BETTING
ON BASEBALL
Football and Basketball are based on pointspreads, which
are the dominant method of wagering. Baseball, however, works
a
little differently. In baseball betting odds are based on a "money line" instead
of a pointspread. Money lines make you pick the straight up winner of the
game, but the payoffs
are based on odds.
In a
money line, the sportsbook posts the odds you have to risk
to win
$100. Your bet must follow that ratio regardless of how much
money you want to put at stake. For example…let's say
a team is a 150 favorite. That means you have to risk $150
on that favorite to win $100, or $1,500 to win $1,000,
or
$75 to win $50. If you want to bet on the underdog to upset,
you'll risk $100 and your return will either be 10 or 20
less
than the posted price depending on the store (or, you'll
use the ratio of 100/130 or 100/140 if you don't risk exactly
$100).
In baseball,
each game's odds are heavily influenced by the starting pitchers.
When
betting on a game, you can choose to bet team against team
in the
match-up regardless of the starting pitcher or you can choose
to specify one or both of the scheduled starting pitchers.
Betting team against team in called "action" and
that means your bet will stand regardless of who starts the
game pitching. If you want to specify pitchers to start you
would be betting "listed" pitchers. This means that
if the scheduled pitcher to start the game does not start
your bet is void. Because of the influence of pitching on
a game many people will use this option. For example, Roger
Clemens is scheduled to start against the Florida Marlins
who have a terrible record hitting off him. You want to bet
on the Yankees to win the game because you know Clemens will
shut them down. You would then want to bet on the Yankees
with Clemens as "listed". That way if for some reason
Clemens doesn't start your bet would be void. On the other
hand, if you think the Marlins are so bad that they can't
win regardless of who starts the game pitching, then you would
want to bet on the Yankees and have the pitchers "action".
You bet then not be good even if there is a change of starting
pitchers.
It sounds
complicated to the uninitiated, but you'll think it's easy
once you've done it a couple of days. The important thing
here, is that once again, the odds are based on public
perception…NOT
on the actual on field difference between teams. So, as with
football and basketball, you can easily beat baseball if
you're
willing to do the work.
Have you been trying to win big with sports betting?
Search no more; Rocketman Sports has numerous ways for you to be on top
of each and every
game. Give our Picks a Free test
drive
or click on the Premium
Picks to receive to the
winning picks of the day every day. |
|
