With sports betting becoming bigger and bigger, one primary question regarding MLB betting is: What is a run line in baseball betting?
Everybody knows the spread and moneyline sections. However, betting on baseball is a bit different. Run line betting in baseball is very similar to a point spread bet in basketball or football and is standard when betting on MLB games. The favorite will always have a negative run line, and the underdog always with a positive run line, just like the underdog has a positive line for the spread pick and moneyline.
How Does the Run Line Bet Work?
It’s pretty simple. The run line is the number of runs the team will win by. Here’s one example:
Houston Astros are 1.5-run favorites over the San Diego Padres.
This means the Astros are favored to win by 1.5 runs. So, if the final score is 10-8, you win. If it’s 10-9, you don’t.
The standard MLB run line is 1.5, so the favorite will almost always have the -1.5 run line next to it. Some sportsbooks have alternate run lines with better odds, meaning you can take a chance at a team winning by more than 1.5.
Here’s the fun part. If you bet the underdog – in this example, the Padres +1.5 – you can win if the Padres lose by one run. Or, you could win if the Padres win by any number of runs.
Betting on the Baseball Run Line Can Be Tricky
Basketball and football are somewhat easier to bet on for a few reasons. But the most significant and most challenging part of baseball betting is the pitcher’s matchups. If a star pitcher is on the mound, the opposing team might not score many or any runs.
If that’s the case, the regular moneyline bet will make more sense, especially if you are going with an underdog. Nonetheless, the run line gives bettors another option, and you can roll the dice and bet on the moneyline, over/under, AND run line and hope for a big payout if all three hit.
In some cases, the underdog will have plus odds on the moneyline but negative odds on the run line. This doesn’t happen often, but it can make betting run line’s difficult.
Is It Better To Bet the Moneyline or Run Line?
As always, there is no one answer to this question. It’s a matter of preference. The moneyline is the more straightforward bet because regardless of the score, you win if your team wins.
The most challenging part is the fluctuation of MLB games. One night, a team will score ten runs; the next, they won’t achieve any. But, the run line adds an extra element, and you can easily pair the run line and money line together to make things more interesting in hopes of a bigger payout.
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