The Baseball Marathon

THE FOLLOWING POST WAS WRITTEN BY SEAN MURPHY. I AM NOT THE AUTHOR. I AGREE WITH MOST OF MOST OF WHAT HE SAYS IN THE ARTICLE AND HAVE PUT MY COMMENTS NEXT TO EACH PARAGRAPH IN BOLD >

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Baseball may be known as America’s favorite pastime, but when it comes to betting, it generally takes a backseat to football and basketball. (More money is bet on the NFL- 16 regular seasons games than the MLB 162 regular season games. That is a good thing for us. There are so many games in baseball so it is easier to find hidden gems). That doesn’t mean there isn’t money to be made on the diamond. The summer can be a profitable time of year, as long as you’re willing to put in a little time and effort.


Moneyline betting requires a much different approach to that of pointspread betting. Discipline is the key and not making a habit of investing in big favorites is paramount. (Agree)

You can win 60 percent of the time and still see your bankroll shrink if you’re not careful. ( This happens when you bet on favorites.....something we never do).

Perhaps the most important notion to drill into your head is that even the best teams lose close to 40 percent of the time. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished with the worst record in baseball in 2010, but still won 57 games, or 35 percent of the time. That’s why laying big prices on a regular basis is a sure ticket to the poorhouse.
(Totally Agree).

Be smart about your wager amounts. It may be clichéd, but the MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t lose your shirt in April when many of the best opportunities to cash in on the diamond come in the dog days of summer. (Agree)

Unlike other professional sports, which top out at 82 games, teams are on the field almost every day over the course of a 162-game season. There are going to be spots where they don’t bring the proper level of focus. (Happens very frequently).

Scouting pitching matchups has to become as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. There’s a reason why starting pitchers are listed right next to the game lines at every sportsbook. You won’t find an individual player with as much control over the odds in any sport. (True)

With that in mind, starting pitchers are only part of the equation. Solely basing your wager on who’s taking the ball on that particular day can lead to frustration.
(He is right. it is not just about the starting pitcher).

With today’s pitch counts, starters will often work six innings or less, leaving at least a third of the game in the hands of the bullpens. You can’t count on a starter to toss a complete game every time he takes the hill, so you’re more than likely going to be relying on a team’s relief corps when the game is on the line. Pay attention to those bullpens and how teams fare in one-run ball games. ( We only play on the first 5 innings of baseball games, so the bullpen and bench usually do not factor into our analysis).

Don’t doubt defense

Defense might just be the most overlooked area of the game when it comes to baseball handicapping. Teams that avoid those costly mistakes in the field win more often – it doesn’t get much simpler than that.(True).


Hot and cold

Make sure you pay attention to streaks. It’s not uncommon to see teams go on extended winning or losing runs lasting 10 games or more. The betting marketplace is often a little slow to the take when it comes to these hot or cold teams. As a general rule, it’s rarely a good idea to step in front of streaks on the diamond.
(Streaks are one of the main factors that we look out before making a play).

We will only be betting on underdog money line plays for the first 5 innings.