Baseball Betting Rules
Before you
bet on baseball, it is important to know how the game is played.
Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two opposing teams who take turns batting and fielding. The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball in which a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat. The objective of the offensive team (batting team) is to hit the ball into the field of play, allowing it to run the bases—having its runners advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called “runs”.
The objective of the defensive team (fielding team) is to prevent batters from becoming runners and to prevent runners’ advance around the bases. A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where the player started as a batter). The team that scores the most runs by the end of the game is the winner.
The first objective of the batting team is to have a player reach first base safely. A player on the batting team who reaches first base without being called “out” can attempt to advance to subsequent bases as a runner, either immediately or during teammates’ turns batting. The fielding team tries to prevent runs by getting batters or runners “out”, which forces them out of the field of play. Both the pitcher and fielders have methods of getting the batting team’s players out. The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding; the batting team’s turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for each team constitutes an inning.
A game is usually composed of nine innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. If scores are tied at the end of nine innings, extra innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, although most games end in the ninth inning.
Baseball Betting General Rules
The following are general rules for betting on baseball and should be adhered to, to avoid your bets being void.
Listed Pitchers: All pre-match baseball betting is offered on the basis that both the pitchers listed at the time the bet is struck start the game and throw at least one pitch each. If either pitcher fails to start, all bets placed pre-match are void but bets placed in-play stand.
The game must go at least 9 innings of play (or 8.5 if the home team is ahead) for bets to have action, otherwise, bets are void unless a winning market has already been established.
The only exceptions being:
- A bet placed on the pre-match money-line will stand provided there are at least 5 full innings of play unless the team batting second is leading after 4.5 innings. If the game is called or suspended, after this point of the game is reached, then the winner is determined by the score after the last full innings (unless the team batting second scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the innings, in which case the winner is determined by the score at the time the game is called). With the exception of MLB play-off games, suspended games do not carry over.
- When Mercy Rule is called because one team is in an unassailable lead, in which case bets stand.
Special rules will take precedence over the common rules, nevertheless.
Overtime counts unless otherwise stated.
Baseball Betting Money Line
Predict the team to win the match.
Example;
| Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
Final Score; Boston Red Sox 9 – New York Yankees 10
Result: New York Yankees WIN
Baseball Betting Handicap Spread
Predict the team that covers the handicap spread from the final score.
Example;
| Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
Match Spread; Boston Red Sox -1.5 New York Yankees +1.5
Full Time Score = Boston Red Sox 9 New York Yankees 10
Result: New York Yankees +1.5
Baseball Betting Total Runs Scored
Predict the total runs of the match.
Example;
| Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
| Total |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
Total Goals; Under/Over 9,5
Full Time Score = Boston Red Sox 9 New York Yankees 10. Total runs 19 -> Result: Over 9,5
Baseball Betting First Innings Totals Runs
Predict the goals scored in First Innings.
Example;
| Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
| Total |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
First Innings Total Runs; Under/Over 0,5
First Period Score = 1 -> Result: Over 0,5
Baseball Betting Next Innings Totals Runs
Predict the total goals scored in ‘X’ Innings only.
Example;
| Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
| Total |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
4th Innings Runs; Under/Over 0,5
4th Innings Runs Score = 3 -> Result: Over 0,5
Baseball Betting Total Match Runs Odd/Even
Predict the runs scored in the match, will be odd or even.
Overtime counts.
Example;
| 4th Game |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
FS |
| Boston Red Sox |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| New York Yankees |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
| Total |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
Total Goals Score; Boston Red Sox 9 New York Yankees 10. Total runs 19 -> Result: Odd
Baseball Betting Championship Winner
Predict the team to win the World Series championship.
Baseball Betting League Winner
Predict the team to win the league.
Playoffs are included.
Baseball Betting Conference Winner
Predict the team that will win the respective conference.
Playoff conference finals are included.
Baseball Betting Divisional Winner
Predict the team that will win the respective division.
Playoff conference finals are not included.
Baseball Betting Series Winner
Predict the team to win the given series.
