Alternative Ways to Bet MLB
In betting, especially with MLB, you always hear people talking about shopping around and making sure that you have multiple options to get the best price. Over the long run, every penny counts, and getting the best line possible can be the difference between being a winning and losing bettor.
While many people will check different sports books to get the best price, most do not shop around the options of books like DraftKings Sportsbook. Inside each game, the options to bet are lengthy, and many of those wagers are correlated in some way with other bets. Here are a couple of my favorites to check when a commonly bet number gets bet out.
Top MLB Resources:
When the Moneyline gets bet
Check: Home Team to Bat in the Bottom of the 9th
Where to Find It: Click on a game, click on Game Props, scroll 75% of the way down.
I wrote about this one a couple of weeks ago, and it’s become one of my favorite plays when I like an MLB home team that is just too juicy of a favorite. It offers a bet between the Run Line (-1.5) and the moneyline. It’s currently priced right between the two numbers when it’s released. However, I’ve noticed that when a game gets steamed to the favorite, this line does not move as quickly.
In multiple cases, I’ve been able to get as much as $0.85 off of the moneyline when a home favorite is getting bet. This offers a much better option when you can play a favorite at -210 or look at them to not bat in the bottom of the 9th at -125.
When the Over gets bet
Check: Total Hits
Where to Find it: Click on an MLB game, click on Game Props, scroll 20% of the way down.
This is another bet that will often get ignored even when a total shoots up. Since it is not directly linked to the total, you will see a game raise between half a run and a full run, and yet the hits props will not move or become .05-.10 cents more on the juice.
If you see a streamed total that you want to play but are late to getting to the number, make sure to check both the total hits prop and Runs + Hits + Errors prop. These props are often late to move since they are not directly tied to each other from a pricing perspective but are highly correlated.
When the Under gets bet
Check: Pitcher’s total outs
Where to Find it: Click on an MLB game, click on the Pitcher Props, scroll 10% of the way down.
When most people handicap MLB, myself included, it begins with the starting pitchers. Logically, when Unders get hit, it is due to people having faith in those starting pitchers. That being said, you will often see the total outs prop for pitchers not move even though the Under is getting tagged. I have seen a total drop a full run and this prop not move at all.
Again, the outs a pitcher records and the total are not directly correlated. However, if a game is going to go to the Under, it’s more likely you will have successful starts from the pitchers.
