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Best Tips for Betting the 162-game MLB Season

Best Tips for Betting the 162-game MLB Season

Written by on May 17, 2016

From starting pitchers to bullpens, injuries to suspensions, hitters to batting averages, and the extremely long marathon of 162 games that come with fatigue and draining road trips; there are several pertinent issues to be considered when betting on baseball. Fortunately, you don’t have to know everything; simply master the MLB betting tips below and you’ll be able to have a profitable summer.

Best Tips for Betting the 162-game MLB Season

 
 

How to Bet on Favorites

The basic premise of the betting on MLB favorites system is to bet on teams that have a good winning percentage and offer value in the MLB odds. This is based on the fact that good teams will win more than the bad teams and even if they lose, they are most likely to bounce back in the next game. As far as value is concerned, the advice is for you to avoid heavy favorites (those with a price of -160 and above on the money line) as you risk too much for less value on your money. If you really have to bet on a heavy favorite, go for the run line, as it is likely to offer better value for a win by the favorite team.

How to Bet on Underdogs

There are several strategies and tips of betting MLB underdogs, but the most common ones include: fading heavily favored public teams and games, betting on divisional underdogs who are playing at home, betting on underdogs that are on a winning streak, betting on good pitchers from underdog teams and being on the lookout for underdogs with strong bullpens.

Handicapping Starting Pitchers, Bullpens and Hitters

Like Quarterbacks in the NFL, pitchers play a very crucial role towards winning a game. Having a good pitcher is therefore a key consideration when you are handicapping a game. Even so, you should not forget that hitters and bullpens also have a role to play in games. Often times, we see good starting pitchers playing well at the beginning of the game, only for the bullpen to mess up that lead or for some hitters to come in strong later in the match and change the final result of the game. So, while you consider the value brought by starting pitchers, it is important not to over-value their importance to the point of forgetting the hitters and the bullpens.

Handicapping Lineups, Injuries and Suspensions

In the course of the grueling 162-game marathon, certain players will be injured, suspended or even rested from their teams. To avoid making wrong picks, ensure that you check the team lines and only go for those squads that are lining up their best players, as this encourages success. You can easily find information about these lineups via sites like EPSN.com or other sites (especially those that deal with Fantasy betting) that release daily team news and player updates prior to the first pitch.

Shopping for Best Lines

Different sportsbooks offer different MLB odds on each game and this comes as an advantage to you as a bettor, as you can use odds comparison sites (like OddsChecker.com) to find the best lines for the bet you are interested in making.

Research Before Placing Bets

Relying on gut feelings and going for teams that you love will condemn you into huge losses in the MLB season. If you want to make profits, do your research and find out as much information as you can to support you picks. The internet is full of data and information sources, so use it wisely to advise your MLB bets.

Choose Your Bets Carefully

With each of the 30 teams in the league playing 162 games, you will have more than enough games to bet on every day or even every week. So rather than going for every bet on the board with the aim of trying to make as much money as possible, make your selections carefully, keeping the key issue of value betting in mind. If, for example, you can’t find value in a given day, keep off as there will always be a next day with better options. And while you are at it, remember that the MLB season is a marathon that runs from April to October, meaning every team will have its soft and tough patches, so winning streaks and losing streaks must each be factored in with a grain of salt.