How to bet on MLB: free bets, best markets, and where to find expert picks

Baseball is one of the world’s best-loved and most-played sports. It is particularly popular in the United States, closely followed by Japan and the Dominican Republic.

You’ll also find an army of fans in Cuba, South Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, where followers like to keep tabs on the best teams, players, and competitions.

As far as professional baseball goes, no leagues compare to Major League Baseball, more commonly referred to as the MLB.

The unpredictable nature of the MLB and a hectic schedule means the sport lends itself well to online gambling. It will come as no surprise to baseball fanatics or online bettors that the MLB attracts millions of dollars in wagers each year.

But how do you successfully gamble on the MLB to target a profit, get the best odds, and collect standout betting bonuses, including free bets and enhanced odds?

Keep reading as Whop explains how you can bet on the MLB using your laptop or smartphone today. Our in-depth, impartial, and informative article has everything you need to know about betting on the MLB.

MLB 2025 is fast-approaching

The 2024 Major League Baseball season was another dramatic campaign, with followers enjoying plenty of high-scoring games and even more talking points.

There was a healthy mix of winning favorites, battling underdogs and shocks. Will 2025 live up to expectations and provide more of the same? We can’t wait to find out.

At present, the top players are working on improving their fitness and staying sharp after enjoying a well-earned rest late in 2024. The stars of MLB aim to hit the ground running and ensure they’re ready to fire their team to success.

What are MLB fans doing when all this is going on during the off-season? Studying the stats, making predictions, and placing bets at the leading online sportsbooks, of course.

Now is the ideal time to make your predictions on the big winners next term. The top sportsbooks offer odds, accept bets, and give all new players a welcome bonus free play.

MLB: dates, format, and how to watch

The campaign begins with pre-season, also known as spring training. Between February and March, teams play exhibition games to prepare for the start of the new season. It’s a time for coaches to evaluate their players and finalize rosters.

The 2025 regular season begins on Tuesday, March 18th, and concludes on Sunday, September 28th. This term, things will be different, as the season opens with a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan. Teams play 162 games each in the regular season: 81 games at home and 81 on the road.

Teams are divided into two leagues, with each having three divisions: the East, Central, and West. Each MLB team plays against divisional opponents, inter-division opponents, and inter-league opponents.

There’s a three-day mid-season break known as the All-Star break in July. That’s when the MLB All-Star game is played, where the best players from the AL face off against the cream of the crop from the NL. Followers also enjoy the Home Run Derby and the Futures Game.

The post-season begins in October and features the teams qualifying from the regular season to the playoffs. There are the six division winners - three from each league - and the six wild card teams - three from each league.

Here’s the post-season format.

Wild Card Series (Best-of-3):

The three Wild Card teams and the lowest-seeded division winner in each league compete.

Division Series (ALDS/NLDS) (Best-of-5):

Winners of the Wild Card Series face the top two seeds.

League Championship Series (ALCS/NLCS) (Best-of-7):

Winners of the Division Series compete for the league pennants.

World Series (Best-of-7):

The AL champion faces the NL champion to determine the MLB champion.

Where to watch MLB

If you love baseball and want to watch more MLB games but can’t make it to the stadium, you’ll be glad to learn the 2025 MLB season will be the most-watched in history, thanks to advancements in live streaming and an increase in TV coverage.

Below is a table that includes the official broadcasting partners of the MLB.

TV Broadcaster	Live Streaming
Fox	Max
TBS	Apple TV+
ESPN	The Roku Channel
MLB Network	ESPN+

Before betting on MLB games, it pays to understand the format. Let's learn about this next.

MLB games explained

If you are betting on MLB, it’s important to fully understand how the league works and the structure of the games. Just like when betting on any major sports fixture, like the NFL, NBA, or English Premier League, greater awareness boosts your chances of making a profit.

Whether you are new to betting on Major League Baseball or you’re an experienced fan, it’s always worth brushing up on the basics. Before explaining how to bet on baseball, I’ll highlight the key talking points of the games.

A standard MLB game consists of nine innings of two halves each, the top half and the bottom half. The aim is to score runs by getting players around all four bases to complete a “run.”

The visiting team will bat during the top half before the home team takes over and bats for the bottom half. If the scores are tied after nine innings, the game goes into extra innings, and the teams will continue to play additional innings until a winner is decided.

Here’s what an MLB team looks like:

Pitcher
Catcher
First Baseman
Second Baseman
Shortstop
Third Baseman
Left Fielder
Center Fielder
Right Fielder

And here are the finer details of an MLB game:

Pitching and Batting:

The pitcher throws the ball toward home plate, trying to get the batter out.
The batter attempts to hit the ball to score runs.

Outs:

Each team gets three outs per inning.
An out can occur by:
- A strikeout: The batter misses or doesn’t swing at three strikes.
- A flyout: The ball is caught before hitting the ground.
- A groundout: The ball is fielded and thrown to first base before the batter arrives.
- A tagout: A runner is tagged with the ball while not on a base.

Scoring Runs:

Players advance around the bases in sequence: first base → second base → third base → home plate.
A run is scored when a player successfully touches home plate.

