MLB – Major League Baseball – has a global fanbase and is the leading baseball tournament in the world. As such, interest in MLB betting has grown recently as people look to back their favourite teams and players in their pursuit of the coveted World Series.

Stake.com is the perfect place for MLB betting and baseball betting , with a wealth of betting lines, betting markets, and excellent odds. You can choose from several wagers – including the popular run line – to profit from MLB betting throughout the season.

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Find out everything you need to know about MLB betting at Stake online sportsbook , starting with an introduction to the various divisions and leagues that constitute Major League Baseball.

MLB Divisions and Leagues

Thirty teams compete in Major League Baseball, divided equally into the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL was formed in 1876, followed by the AL in 1901, and they remained separate entities until a merger in 2000 led by the Commissioner of Baseball.

Each of the leagues is divided into three divisions – East, Central, and West, meaning that there are two leagues and six divisions in Major League Baseball.

During the regular season, teams compete against the other franchises within their divisions, ultimately looking to cement a place in the playoffs, where the MLB gets interesting.

The end-of-season playoffs are contested between five teams from each league, including the winners of the six divisions and four “wild card” picks. The playoffs then get underway as the remaining teams in MLB look to win the World Series, the most coveted prize in baseball.

When is the 2023 Major League Baseball Season & MLB World Series?

The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season started on March 30th 2023, with regular season games planning to end on October 1st 2023. The MLB post-season games are scheduled to start on October 2rd 2023, ending with a chance of a World Series Game 7 on November 4th 2023.

Format of the MLB Season

Every MLB team plays a remarkable 162 games per season, highlighting just how many betting opportunities there are throughout a baseball season.

Typically, each team’s schedule is split into three-game series against the same opponent, which is why such a high number of regular season games are played each year.

Each year around July, there is a temporary break in the action as the best players participate in the MLB All-Star Game, which is one of the most-watched events on the MLB calendar.

At the end of every MLB season, the ten best teams from the respective divisions qualify for the playoffs – five from the NL and five from the AL.

In the division series, teams compete for a best-of-five series to determine the winners, then compete in the MLB Championship Series, which is a best-of-seven series.

At the culmination of the MLB Championship Series, only two teams remain in the competition, and they compete for the famed World Series title, which is another best-of-seven series. The winner of the World Series wins the Commissioner’s Trophy, the most prestigious award in the world of baseball.

Futures Betting Options for the MLB

Although there are ample betting opportunities throughout the regular MLB season, baseball is a great sport for placing futures bets, given the post-season playoff format.

You can place a bet on which teams you think will make the playoffs from the start of the season, known as an MLB futures bet. You can also place bets on whom you think will win the respective divisions and leagues and whom you think will end the season as the World Series winners.

It’s a good idea to place futures bets at the start of the season before a ball is pitched, as you can usually access excellent odds. As the action gets underway, the odds change to reflect a team’s start to the season, lengthening and shortening the odds, respectively.

How to Bet on MLB & Types of MLB Bets

There are lots of different bets that you can place on Major League Baseball throughout the season. Explore the popular betting markets below, or read up on our guide to baseball betting for more tips and tricks.

Moneyline

When it comes to MLB betting, the simplest option is to place a moneyline bet. Here, your only job is to pick the winner of a particular fixture. You can decide whether to bet on the favourites or underdogs before sitting back and watching the action unfold. Read our moneyline betting guide to learn more.

Runs

Baseball is all about scoring runs, and another good betting option is to place a wager on how many runs you think will be scored in a fixture. You can also bet on the baseball run line, a 1.5 spread between the two teams. In other words, there are several different run-based bets that you can place on MLB fixtures.

Hits

As with runs, you can also place bets on the number of hits made in an MLB fixture. One of the most common MLB proposition bets is the total number of hits made in a fixture or inning, where you can bet over/under the line set by the sportsbook.

Player props

Prop betting is a very popular type of bet when it comes to betting on baseball. Player prop bets are an excellent opportunity to build value into your betting slip, and they’re not tied to the result of a fixture. Instead, player props concern players' individual performances on the field. Some examples include how many hits your favourite player records or which pitcher will card the most strikeouts.

Innings specific bets

Professional baseball games have nine innings of regular play, providing many betting opportunities. One of the most common innings wagers is a bet on whether or not either team will score a run.

Take advantage of your betting slip by placing mutli-bets on upcoming MLB games. With our 'Bet Builder' functio, you can place same game multi bets and place multiple selections on the single betting slip. Learn more with our same game multi betting guide .

Live Betting Options for MLB Games

Baseball games are long, so having the opportunity to place live bets on baseball certainly spices things up. Fundamentally, many of the markets already introduced are available as live bets. Still, you can also place bets on things like when the next strikeout will occur and whether a player will score a home run in this particular inning. You can check for live MLB betting options in your Stake.com account, enabling you to back your favourite teams as you watch the live action unfold.

Learn more about the differences between live betting vs. pre-match betting and how to devise the best betting strategy to win at Stake.

Betting Odds & Payouts for MLB Bets

Baseball odds are typically given in the American format (+300), which indicates how much you stand to profit from a $100 bet. If you prefer, you can convert the odds to decimal (3.00) or fractional (3/1). When you bet on MLB at Stake.com, you can access your winnings instantly thanks to speedy crypto withdrawals, meaning you don’t have to wait an eternity for your withdrawal to be processed.

MLB Betting Tips & Strategies

Betting on MLB can be extremely rewarding, but it’s important to adopt a strategy to help you place your bets. Here are some MLB betting tips that will help you get started:

Research MLB statistics: Statistics matter in baseball, and reviewing a team’s performance and form is a great way to identify betting slip value. You should look at how a team typically performs against a certain opponent and how well players perform in each inning before placing your bets. You should also research aspects such as the starting pitcher, as these can have an impact on MLB odds.
Check baseball player injuries: As they do in every sport, injuries can impact a team’s chances of success on the baseball field. For instance, if a team’s star elite pitcher is out with an injury, it could be a good opportunity to back the opposition.
Check the weather conditions: Wind plays a hugely important role in the outcome of a baseball game, specifically affecting totals bets. So, always check the wind and consider the general conditions before placing your bets.

So whether you're a baseball expert, or a casual sports betting fan, you can be sure that Stake has the best baseball odds, and betting tips and tricks .

You can also learn more about how to bet on sports with our ultimate guide to sports betting online at Stake Sportsbook.

Interesting Fact about MLB Betting

Did you know? Underdogs often do much better than anticipated in baseball. Since 2000, seven franchises have started the season with +2,500 odds or longer before going on to win the World Series. When the Florida Marlins won the World Series in 2003, they started the season with odds of +7,500. It just goes to show that MLB futures bets are well worth considering!

Why Bet on MLB on Stake.com?

Stake.com is the ideal place for MLB betting, with a whole host of markets and betting options available and excellent value odds. You can get started with MLB betting today by creating an account and loading funds, enabling you to place a whole host of MLB bets throughout the season, as introduced above.