Now that the regular season is over, it’s time to decide who will win the 2017 World Series. There are 10 teams preparing for battle, starting with Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game (8 PM ET, ESPN) between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins. If you’re brand-new to MLB postseason betting, or you just need a refresher heading into the playoffs, here are some of the different ways you can get in on the action on the Sportsbook.
Game Lines
Most of the MLB betting in October will be on single games, using the “Big Three” single bets: the moneyline, the runline, and the total. The moneyline is the classic baseball betting format, where you’re asked to bet on one team or the other without any spread involved. For example, the Yankees are –250 home favorites for Tuesday’s game, meaning you have to bet $250 on New York to win $100 – or any multiples thereof. The Twins are +210 road dogs, so a bet of $100 will return $210.
The runline is a lot like the point spread in football and basketball, except the line is usually fixed at 1.5 runs. As the favorites, the Yankees are –1.5 on Tuesday’s runline at –125 juice, while the Twins are listed at +1.5 (+105). The total is also much like what you’d see in those other sports; Tuesday’s posted total is 7.5 runs, with the Under and Over each priced at –110. If you know how to bet on NFL and NBA totals, MLB totals should be a cinch.
Series Prices
Instead of betting on a single game, you can bet on the outcome of an entire series. We already know the teams for two of the upcoming Divisional Series; the Houston Astros are –165 favorites over the Boston Red Sox, and the Washington Nationals are –140 favorites over the defending World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs. Pick the team you think will advance.
Futures
As the name implies, futures bets ask you to wager on the outcome of a future event – in this case, who will win the AL and NL pennants, and who will win the World Series. At press time, Los Angeles and Cleveland are tied at +333 on the World Series futures market, and they’re also favored to win their respective leagues.
Props
The first proposition bets in sports were made at baseball games, and they’ve become even more popular over the years. On game day, you’ll be able to bet on individual players from each team achieving certain milestones, like hitting homeruns or striking out a given total of batters. World Series MVP odds will be another hot item on the MLB props market.
Live Betting
Every game of the MLB postseason will be available for live betting. Will the next batter get a hit or strike out? How about a homerun? The more you know about the teams and players in question, the better you’ll do at live MLB betting – and it’s a great way to add some enjoyment while you’re watching the playoffs. Batter up.
*Odds as of October 3, 2017