Baseball Betting Rules

Baseball Betting Rules

Baseball may be the USAs favorite leisure activity, but with the exploding fan base of American football and basketball, baseball has dropped over the past years with regards to the amount of money being bet in sports books throughout Nevada and the Caribbean. It is however seen as, and sworn to being, by those in the know who make sports betting their living, the BEST sport to bet on. The odds on baseball are quoted in terms of a money line, and bettors pick which team will win the game... that is it. Simple. A baseball quote in sports books follows below::

The travelling or road team is always listed first or on top, in column A, and the home team is underneath or second, as with any NFL etc. Next, are the money line odds. In the above table. The favorite - the Yankees are at -165 are 10 cents higher than the Red Sox at +155. The difference is termed a "dime line". To a bettor, it would be to his benefit to bet baseball at sports books that deal a dime line. The minus represents how much one has to bet to win 100 and the plus represents how much one would win for 100 bet, much the same as the money lines in NFL or basketball. Next in the table are the teams' pitchers. The pitching match up can exert enormous weight on the calculation of the odds for that game. Column B lists the over / under or total runs, and as per the above table, one could bet that the total runs scored by both teams in the game, would be either over or under 9,5 runs. Column C represents another betting option called the run line. Run line betting allows one to either give or take 1,5 runs and receive an adjusted money line price.

BASEBALL PAYOFFS AND ODDS EQUIVALENT TO ONE DOLLAR

HOW TO CALCULATE BASEBALL PARLAYS

For each PRICE or ODDS quote on the chosen punters teams, one must look at their particular PAYOFFS (to $1) and always ADD $1 to these payoffs. Multiply the BET times the products of these payoffs (+$1) for ones parlay return.

i.e. Punter bets $50 on Cardinals (-150)
Parlayed to Tigers (-130)
Bet Cardinals Tigers return
(-150) (-130)
$50 x 1.67 x 1.77 = $147.80
Return includes the $50 bet

The same method can be used for any number of teams:
i.e. Bet $75 on Cubs (+120) to
Reds (-135) to Mets (even) for 3 team parlay
Bet Cubs Reds Mets return
(+120) (-135) (ev)
$75 x 2.20 x 1.74 x 2.00 = $574.20 (1.00 + 1.20) (1.00 + .74) (1.00 + 1.00) Return includes the $75 be.

Remember one must always add $1 to payoff price to calculate all parlays.

Due to the money line used in baseball, there are no set payoffs for tying a number of teams together in parlays. Payoffs are calculated by a simple formula that converts the money line into a decimal number and combines it with the other lines in the parlay. The 1st step is to convert the money line into a decimal value. The chart on the left can be used for this.

EXHIBITION BASEBALL INFORMATION

Las Vegas casinos, posting lines on pre-season or exhibition baseball, do not post total runs, nor do they list starting pitchers for each team. A tie can also arise i.e. 3-3 final score, should both teams be tied at the end of 10 complete innings.

BASEBALL BETTING RULES

After 5 innings of play, winners and losers are official, unless the home team is leading after 4.5 innings. Should a game be called, or suspended, the winner is decided on by the score after the last full inning, unless the home team scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the inning, at which time the winner shall be decided by the score at the time the game is called. Monies are only refunded if the home team ties the game and it is then suspended. The events or games do not carry over to the following day, unless otherwise specified or ruled.

Casinos in general, will not recognize suspended games, protest, overturned decisions etc for betting purposes. All bets must go the day written, or else it will be seen that there was no action and all bets and monies will be refunded.

SPECIAL BASEBALL RULES

1. When betting on total runs, over / under, the game must go 9 innings or 8.5 if the home team is leading to have action. Should the game be called or suspended, the score will be decided after the last full inning, unless the home team scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the inning, at which time the winner shall be decided by the score at the time the game is called. Rules for run line bets are identical as those for baseball totals. Bets on total runs will be refunded if a pitcher change occurs before either listed pitchers throwing at least one pitch. If a game goes past 9 full innings and is not completed i.e. suspended, curfew, rain delay, etc, then it is seen that there is no action on total or run line betting.

2. Baseball betting is accepted only in the following manner:

a. Action - Team against team, irrespective of the starting pitcher.
b. 1 specified pitcher - This represents a bet on or against 1 specific pitcher, irrespective of the other starting pitcher.
c. Both specified pitchers - If the starting pitchers are not as listed on the betting display board and / or ones ticket, the bet will be deemed "no action".

Note: Should there be a pitching change prior to the game, money odds can be adjusted. Should 1 scheduled pitcher start pitching against an unscheduled pitcher, "action" betting will be calculated by the opening price with the new pitcher.

A pitcher is reasoned to be a starting pitcher after throwing one pitch.