MLB Handicapping Tips

Major League Baseball draws a considerable amount of bettors who are looking for easy money. Of course, as any experienced sports bettor will tell you, there's no such thing as easy profits. But as it stands to reason, MLB betting offers a slightly better chance of winning due to the league parity.

And you can improve your chances of earning profits even more by properly handicapping baseball games. Putting some hard work and research into the matter will definitely help you bet with more confidence and make extra money. It's also helpful if you know some MLB handicapping tips, which we'll discuss below.

Tip #1 - Focus on Key Pitching Stats

Looking at starting pitching is always a great way to begin researching any baseball wager. And when checking out the starting pitching, you need to look at a variety of different stats. Some of these include ERA, WHIP, pitcher vs. team, and pitcher vs. key hitters. The latter two stats are paramount because they relate to specific matchups and can give you an edge over the public. Also, don't forget to look at the bullpen as well since starters only pitch around two-thirds of the game. Relievers will often come in when the game is on the line, which, subsequently, could decide your bet too.

Tip #2 - Don't overlook Defense

The two main components that people like to focus on in regard to baseball betting are starting pitching and hitting. However, this leaves out one big part of the game in defense. In most cases, the worst MLB teams are also the worst defensive clubs too. So it's highly important to look at fielding percentage rankings along with errors. You can then use this information to hopefully make winning bets.

Tip #3 - Look at Detailed Hitting Statistics

Most bettors will look at a team's batting average and how many home runs they have. But to be truly successful at MLB betting, you need to go beyond just the basics and look at in-depth numbers. Some stats that'll help you gain an advantage include team BA over the last 5 games, home vs. road hitting, day and night BA, and outdoors and indoors BA. Now it might take plenty of time to look at all of these stats, but it's worth it when you're wagering big.

Tip #4 - Don't even bother with Heavy Favorites

It may seem logical that big favorites have a strong chance of winning you a bet - even with moneyline odds attached. However, most experienced bettors advise against taking favorites at a -150 moneyline or higher because it's bad for the long-term. The MLB features a lot of parity when compared to other major professional sports leagues. So it's usually a poor idea to risk so much to win so little in regard to favorites.

Tip #5 - Check Weather and Injury Reports

Now this piece of advice may seem obvious to successful sports bettors. However, the importance of weather and injury reports can't be overstated. All too often, novice bettors will make a wager without looking at these reports, only to be burned when a key player is out due to injury. As for the weather, this can have a huge impact on over/under bets. When the weather is poor, it really cuts into the potential runs that both teams will score.