Whether you have never bet on MLB baseball or have done so casually, this article will help further your knowledge. For those that don't already know, the MLB season takes up just over half of the calendar year. Each team plays 162 games per season. Multiple that by the number of teams in MLB baseball and you have thousands of betting opportunities each season.



The MLB baseball betting line has three main components.

1. The money line.

2. The run line.

3. The totals line.

The money line is where you bet on a time to win or lose. There are no spreads or other factors to worry about. If your team wins the game, you win your wager. An example of an MLB baseball betting money line would be something like this:

Kansas City Royals +190

New York Yankees -220

In the above example, the Royals are on the road and an underdog (+190). The +190 means that if you bet the Royals and they win, you will be paid $1.90 for every $1.00 you wagered. Conversely, if you wager on the Yankees and they win, you will get back $1.00 for every $2.20 you wager. Here's an easy way to remember this. If you see a plus sign (+), that's the amount you win for each $1 you wager. If you see a minus sign (-), that's the amount you need to wager to win $1.

The run line incorporates what is called a spread. The spread on the run line is 1.5 runs. If you wager on the underdog, you get 1.5 runs, which means the favorite must beat your team by 2 runs or more. Conversely, if you bet on the favorite, they must win by at least two runs for you to win your wager. Here's the important fact about the run line. It changes the money line. Let's see what the run line could hypothetically do to our above example.

Kansas City Royals +1.5 -115

New York Yankees -1.5 -105

By taking these teams on the run line, the money you have to lay down changes as well. In the above example, you just need to lay $1.05 per $1.00 you wish to win on the Yankees, because you need them to win by two runs.

The totals line is very simple. It's the combined number of runs both teams score. If, for example, the total line for the above game was 9, you could bet under or over 9 runs. Bet the over and you need over 9 runs to win. Bet the under and you need under 9 runs to win. A tie is a "push", so your money will be returned.

Once you get the hang of it, the MLB baseball lines will be second nature. Just remember, a plus sign means the number is what you get for each $1 wagered and a minus sign is what you must bet to win $1. Good luck!