Ending an Inning:

After three outs are recorded, teams switch roles (offense and defense).

How to gamble on the Major League Baseball

Now that we’re up to speed on how the MLB season works, the format of games, and where you can follow the play live, let’s turn our attention to betting on the results of games.

The biggest and best online sportsbooks love the MLB, offering generous odds, eye-catching markets, and excellent bonuses. If you love watching live baseball, you’ll likely enjoy calling the result and gambling on your prediction.

There are two approaches to betting on the MLB.

You can study the stats and bet on the result of a game. The moneyline market allows you to call the match-winner.

Or, you can play one of the specials, including total runs, handicaps, spreads, prop bets, and more.

Betting on MLB games gives you a quick result, and you’ll know if your bet is a winner or a loser within just a few hours. However, you can also enjoy a long-term interest in the MLB by betting on the futures markets.

These options allow you to predict the winner of the World Series before game one or at any stage of the play. Odds-makers update their prices after each round of fixtures, allowing you to bet live. Act early to secure the best odds, or bide your time to increase your chances of winning.

Most futures bets center on teams, like a particular MLB club to win the next World Series, but you can also gamble on individual players.

If you’re struggling with any of the terminology in this gambling article, I have written this handy bettor’s glossary, which should help.

Use your smartphone to register

Choosing the right bookmaker is essential and can make or break your betting, so browse the options, read my in-depth reviews, and choose wisely.

Registering with a betting app is simple. You can do so using your smartphone. It takes just a few minutes to complete, and you must register only once.

I’ll now walk you through the registration process using BetUS in my examples. Please keep in mind the process is the same, regardless of which bookie you choose to join.

Select your sportsbook

The best sportsbooks offer all new customers a welcome bonus free bet when you create an account, deposit $10 or more, and place a qualifying bet.

You may also find bookies offering enhanced odds, cashback, profit boosts, and extra places each way. The trick is to see what’s available and choose the new customer promo that suits you best.

While you can only join a bookmaker as a new customer once and claim the welcome bonus, but there’s no cap on how many apps you can join. Professional bettors have accounts with multiple betting apps to collect the bonuses, but they also increase their chances of getting the best odds every time they gamble.

Create an account

When you’ve found the right bookie for you, it’s time to create an account. The registration process takes less than five minutes to complete, and you can complete it from your home or on the move using your mobile device.

Visit the homepage of your chosen bookie and click Join, Register, Sign-Up, or Get Started.
The button will usually appear at the top right of the page and take you to the secure registration form. Add your username, password, name, date of birth, telephone number, email address, and other required information.

Next, add the promo code and deposit $10 or more using a debit or credit card.
You can now place a qualifying bet on sports, including a moneyline wager in the next MLB fixture broadcast live on television.
When your qualifying bet ends, the free bet tokens will drop into your account balance, and you can use them to wager on the MLB.

In most cases, a bookmaker will give new players a deposit-matched free bet. That means they will match your first deposit and wager in free bet tokens. Deposit $10 for a $10 free bet, or aim higher and gamble $100 for a $100 free bet.

Regardless of the type of promo offered by your bookie, it’s essential to read the terms and conditions before accepting. Going through the small print may take a few minutes of your time, and I understand you’ll likely want to get on with betting on exciting sports fixtures, but it’s an important step.

Account verification

As you are gambling remotely, a bookmaker requires you to verify your details, and that’s why it’s important to be accurate when registering an account.

The request to verify may come when you set up the account, but it’s more likely to arrive when making your first request to withdraw funds from your betting account and return them to your bank account.

Thankfully, verifying is hassle-free. Follow these simple steps:

Enable geolocation settings on your smartphone, and it will automatically show if you are in an area of the country where betting is legal.
Use the camera on your mobile device to take a snap of your photo ID, such as your driver’s license or passport.
Email the image to your betting app’s customer care team, who will check the details on your ID to ensure they match those saved to your account.
If everything is as it should be, customer services will pass your account and remove any temporary restrictions.

Select an MLB betting strategy

Having a gambling strategy is essential if you’re serious about beating the bookies. Professional gamblers use a range of betting strategies, and I’ll introduce you to the most popular ones in this section of my article.

Following the stats and fully researching your bets is a fantastic approach and will help you make a long-term profit when betting on the MLB. However, working through the numbers and results takes time and effort.

I understand not all of my readers have the spare time to analyze sports fixtures before parting with their stake. Thankfully, I’ve found a solid alternative that also gets great results.

You can follow the picks and predictions of professional gamblers, handicappers, and tipsters. If you don’t have time to research sports picks, you can rely on a pro to do it for you. They will do all the heavy lifting, analyze the stats, and find the best MLB betting market. All you need to do is find the right tipster and trust the process.

Where do you find reliable and reputable MLB and sports betting tipsters?

Whop has a long list of trusted sources with experience in beating the bookies and making a profit betting on MLB games. Just find a community that fits your style and go from there!

Securing your MLB bets

In this section, I’ll guide you through how to bet using your smartphone from home or on the move.

