Best Sites for MLB Betting
Published on 24 Jul 2020
Baseball has always been one of the top popular American sports to wager. After the PASPA law repeal, betting on baseball became legal in many states and thus even raised in popularity.
Can you bet on baseball online anywhere? Basically, all US-facing sportsbooks offer major league baseball lines. Still, every bettor wants to entrust its real-money deposits to the safest high-quality bookie with competitive MLB odds, top-notch customer support, and lucrative bonus offers. In a perfect scenario, this sportsbook has a license of some local gambling commission, not an offshore one.
We prepared the list of the best online sportsbooks where you can legally bet on the MLB events in the USA. This ultimate guide also contains practical tips on how to choose the best online betting site and advice on MLB wagers: what should you do to win?
Top 5 MLB betting sites
To start, we’ll show you the online baseball betting sites we find the best for betting on MLB. What is common about them? They all hold licenses from the local gambling commissions and work perfectly legally in the USA: your gambling experience is protected by the government. Besides, they are all trusted and respectable brands that don’t scam bettors and offer the best odds and high-quality lines, with information from the official MLB sources. You can safely join one of them if they are already in your state — or download their mobile apps now to play when you visit one of their home states.
Here are our favorites:
| Sportsbook | Year Established | License |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | 2018 | Gambling commission of MI, NV, NJ, IA, TN, IN, WV, PA, CO, DC, VA and MS |
| DraftKings | 2012 | Gambling commission of AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, MI, NH, NY, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV, and WY |
| BetRivers | 2012 | Gambling commissions of PA, IN, IL, IA, CO, VA, and WV |
| PointsBet | 2015 | Gambling commissions of CO, NJ, IN, IL, IA, MI, WV, and VA |
| Caesars Sportsbook | 2018 | Gambling commissions of AZ, TN, IL, IN, IA, WV, MI, CO, VA, NJ, Washington, DC and NV |
Is betting on MLB games legal?
Since sports betting has become legal in many states (we already enlisted them in the table above), it automatically gave the green light to all four major leagues fans. Overall, there are not many limitations in professional sports betting: you can only face them when you want to wager on college sports. Some states prohibit making prop bets on college sports teams or make bookies remove matchups involving local teams from the line, but there is nothing like that with all other sports.
To sum up: MLB betting is legal, so if you opt for a website approved by the US jurisdictions and it offers you some MLB moneyline bets, totals, spreads, or props — don’t hesitate to place your wager!
What makes MLB Betting Sites Great?
MLB betting might be challenging, so why add an extra challenge to the overall experience by choosing a poor sportsbook? You can stick to our best baseball betting sites examples, of course, but if you want to surf the net to find some more options, follow our tips: they will help you to avoid any mishaps.
In the next several paragraphs, we will speak about sportsbooks and how we tell the good ones from the bad. Read on to know what you should look at first when choosing your next top place for sports betting!
License and Legality
Avoid sportsbooks that don’t have any license: it means nobody regulates them, and, in fact, they can do anything they want to: close your account, charge you some extra doubtful fees, or simply deny your payout request. It is the last thing you want, right? Thus, always pay attention to the license provider.
If we speak about legal US sportsbooks, all betting sites are registered by local gambling commissions.
For instance, it is the Gaming Division Enforcement in New Jersey or the Iowa Gaming and Racing Commission.
Some MLB bettors opt for offshore bookies: they are not perfectly legal, but in fact, no one prohibits them so strictly to avoid them at all. Such sportsbooks usually hold some remote licenses like the one from the Curacao E-Gaming Control Board. It is better than nothing, but note that Curacao, Isle of Man, or any other foreign committees will hardly negotiate with you directly if you have some issues with a sportsbook. Overall, it’s usually safer to stick to your local bookies.
Another essential thing is the legality: a sports betting site with a license can still be illegal. For instance, a bookie with a Pennsylvania license won’t be legal in, say, California, where sports wagering is banned at all.
Bonuses and Promotions
When it comes to baseball betting, bonuses and promotions is the thing that can significantly boost your profits. Don’t neglect this part, especially if you are a rookie. While sharp bettors making money on regular wagering don’t think about bonuses much, recreational and beginning players can add more excitement to the overall fun with some lucrative offers.
The most typical bonuses are not about baseball only. In fact, you might find no special MLB offers but opt for some promotion that is valid for all sports. For instance, all bookies offer welcome sports bonuses: free bets or free cash as a first deposit bonus. Besides, there are special promos for a particular league, season, or even a certain match: for instance, boosted odds for major MLB games.
| Sportsbook | Bonus amount | Bonus Type |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | $10 | A free bet reward for placing MLB Futures bets |
| DraftKings | May vary | Boosted odds for the selected MLB games within the season |
| BetRivers | Up to $250 | A first deposit bonus: 100% match to your first deposit |
| PointsBet | Up to $250 | A first deposit bonus: 100% match to your first deposit |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Up to $1,000 | A first deposit bonus: 100% match to your first deposit |
Latest Bonuses
Banking Options
To place MLB bets, you obviously need to deposit some funds. What is even more important, you need to withdraw them as quickly as possible using convenient methods: not some doubtful payment systems you’ve never heard of.
