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How to bet on baseball

Baseball Betting Guide

A bet on the game will have you on the edge of your seat. And a home run for your team to win the game will get you out of your seat.


The baseball season provides plenty of opportunities for sports fans to up the excitement by having a little action on the game. This guide on how to bet on MLB covers a variety of different markets – from money line wagers, to the run line, to player props and the increasingly popular no run first inning bets. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this guide has something for everyone!

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Understanding how to bet on baseball can be challenging, but using tools like our odds calculator can simplify the. Learn how to calculate the betting odds with our free odds calculator tool - designed to let you check what your potential return might be depending on the value of your wager, the odds and the type of bet.


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Learn the basics of betting on baseball in two minutes

Betting on baseball doesn’t have to be intimidating. If you’re a beginner, or need a refresher course, PlayNow’s own Dani Huntley is here to help. Don’t forget to follow PlayNow Sports on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest interviews, giveaways, and more!Don’t forget to follow PlayNow Manitoba on Facebook and X for the latest interviews, giveaways, and more!Don’t forget to follow PlayNow Saskatchewan on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest interviews, giveaways, and more!



Why bet on baseball

There are games every day

The 2025 MLB season runs from the end of March with the regular season concluding in September, followed by the playoffs in October, extending into November – which means there are games on every day of the week for nine months! This includes the opportunity to bet every day on Canada’s lone MLB team, the Toronto Blue Jays.


Stats, stats, stats

Baseball is renowned for its wealth of statistics and evolving analytical approach to the game. If you love using baseball to set your fantasy baseball lineup elsewhere or know the key matchups for each game, you’ll love using data when you’re looking to hit a home run with your baseball bets. Just remember, past performance isn’t always an indicator of future results.


October baseball is a hit

There is nothing quite like October baseball. Every pitch in the playoffs carries immense significance, and the best players often deliver iconic moments. Betting on the outcome of a close playoff game can only add to the anticipation and excitement of playoff baseball.

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There’s a top and bottom to every inning. Take a break from gambling when you need it too. Learn more about safer gambling at GameSense.com.

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Ways to bet on baseball

There are many ways to bet on baseball, including before, during and after the game. Here are the betting markets commonly available when betting on MLB games.


Money line – Popular

Pick the team to win the game

The money line wager is a bet on the team you think will win the game. It is the easiest way to bet on a game and one of the most popular bets when wagering on MLB games at PlayNow Sports.


Reading the money line

  • When looking at a matchup, you’ll notice the money line odds have different values. If you are using decimal odds, the lower number represents the favourite – the team expected to win the game. A bet on the favourite may seem like a good option, but comes with a potentially lower payout depending on the amount you wager. The higher number is the underdog, which is the team less likely to win the game.
  • Betting on the underdog has a potentially higher payout depending on the amount wagered.
  • For the money line bet to payout, the team you select must win the game in any fashion, including extra innings.
  • To calculate your total potential payout, multiply your wager amount by the decimal odds. For example, a $10 bet on the Toronto Blue Jays at odds of 1.54 would pay $5.41 in winnings plus your original wager for a total payout of $15.41.

Check out today’s MLB Betting Odds


How to bet money line

Run line

Baseball’s version of the point spread

If you’re looking for a point spread in baseball, check out a run line bet. The Run Line is another popular baseball bet at PlayNow Sports and captures not only which team is favoured to win the game, but also the margin of victory.


Reading the run line

  • This is another way of determining which team is the favourite and which is the underdog.
  • The favourite is indicated by the minus (-) sign and the underdog is indicated by the plus (+) sign.
  • Odds are attached to the run line to show how much you can potentially win on your wager.
  • If you are betting the run line favourite at -1.5, that team will need to win the game by two runs or more for the bet to win.
  • If you bet the run line underdog at +1.5, your bet will win if that team either wins the game or loses by just one run.
  • If you bet the Blue Jays at -1.5 with odds of 1.83, a $10 wager has the potential to win $8.33. Tack those winnings on to your original $10 wager, and the total potential payout is $18.33.
  • This bet wins if the Blue Jays win the game by 2 runs or more.

How to bet run line

Total runs

You can wager on whether a baseball game will be low scoring or high scoring with total runs (aka: the over/under). The total for each game may differ, depending on the pitching matchups and each team’s offensive form during the season.


Reading the total runs

  • In this example, the total runs is set at 8.5. This means, if there are nine runs or more scored in the game, bets on the Over win. If there are eight or fewer runs, then bets on the under win.
  • When betting on baseball, any runs scored in extra innings will count toward the total for the game unless otherwise stated.
  • In this example, odds of 1.83 have been attached to the Over 8.5 total runs and odds of 2.00 have been attached to the under 8.5 total runs.
  • A $10 wager on the over 8.5 has the potential to win $8.33 for a total payout of $18.33, including the winnings and original bet amount.
  • This bet wins if nine or more runs are scored in the game.
  • A $10 bet on the under 8.5 at odds of 2.00 has the potential to win $10.00 for a total potential payout of $20.00.
  • This bet wins if eight or fewer runs are scored in the game.