Log in to your betting account with your username and password.
Browse the sports navigation bar and click on baseball and then MLB.
You’ll notice a long list of MLB-related betting markets, including futures.
Select your chosen fixture or market and click the odds attached to your pick to add it to your bet slip.
Input a stake, check the details of your bet, make sure the cost is correct, and confirm. Your bet is now live and can’t be changed.
A cash-out offer will usually appear on your bet slip. It will be equal in value to your stake but will move depending on how well your pick performs.

Most popular MLB betting markets

The leading bookmakers offer customers an extensive list of betting markets, including moneyline, spreads, handicaps, props, and more. There’s a market to suit every gambler and MLB fan.

I’ll now highlight the most popular options.

MLB moneyline

The easiest way to be in the MLB is the moneyline market. Here, you are gambling on a team to win the game, and as there is no draw in MLB fixtures, you have a straight win-or-lose scenario.

Visit the MLB page of your chosen sportsbook and click the odds attached to the team you wish to bet on. The favorites will have a minus price, such as Team A -100, and the underdogs will have a positive price, such as +100. Pick your team, set your stake, and confirm. Your bet is now live.

If you gamble $10 on Team A at -100 odds and they win, you bank the profits. But if they lose, the bookie will keep your stake. You can bet on one team to win or add several to your bet slip to create a parlay.

MLB handicap

When betting on an MLB game with a strong favorite, the handicap market can help keep things interesting. The trading team will give the expected winner a handicap of minus points, such as Team A -2 runs. They will then give the opponent a plus handicap, such as +2 runs.

If you’re betting on Team A -2 runs, they must win the game and cover the handicap. If you’re backing Team B +2 runs, they can afford to lose the game as long as they stay within the two-goal handicap.

Suppose you bet on Team A -2 runs on the handicap, and the final result reads Team A 5-2 Team B. Your bet is a winner, as Team A won the game by three points, meaning they steered clear of the two-goal handicap.

MLB totals

Another interesting way to bet on MLB games is the totals. With this market, you are betting on the number of runs scored in a game by both teams combined. The traders working at your bookmaker will set the line, and you must predict if the total runs scored are more or less than that number.

Here’s an example:

Over 6.5 runs
Under 6.5 runs

With the above example, you must predict if the total runs scored is more or less than six. You’ll notice the line is set at 6.5 runs, and that may seem strange, as we all know, there are no half-runs awarded in baseball.

The bookmaker makes it .5 to avoid the draw and having to return your stake. If you bet on over or under six runs and the total is six, things begin to get messy.

But with the line set at 6.5 runs, you know if your bet is a winner or a loser. It’s clean-cut and easy to manage.

MLB futures

When betting on MLB futures, you are gambling on an outcome that may be many weeks or months away.

Many MLB futures markets are available, including making the playoffs, reaching the World Series, the stage of elimination, total wins in a season, and more. But the most popular and easiest MLB futures bet is the World Series outright market.

The example above shows five outsiders in this year’s MLB World Series betting who have a chance of upsetting the odds and winning. They are available to bet on now, but please keep in mind betting odds are subject to change.

MLB parlay

Parlays rank amongst the most exciting and popular bets for any sports fans and online gamblers. You can add almost any market or sport to a parlay, such as MLB moneyline, handicaps, and totals. You can also mix and match markets or even add different sports to your parlay to cover a day of fixtures or even a weekend.

With a parlay, you can add as many picks to your bet as you like. The more legs in your parlay, the greater the potential returns. But you should know that all bets in your parlay must win for you to land a profit.

If you create an MLB parlay with six teams and only five wins, your entire bet is a loser. As all picks are connected, it requires just one stake. That means a $10 parlay will cost you $10. It’s a great value-for-money bet that could help you win big off a small stake.

MLB prop bets

One of my favorite ways to bet on sports, including MLB fixtures, is team prop bets. The market allows you to gamble on several features of the game without having to pick a winner.

That could be the total number of runs scored by a team in a game. You are then betting on a team’s performance rather than if they’ll win or lose the game.

MLB player prop bets

Like the market above, which allows you to bet on a team’s performance, player prop bets mean you can wager on how certain individuals will perform. You can pick the favorite from the top runscorer market and back them to register more runs than any other player on the park.

It then doesn’t matter if their team wins as long as he scores the most runs. Other interesting player prop bets include the most home runs or the most strikeouts.

MLB spreads

The final betting market I will highlight and suggest you try for small stakes when you’re next watching Major League Baseball is the spreads.

Similar to the handicap, you’re tasked with predicting how many points a team will win by, but unlike the handicap, you can move the line. The greater the winning market or bigger the spread, the better the gambling odds.

If you expect Team A to win in style, you can shoot for one of the larger numbers available in the MLB spread betting and hope the team delivers a strong performance.

Find professional MLB betting picks at Whop

Whop has everything you need to elevate your sports gambling game. From expert advice from the professionals to picks in the top games and tips on where to find the standout odds, it’s all in one place.

All of the sports picks communities available at Whop today are run by professional gamblers and betting experts with years of experience in the industry.

You can trawl through the MLB and sports stats yourself or sit back, relax, and trust the pros to do the hard work and find you a winner. Join Whop and become a better bettor today.

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