When we speak about the best MLB betting sites, we always consider the banking options they offer: we need at least several alternatives to consider a betting site good. Among the top popular methods in the major American baseball betting sites are credit and debit cards, PayPal, Skrill and Neteller, prepaid cards and gift cards, PayNearMe, and sometimes cash payments in casinos cooperating with bookmaker brands.
| Sportsbook | Popular payment options | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Credit Card, PayPal | $10 |
| DraftKings | Gift Cards, Cash, Paypal, credit cards | $5 |
| BetRivers | Online banking, cash, Paypal | $10 |
| PointsBet | Online banking, Neteller, Paypal | $5 |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Credit and debit cards, PayPal | $10 |
Mobile Betting Availabilty
Most users prefer mobile betting, so having a convenient mobile solution on hand is essential. Luckily, all the top MLB betting sites offer native apps and promote them even more actively than the web versions of sportsbooks.
Always check if you are okay with a particular app: does it work quickly? Is it convenient to navigate and allows you to make all the same bets, use deposit and withdrawal methods, or contact customer support as you do at the main version?
One more thing to remember: always make sure you are installing the right app: not some fake mirror.
Live Betting
Baseball is one of the top popular sports for in-play betting, so you definitely want to get the most of it, too! A little spoiler: American bookies are not superior when it comes to live betting lines, so you won’t probably find very comprehensive coverage for it. However, if you are into baseball betting, you must at least have access to the most traditional live markets for top events.
Luckily, MLB has plenty of games within the season, and bookies usually manage to include most of them in their live betting offers. If you want to watch the event at the same site, mind whether a sportsbook offers live streaming services and what are the terms of use. In most cases, you need to have a positive deposit or some active bets on the game you are going to watch.
Website Usability
Imagine you want to make a bet at top profitable odds, select it as your pick, and then fail to confirm it because you can’t find a bet slip. Another example: it takes forever to find match coupons as tons of unnecessary information and links overwhelms the site. Such things may spoil the whole experience, even if the overall offering is just fine.
Thus, website usability is essential. Our list contains not a single MLB betting site with poor design and bad user journeys: they all work fast, are easy to navigate, and look nice after all.
Customer Support
We hope you won’t have any issues that will require urgent support. However, things happen, and you may need to contact the customer support representatives. It might turn into a disaster if there are no contact numbers, emails, or chats. Besides, the support quality also matters: what’s the use in a quick response if it doesn’t solve your problem?
Our list of online sports betting sites famous for the brilliant MLB betting lines feature top-notch customer service and allow you to contact professional friendly agents 24/7 via a Live Chat, email, or a local toll-free phone number.
It is perfect when a sports betting site offers some alternatives like messengers or social networks. A good help center with comprehensive guides on the most frequent issues also won’t hurt.
What is MLB?
MLB is an abbreviation for Major League Baseball: the main professional baseball organization in the USA responsible for the top popular baseball events in the USA. It is the oldest professional sports league in history, so no wonder it has an enormous fan base in America and worldwide, and its games bring colossal revenues to sportsbooks.
The league’s history started in 1903 when the National and the American leagues merged in a single organization. Today, there are thirty teams in the league, including one Canadian franchise, and they all have a very tough schedule. Just imagine: every team plays 162 games within the season!
A little more about the MLB season structure: after the regular season, there are ten teams left to compete for the finals: the All-Star Game. The New York Yankees have won it twenty-seven times, being the most titled franchise: the second team, the St. Louis Cardinals, has only eleven wins.
How to Bet on Major League Baseball?
So you know where to bet: we hope you got enough details on how to choose the best MLB betting site. But what should you do with all these odds, bet slips, bonuses, and strange terms like Run Line?
Don’t worry. It’s easier than you think. We won’t probably open all nuts and bolts of MBL betting, but our guide will be enough to start. Read on to know how to register at the best baseball betting sites and what you should do further.
How do I sign up for MLB betting sites?
Every baseball betting site has its own nuances and registration options. However, most of them are similar and offer a very quick and intuitive process.
The most common sign-up procedure consists of the following steps:
The most common sign-up procedure consists of the following steps:
Step 1:
Press the Sign Up/Join/Register button;
Step 2:
Enter your name as per passport, your date of birth, and your residential address;
Step 3:
Create a username and password; indicate your email address and phone number. Some sites care about your security even more and ask you to think of a security question that will help if you forget your pass;
Step 4:
Confirm the terms and conditions, and click the Confirm button. You are ready to go!