How to bet total runs

Other ways to bet on baseball

Player props

You can wager on the individual performance of your favourite player during MLB Games with player props. Popular player props include a player to record a single, total bases, total strikeouts recorded for pitchers, and total home runs. The home run props come with higher odds, meaning a potentially higher payout if your player hits a home run that day.

Same game parlay

Same game parlay for MLB Games is a fun way to include multiple selections from the same game into one bet. If you think the Blue Jays will win, the total runs will be over 8.5, and one of their players will record a single, you can combine all three selections into one wager. Odds in your same game parlay multiply with each selection. Once you’ve made your selections, add them to your betslip and make your wager.

First inning total runs

This is an increasingly popular baseball bet and provides a quick result early in a game. With this, you are betting on if the total runs scored at the completion of the first inning will be over or under 0.5. If a single run is scored in the first inning, the over wins. If no runs are scored in the first inning, the under wins.

First 5 innings total runs

Another popular baseball bet is wagering on the first 5 innings total runs. This is a wager on the total number of runs scored in the first five innings of a game. The total depends on multiple factors, including starting pitcher matchups. If you bet over 4.5 total runs in the first five innings of a game, and there are five runs scored at the completion of five innings, the over wins.

Futures

A futures Bet is a wager on an outcome that will be determined at a later date. For baseball, you can wager before and during the season on which team you think will win the championship. You can also wager on which player you think will hit the most home runs during the MLB season, or which pitcher might win the Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Home run derby

One of the most entertaining events of the summer baseball calendar is the Home Run Derby, an annual home run hitting contest held during the MLB All-Star break. Once players are announced for the derby, PlayNow Sports will post markets with odds for each player to win the Home Run Derby. You can make your selection depending on how you think the results will go. There are also individual player matchups for the derby, as well. You can also wager on the distance of the longest home run, and the over / under on individual player home runs for each round.



Betting on the World Baseball Classic (WBC)

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international tournament showcasing top players from around the world. It provides unique betting opportunities. On PlayNow, you can place a futures bet on which country you think will win the tournament. The 2026 World Baseball Classic runs from March 5th to March 17th. Predict the overall champion and join the excitement: Click here to make your prediction!


Seasonal betting: understand your bets throughout the MLB season

Understanding how different parts of the baseball season can impact your bets is crucial for guiding your decision making. Here's a breakdown of each phase of the season But remember, while statistics and trends can be interesting and informative, anything can happen in sport and there’s no science to knowing who will win.

The Season Start

Spring training: Analyze team rosters and player form during exhibition games in Arizona (Cactus League) and Florida (Grapefruit League). These games provide insights into player performance and team dynamics.

Early trends: Identify teams that start strong or struggle initially. Early trends can offer valuable betting opportunities.

Injuries: Monitor early-season injuries, as they can significantly affect team performance.

The Mid Season

Stats: Utilize mid-season statistics, such as batting averages and ERA, to guide your bets. These metrics can provide insights into team and player performance.

All-Star break: The All-Star break can impact team momentum and player performance. Consider how the break might affect teams and players when placing bets.

Trade deadline: The trade deadline can bring significant changes to team rosters. Could these changes impact a team’s performance?

The Playoffs

Playoff picture: As the playoffs approach, the playoff picture becomes clearer. Analyze which teams have clinched spots and which are still in contention to guide your bets.

Key matchups: Focus on key matchups in the playoffs, considering head-to-head records, pitching matchups, and other factors that could influence the outcome.

The Off Season

Off-season moves: Monitor off-season trades, free-agent signings, and other moves that could impact the next season. Consider adjusting your future bets based on these changes.

Preparation: Stay informed about team news, analyze off-season performance, and most importantly get ready to take a break and get excited for the upcoming season!


Rules and conditions for betting on baseball

Games can be unpredictable, and unexpected situations may arise. We encourage you to take a moment to review the rules and conditions before placing your bet.

General rules for betting on baseball

  1. All Settlements are based on information provided by the relevant league’s governing body.
  2. If played, extra innings will count for all Markets unless otherwise stated.
  3. If an Event venue is changed to a reversed match, all wagers on the Event will have ‘no action’.
  4. If an Event is nominated as a 7 inning game and later changes to 9 innings or vice versa, Bets are void unless the odds are deemed correct by the gaming authority at the time of bet placement.
  5. If starting pitchers are listed with the Event or Selection, then those pitchers must start the game or all Selections on that game are void, with the exception of World Baseball (unless otherwise stated).
  6. If starting pitchers are not listed with the Event, bets will have Action and stand regardless of which pitchers start the game.

View all baseball Rules & Conditions



Ready to get started betting on baseball?

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Get started on PlayNow

Whether you’re betting on the PlayNow website or app, you’ll find a global selection of sports and novelty bets.


  1. Join PlayNow in advance
  2. Claim your offers
  3. Make a deposit
  4. Choose an event
  5. Select market(s)
  6. Complete betslip.

For more information and video tutorials, check out the full guide.

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