Aug 20, 2019 It was known in baseball circles since the 1970s that Pete Rose had a gambling problem. Although at first he bet only on horse races and football games, allegations surfaced in early 1989 that. With so many MLB games it can be hard to stay on top of everything. That’s why The Sports Geek is committed to offering high quality MLB betting picks for free! Our expert MLB handicappers are here to help you find the most betting value in each daily lineup. The reason is that baseball odds – and the most popular form of MLB betting – focuses on moneylines. Instead of a point spread, MLB odds adopt a different way to represent the line. Instead of Boston being 1.5-point favorites (meaning they have to win by two runs to win the bet), they are -180 baseball moneyline favorites.
Spring training? In February?! Every year, it hits us like a fastball upside the head: Major League Baseball players returning to the diamond. They’ll practice for several weeks before the regular season begins March 20 in Japan (March 28 stateside), and they’ll play several exhibition games, which will be available for betting on the MLB odds board.
If you like baseball, and you like money, this is where the gold is at. Sharp bettors love to take advantage of the soft lines attached to exhibition games in just about every sport – baseball being no exception. Here’s how you can make informed MLB picks for the Grapefruit League and Cactus League games getting underway this Thursday.
Know Your Rosters
Sharp betting means adjusting to change more quickly than the competition. Which players have switched teams? Who’s injured, or coming back from injury? Are there any rookies with a chance to make an impact? Even with this year’s, shall we say, slow market for free agents (cough cough), there have been a lot of changes since last season. Take advantage now by increasing the information gap between you and more casual bettors – study the rosters and find the teams with the most volatility in their lineups.
Know Your Pitchers
While you’re studying those rosters, focus your attention on the starting pitchers. It’s hard to keep track of all the players; the starters have the most impact on the final score of a baseball game, so if you concentrate your efforts here, you’ll get the most value out of your study time. This will become even more important as spring training rolls on and the starters are expected to pitch more innings.
Bet On Mlb Games Online
Look For The Right Pitching Matchups
Mlb Baseball Vegas Odds
Betting on preseason baseball is a lot like betting on football – except it’s about the starting pitchers instead of the quarterbacks. Look for matchups where one team sending its No. 1 or No. 2 starter to the mound, while the other team is at the back end of its rotation. Also, look for matchups where a quality middle or long reliever is expected to get in some innings. Managers will often divulge their intentions for upcoming MLB exhibition games, just like the head coaches do in the NFL.
Bet Small
Generally speaking, you want to bet big when you have a big edge on the betting public, and small when you have a small edge. Exhibition games can give you large profit margins, but these are also highly volatile games where your edge might not be as large as you think. Start with small bets early in the preseason while information is scarce, then bet larger as you become more confident with the size of your information gap. Speed is great on the basepaths, but when it comes to building a bankroll, slow and steady wins the race.