Baseball Betting Rules

Baseball may be America's favorite pastime, but with the booming popularity of football and basketball, it has slipped in recent years in terms of the amount of money wagered in sports books throughout Nevada and the Caribbean. Nevertheless, it has always enjoyed its share of popularity as a betting option. In fact, many, among those who wager on sports for a living, swear that it is the BEST sport to bet on. Baseball odds are quoted in terms of a money line, and bettors must decide who will win the game, period. A typical baseball quote is given in sports books like this:

The road team (as with any sport) is always listed first, on top, in column A, and the home team is underneath, or second. The money line odds are listed next. In this example, the favored Yankees at -165 are 10 cents higher than the Red Sox +155. This difference is called a "dime line". It is to the bettors' advantage to bet baseball at sports books that deal a dime line. As with money lines in football or basketball, the minus is how much you have to wager to win 100 and the plus is how much you would win for 100 wagered. Listed next are each teams' pitchers. The pitching match up has a dramatic influence on the determination of the odds for that game. In column B, the over/under or total runs, is listed. In this example, you could bet that the total runs scored in the game by both teams would be either over or under 9 and a half runs. Another wagering option offered in baseball is the runline which is shown in column C. In run line wagering you can either give or take 1 and a half runs and receive an adjusted money line price.

BASEBALL PAYOFFS AND ODDS EQUIVALENT TO ONE DOLLAR

HOW TO FIGURE BASEBALL PARLAYS

For each PRICE or ODDS quote on your teams, look at their respective PAYOFFS (to $1) and always ADD $1 to these payoffs. Multiply your BET times the products of these payoffs (+$1) for your parlay return.

Example: bet $50 on cardinals (-150)
Parlayed to tigers (-130)
Bet cardinals tigers return
(-150) (-130)
$50 x 1.67 x 1.77 = $147.80
Return includes the $50 bet

Use the same method for any number of teams
Example: bet $75 on cubs (+120) to
Reds (-135) to mets (even) for 3 team parlay
Bet cubs reds mets return
(+120) (-135) (ev)
$75 x 2.20 x 1.74 x 2.00 = $574.20

(1.00 + 1.20) (1.00 + .74) (1.00 + 1.00)

Return includes the $75 bet
Remember to always add $1 to payoff price to figure all parlays.

Because of the money line used in baseball, there are no set payoffs for tying a number of teams together in parlays. Payoffs are determined by a simple formula that changes the money line into a decimal number and combines it with the other lines in the parlay. The first step is to change the money line into a decimal value. Use the chart at the left for this purpose.

EXHIBITION BASEBALL INFORMATION

In Las Vegas, casinos which post lines on pre-season (exhibition) baseball do not post total runs, nor do they list starting pitchers for each team. In addition, a tie can occur (i.e. 3-3 final score) if both teams are tied at the end of ten (10) complete innings.


BASEBALL WAGERING RULES

Winners and losers are official after 5 innings of play unless the home team is leading after 4.5 innings. If a game is called, or suspended, the winner is determined by the score after the last full inning (unless the home team scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the inning, in which case the winner is determined by the score at the time the game is called.) Monies will be refunded if the home team ties the game and it is then suspended. Events will not carry over to the following day (unless otherwise specified).

Casinos do not recognize suspended games, protest, overturned decisions, and so on, for wagering purposes. And all wagers must go the day written, otherwise, there is no action and all monies are refunded.

SPECIAL BASEBALL RULES

A) When wagering on total runs (over/under) the game must go 9 innings (8.5 if the home team is ahead) to have action. If a game is called, or suspended, the score will be determined after the last full inning (unless the home team scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the inning, in which case the score is determined at the time the game is called). Rules for run line wagers are the same as those for baseball totals. Wagers on total runs will be refunded if a pitcher change occurs prior to both listed pitchers throwing at least one pitch. If a game goes past nine full innings and is not completed (i.e. suspended, curfew, rain delay, etc) there is no action on total or run line wagers.

B) Baseball wagers will be accepted in the following manner:

1) Action - team against team, regardless of the starting pitcher.
2) One specified pitcher - this is a wager on or against one specified pitcher, regardless of the other starting pitcher.
3) Both specified pitchers - if starting pitchers are not exactly as listed on wagering display board, and/or your ticket, your wager will be deemed "no action".

Note: in the event there is a pitching change prior to the game, money odds may be adjusted. If one scheduled pitcher starts against an unscheduled pitcher, "action" wagers will be computed by the opening price with the new pitcher.

A pitcher is deemed a starting pitcher after throwing one pitch.