What is MLB over/under betting?

Runs win games but over/under betting is a great way of winning wagers without backing a specific team - so here’s everything you need to know...

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• How to bet the MLB over/under

• What Do the Minus and Plus Odds Mean?

• Why bet the over/under vs the spread?

• MLB Over/Under FAQ s

This bet gives you the option to bet the over/under on a particular game which, put simply, is predicting if there will be more or less combined runs in the game in relation to the total that a sportsbook sets out.

In baseball betting, the over/under refers to the amount of runs that the two teams will combine to score. Each game a sportsbook sets a total number of runs based on its projections and it’s up to the bettors to determine whether the final score will be over or under that number.

In terms of MLB over/under betting let’s look at an example to help you understand how the lines are set, how the odds work and what the potential payout could be when betting on the over/under betting.

If we are looking to wager on the game between Miami Marlins and St Louis Cardinals, sportsbooks will put out odds of both teams and then they will offer up a total number of runs that has been set out by their super computers. It will be up to you to determine which side of the number you are going to bet on.

This example means that Miami is the designated favorite with odds of -130 and St Louis is the underdog at +100

Since we are focusing on the over/under (also known as the MLB Total), we can see that sportsbook have set the total at 9.5 runs with equal odds of -110.

Like all MLB odds, MLB total betting odds always relates to bets of $100. This means that if we wanted to take the ‘over’ 9.5 runs on the baseball total, we would bet $100 to return $190 ($100 original stake + $90 profit). If we want to bet the under, then we it would return the same amount.

Of course, this is simply an example and you don't have to bet $100, you can bet any amount you want.

Betting on the MLB total can be as simple or as complex as you make it. There are a ton of factors that could be considered before placing a wager on this market, and we will get into those a little later.

If your main goal is to bet on baseball totals, first you would have to head to your online sportsbook and open the MLB slate for the day. You will see a list of MLB games for that game, and you will have the option to bet on the moneyline, spread, or total.

After doing your research, you would then have to decide on if you wanted to place a wager on the over or under in a particular game. When you’ve made up your mind, then you must find the column that looks like this:

These two lines will always be available to wager on unless they are OTB (off the board) for reasons such as an injury to a key player, weather issues or pitching changes.

If you want to bet on the over in the game, you will simply select the over 9.5 -110 option. This means that for you to win your bet, there must be 10 or more runs scored by both teams combined. Extra innings are included.

If you wanted to bet on the ‘under’, you would select ‘under 9.5 -110.' For this selection to win, the teams must combine to score nine or fewer runs.

Sportsbooks will always designate one team the favorite and one team the underdog and will attach a line to each team in the hopes of drawing equal action on both sides to ensure they turn a profit.

The same holds true when betting baseball over/under. Sportsbooks will give out odds of -110 if they believe both sides should have equal value, or they will juice up one side and have it look like this: Over 9.5 -130, Under 9.5 +100.

Whenever you see a team/total that has odds with a minus sign, that means that they have been designated as the favorite in that matchup. The opposite holds true for the plus odds, which indicate that the team/total has been labelled as the underdog.

If you want to find out your exact return on a specific wager, you can head over to our bet calculator and plug in your numbers.

The second factor is the weather. The forecast should be your best friend during baseball season. Take Wrigley Field in Chicago for example. When the wind is blowing out, sportsbooks adjust and offer up totals of 10.5 or higher. When the wind is blowing in, the total drops to 7.5 or 8.5. Understanding the elements that the game is being played in and adjusting accordingly is vital to betting on the MLB over/under.

And lastly, you must take into consideration who is behind the plate calling the balls and strikes. Certain umpires have notoriously unreliable strike zones - that typically forces more swings and misses. Other umpires have a very small strike zone which typically allows for more walks, which could turn into big innings. Knowing who is calling balls and strikes can go a long way in betting the MLB over/under.