Baseball's regular season is different than all other sports because it allows you to apply some series dynamic strategies to your handicapping that are generally reserved for playoffs in NBA and NHL.  It's those little things that can drastically help your bottom line in MLB betting. 1: Don’t be afraid of or shy away from underdogs on the money line Baseball is one of those sports where there aren’t point spreads (if you ignore the -1.5) and the prices fluctuate in terms of who will win. That means that a 52.4% rate isn’t necessary to break even over the course of the year if you are consistently cashing underdogs. There is no quicker way to bleed away your bankroll than to take -250, -300 favorites in baseball and have them lose because you will have to win two to three bets just to get back that one loss. In fact, any time I see an underdog at +300 or greater it’s almost an automatic play for me (small) as the value is just too great in a one-game scenario. In fact, the +1.5 run line bet isn’t something I’ll ever use unless it’s on an underdog of +200 or more and the price on +1.5 is at or close to +100. Playing underdogs is a huge part of my MLB betting success and it should be included in your strategy as well. 2: Zig-Zag total theory Another basic starting point for baseball bettors and it calls for you to flip the total plays in Games 2, 3 and 4 of a series. Obviously you should take other factors into consideration (betting percentages, reverse line moves etc) when making a play like this, but if the [...]

Double headers come up often enough during an MLB season that it's important to keep them on your radar. With teams giving guys the 1st or 2nd game off for rest, lineup announcements are important, but as a general rule this is a strategy I use for handicapping Game 2 of the twin bill. Strategy: Take the team on the ML who lost Game 1 of the double-header and flip flop with the total as well. It's not always this simple, but sweeping a double header is very tough in baseball and more often than not you'll see the two teams split the day. It's great when the Game 1 loser comes back as the underdog in Game 2 as the + money should add a few extra dollars to your bankroll. In terms of the total, the same logic applies so that if the first game went 'under' the total, take the second game 'over' and vice-versa. In the on-going war between hitters and pitchers, they are likely to split on the day as well. Sometimes the pitching matchup in the 2nd game will scare bettors away from backing an 'over' (if aces are on the hill for example), but studs do get hit hard too and I've used this strategy to cash numerous bets in my baseball betting career. Obviously you have to incorporate other factors like line movement, betting percentages and the like to these Game 2 plays, but if you go into double headers with the thought of avoiding making plays on Game 1 (unless there are factors mentioned above that warrant a play), and look for those flip flop scenarios in Game 2, your bankroll will thank you for it.

No-hitters are a rare accomplishment in MLB, but we do see a handful of them each season. With many bettors going by the "what have you done for me lately" thought process, they look to jump on these pitchers in their next start and expect them to dominate again. More often than not these pitchers/teams are heavy favorites with their stud on the hill and everyone goes to the betting window ready to lay the heavy juice. I am not one of those bettors as after heavily following baseball for 7+ years now, fading a pitcher after a no-no tends to work well. This strategy also applies to near no-hitters that were broken up late (8th/9th inning) as well as complete game shutouts for a pitcher. Strategy: Fade Teams with a Pitcher making his first start after throwing a no hitter/complete game shut out and take 'over' the total as well. In it's basic form this strategy has it's deepest roots in regression. You've just watched a guy mow down a team without allowing a run or a hit and all the media outlets and general baseball fans are singing this guy's praises. The pitcher performed at a peak level and everyone is expecting something similar from him in his next start. But I am the one that is expecting that pitcher to regress quickly back to their average form and that means a bad outing is on the horizon. MLB hitters are the best hitters in the world and after you get the best of them one day, regression to the means suggests that you'll struggle against them the next time you are out there. There have been nine no-hitters since the start of [...]