without any breaks.
Let’s take a closer look at the example. Imagine, an East-Coast team needs to play on the West Coast. Travel fatigue will undoubtedly influence their play, and unfortunately, not for the better. But if a team has at least one day off, they will be rested and undoubtedly show much better results. Therefore, monitoring the team’s schedules is of utmost importance for those who are going to place bets. It takes a few minutes but can save you several thousand shillings!
9. Bet Against the Public
Maybe it sounds strange, but betting against the public allows you to win more. People like to go contrarian because sometimes, the public loses. Betting on the gut instinct can be a good idea. When you go contrarian, you capitalize on public bias and can benefit from artificially inflated numbers.
10. Develop a Niche and Follow It
The most popular baseball teams and the most long-awaited sporting events are usually bet the heaviest by the public. Moreover, they receive more attention from the oddsmakers. Therefore, it is much better to concentrate on less popular baseball teams and choose your specific niche. It can be a certain wager or a set of criteria that you prefer to follow before making your bets.
When you develop a specialty, you’ll know everything about this particular niche and will surely place more profitable bets.
Conclusion
Following all these strategies, you’ll undoubtedly make rewarding bets. But if you wish to really enjoy betting, you should opt for Parimatch — the best platform for baseball betting. We are a trusted online betting platform that has many years of experience in this niche. Many bettors from Tanzania have already tried their hand at betting on baseball, football, basketball, or any other sports on the Parimatch website. Now, it is your turn to test our platform and enjoy its features!
Here are the main reasons why you have to choose Parimatch for betting:
- We have a strong international reputation.
- We have a handy mobile betting app that you can download from our website and use for on-the-go betting.
- We offer a broad selection of bet types and games.
- We offer quick payouts and minimal deposits.
Our main goal was to provide all gamblers from Africa with the factors to consider when preparing to place their first baseball wagers. Now, you should give it a try! With knowledge, experience, the right betting platform, and sound betting strategies, you can easily get a profit, making your baseball bets on Parimatch!