The MLB Playoffs mark the biggest tournament in baseball at the end of every summer. It is the busiest time of the baseball season for sports betting sites. Throughout most of October and ending in early November, 12 teams compete for the World Series. Here we will break down all the different bets that you can make throughout the march to the World Series.
In the new format, six teams from each league make the postseason. One team from each division earns a spot and the top three wild cards from the league also get one. The top two division winners each earn a bye, while the third division winner plays the last wild card, and the #4 and #5 seed play.
The top seed hosts the best of three series in the Wild Card series before it turns into a 2-2-1 best-of-five series in the Divisional series. Conference series and the World Series are both best-of-seven series.
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Moneyline bets
One of the most common baseball bets is the moneyline bet. With moneyline bets, you simply bet on which team is going to win the game. These are usually divided with a team being a favorite marked with a (-) number, while the underdog has a (+) value.
An example of a moneyline bet would be the Yankees at -175 to win the game, while the Dodgers are listed at +150. If you were to bet $175 on the Yankees to win, you would win $100 if New York won. If you bet $100 on Los Angeles to win, you could win $150 on the upset.
Run line bets
Another common single-game bet is the run line. The run line is a way to balance out a game where there might be little value on the money line. The run line works the same as a spread bet. In the postseason, especially deeper into the playoffs, most run lines will be listed at a run and a half.
One example of a run line bet is New York listed at -1 ½ (+150) and Los Angeles at +1 ½ (-175). In this example, the odds work the same as any other bet, but you would need the Yankees to win by two or more runs or the Dodgers to lose by one run or win outright for these bets to hit.
Totals
Total bets or over/ unders are a way to bet on the total amount of runs scored by both teams in a game. These totals are bets based on whether both teams’ combined run total is above or below a set total. This set total can vary from game to game but is usually right below 10 runs.
An example of a total would be over/ under 8 ½ runs. If the game finished with a score of 5-4, the over would hit because 9 total runs were scored in the game. If the game finishes 5-3 though, the under would hit.
There are totals for the first five innings and an entire game. Extra innings are included in game totals.
Game props
There are multiple game props you can find to bet on in the MLB playoffs. One of the most common game props is the five-inning line. This line is meant to follow which team will be winning through five innings, which leads to you pretty much only betting on starting pitchers rather than starters and the bullpen.
Another popular game prop is betting on whether or not there will be a run scored in the first inning. YRFI’s (yes run first inning) and NRFI’s (no run first inning) have become common bets in baseball. These bets are important to watch how well pitchers and certain teams start games in the postseason.
There are also bets on whether or not a game will go to extra innings. While there can be a lot of value in these bets, correctly choosing which games need extra time is very difficult. The other game props are based on which team will score the first or next run in a game.
Player props
Like many other popular sports, there are a plethora of player props you can bet on in the MLB playoffs. For batters, you can bet on whether or not they will a hit/ hits, an RBI, a home run, how many total bases they will get, and more. With pitchers, you can bet on strikeout totals, runs allowed, and walks.
Parlays
In the first couple of rounds of the MLB playoffs when you can find multiple games on, you can parlay them together to increase the payout. If a game is rained out or a part of the parlay pushes, that leg is dropped and the odds are adjusted accordingly. If any leg of your parlay loses, the bet will not be paid out.
Same game parlays
Same game parlays or SGP’s have become a popular topic in the sports betting world as many sites offer a wide range of promotions on these bets. Same game parlays are multiple bets from the same game added together to increase the odds. You can bet game lines, player props, and game props, but cannot bet the run line with the moneyline. Like a regular parlay though, all parts must hit for the bet to payout.
Futures
Future bets are simply bets on later outcomes. One of the most popular future bets in the MLB playoffs is the World Series Champion. You can bet on who you think will win it all at any point of the regular season and playoffs, but the earlier you get the bet in, the better the odds are likely to be.
Like choosing the World Series Champion, you can also bet on the AL and NL Champions. You can bet on series outcomes on which team will move on and how many games it will take to win a round.
Live betting
Most online sportsbooks offer live betting on baseball. This is a way to take a position on the game after it starts, add to one, or get out of it if the game is not going your way. During each break, a moneyline and total are posted. This happens between innings and during pitching changes. Bettors can pick a side.
Some sports betting sites offer microbetting. This is a way to bet on what will happen on the next pitch or batter. The options include it being a ball or strike or hit or out. Note that these types of baseball bets are tough because of delays in television feeds.
Tips for betting on MLB playoffs
There are certain aspects of a baseball matchup that should be considered when making bets. These may be priced into the odds or you may find an advantage.
Pay attention to pitchers
Pitching can swing any baseball game, especially as games tighten up in the postseason. Watching out for who the starting pitchers are is a good way to get a better idea game by game. Make sure you are also looking at how they have performed their last couple of games to get an idea if they are hot or not.
Starting pitchers are not the only position to watch anymore though. The days where a lot of pitchers could go 7, 8, or even 9 innings are pretty much over. Now teams use their bullpens a lot more, sometimes even running a bullpen game. Teams with really strong bullpens in the playoffs have a tendency to go far. This can bailout poor starting pitching.
Forget the seeding
While seeding matters for who gets home-field advantage in the postseason, once the MLB playoffs start, it is basically a new season. Just because a team is a wild card seed does not mean they pose a serious threat. Momentum plays a big role in the MLB playoffs as once a team gets hot, they could make a deep run.
Since 2010, five wild cards have made the World Series and three have won it all. In the 2022 MLB playoffs, San Diego and Philadelphia played for the NLCS, both as wild cards. While top teams have been consistent throughout the whole season, it is not uncommon to see some of these wild card teams get hot at the right time.
Last Updated on July 10, 2023 by Kristina Mehaffey