MLB Runline Betting

Now that the Major League Baseball season is in full swing, it’s time to take a look at some of the betting options a bettor has when wagering on the sport.

While the moneyline is the most popular way to bet on the Majors, a problem you will often run into is that in lopsided games there isn’t much value betting on the moneyline if you’re looking to back the favorite, and it’s unlikely you’ll win your bet if you’re looking to bet on the underdog.

For example, if the Dodgers take on a poor excuse for a team like the Rockies, you’ll probably see them around -250 on the moneyline. Not many people want to lay -250 juice but in the same breath, there aren’t a lot of people that are running to the betting window to wager on the Rockies to beat the Dodgers.

That’s where the runline comes in.

What is a Runline Bet?

A runline bet is basically a “spread” bet in baseball. Whereas other sports, like football and basketball, will have varying spreads depending on the skill difference between teams, the runline is baseball is always set at 1.5.

That means that if you place a runline bet on a favorite they need to win the game by at least two runs. If you bet on the underdog on the runline they need to either lose by just one run or win outright.

You will see the runline laid out at participating sportsbooks like so:

• Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-110)
• Colorado Rockies +1.5 (-110)

This type of bet gives bettors a better option when betting on favorites if they don’t want to lay the juice on the moneyline.

How does Betting News make their runline picks?

The runline picks that Betting News makes on out MLB picks page are based on the market consensus for any given game.

By scanning free pick services across the internet, like CBS Sports, Sports Betting Dime, and Pickswise, we find out the best runline bet for every game on the MLB board.

We then take that bet and find out which online sportsbook is offering the best price for that specific runline bet.

For example, if four out of five sources are picking the Dodgers to beat the Rockies by more than two runs, the consensus pick will be to take the Dodgers runline.

Betting News will then suggest that you place the bet at Sportsbook A as they’re offering +135 odds for a Dodgers runline bet while Sportsbook B is offering +125 and Sportsbook C is offering +130.

If you’re interested in getting into the world of runline betting, be sure to check out our MLB picks page to find out the best runline bet on the board for any night of Major League Baseball action.