Understanding the MLB Betting Line: Key Differences to Consider
Although MLB has basically the same betting options as the other leagues, sports, and events have, there are some nuances when it comes to making the right decisions. Besides, some of you might not be aware of even the basics, so let’s look at the most popular options to wager on baseball and speak about the most working baseball betting strategies.
To start, let’s speak about how to read the odds. For instance, you see the following betting market:
- Atlanta Braves -150
- Houston Astros +200
What does it mean? In this example, you see a money line, a bet type implying you predict the winner of the game. The figures next to each team are the odds: they show your potential payout if you win.
The Atlanta Braves team has negative odds, which means they are the game’s favorite. The amount shows how much you must invest to win $100, so if you back the Braves and wager $150, you will win $100; a bet of $300 will bring you $200, etc.
The Astros are the underdogs, and we also know it from the odds: the positive sign before the odds amount always shows a more lucrative payout. +200 in our example means that you must risk $100 to win $200 — looks much more profitable than betting on a favorite, right? Obviously, a bigger payout also involves a bigger risk.
Type of baseball bets
We promised you to start with the basics, so here are the simplest and thus the most popular baseball bets.
- Money Line. It’s easy: money line is just an American title for the Match Winner bet. You must predict who will win in the matchup: no matter what the score is. The money line is a very typical wager option for MLB: even sharp bettors prefer opting for money lines rather than choosing spread betting, the next best type we’ll discuss.
- Run Line or spread betting. This betting option is not even nearly as popular as Money Line and Totals in MLB betting, while it’s in high demand in, say, NFL. In fact, Run Line is the same old spread betting when you wager on a winning margin.
For instance, you can bet that Baltimore Orioles will beat Tampa Bay Rays with a margin of 2 runs. This betting market will look like that:
- Baltimore Orioles (-1,5) -120
- Tampa Bay (+1,5) +142
Unlike the other sports, baseball spread always comes with 1,5 runs. If the Orioles wins with a 5-2 score, your bet will win, too: there are three points between 5 and 2, which Is obviously more than 1,5. However, if you wagered on Tampa Bay, and the final result is 5-4, you will win, too: this bet implies that the underdog loses with a spread less than 1,5.
- Totals. When you bet on Totals, you determine how many points will be in the final score: both teams’ result matters. You don’t need to guess the accurate number: instead, a bookmaker offers some total score and suggests you bet on the Over or Under result. This betting option is also very popular among MLB fans: there are some lifehacks that work when you predict an over/under result. One of the factors impacting the total score is the weather: for instance, when the wind blows in, there are usually fewer runs performed within a game.
Look for lots of Live Betting Opportunities
The nature of the baseball game is perfect for live betting: with so many small pauses and breaks, it gives you many opportunities to place last-minute bets and be pretty accurate with your predictions. There are breaks between every pitch and every inning, so no wonder sports bettors use this opportunity to find a bargain and take some time to estimate the overall situation on the field.
We recommend you to follow this sharp betting strategy and use these breaks to monitor odds fluctuation and place some wagers that may greatly payout.
Don’t miss baseball betting bonuses
While very experienced bettors or some professionals who make money on sportsbooks don’t usually opt for bonuses, we are speaking about gambling for fun. Free bets or special odds for particular games won’t hurt: you might get more winnings using the bonuses or save some money while you are practicing. For instance, a risk-free bet will protect you from losing money if your bet doesn’t work out.
Conclusion
MLB is the second wealthiest league in the USA: it has millions of fans, and most of them can’t resist placing a couple of wagers on their fav team. Don’t miss the fun: the dynamic and unpredictable game might become even more thrilling if you are into sports betting. We remind you to gamble responsibly: consider your sports betting experience as a hobby, entertainment, but never a job or a time killer.
Avoid doubtful one-day betting platforms even if they look top profitable: it’s better to win less than have the whole deposit stolen. Our selection of the best MLB betting sites and our tips are here to help you: don’t hesitate to use our guide as a checklist when you choose your new top bookie.
Good luck!
FAQ
Yes, you can. All online betting sites have MLB betting odds, and the best ones involve a great selection of wagers at profitable odds. Note that not all states allow online sports betting, so you can legally make MLB bets in a limited number of regions, including Nevada, New Jersey, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, DC, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
There are plenty of MLB betting options and strategies. Beginners usually prefer the most straightforward bets: money line, run line, or totals. However, you can combine your bets in accumulators, teasers, and other multiple bets or opt for player or team props.
It's hard to highlight a single top reputable site; however, our top rating recommends you to consider such industry giants as DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, Fanduel, Points Bet, or BetMGM. They all have a sports betting license issued by the US official organs and have gained a reputation of safe, established brands with large loyal customer pools.
If you opt for legal US sports betting sites, you won't find it hard to register an account: you can usually do it within a couple of clicks. However, some states like Illinois force bettors to visit a retail sportsbook in person to register an online account; in this case, the registration obviously takes more time than if you do it remotely.
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