MLB Prop Betting Guide – How to Bet MLB Player Props & Prop Betting Strategies

How to Bet MLB props

The MLB is one of the more available sports to bet on, especially in what is thought to be the dog days of summer. Being the only major sport in America to have games throughout the summer, there are bound to be plenty of prop bets to pick from. With a 162-game schedule, day games, night games, double headers, and games every day, the dog days of summer will suddenly start to feel much more entertaining. With so many games to bet on, let’s take a look at the various prop bets available.

Types of MLB Prop Bets

What are MLB Team Props? 

MLB Team Props are bets on team statistics or events in any given game

• Team to score first in the game [Team]
• Total Hits, Runs and Errors for both teams [Over/Under]
• First team to reach 3 runs in the game [Team]
• Specific team’s total runs [Over/Under]

What are MLB Game Props?

MLB Game Props are bets on game specific outcomes

• No runs first inning [Yes/No]
• Total Home Runs in game [Over/Under]
• Extra Innings [Yes/No]

What are MLB Player Props?

MLB Player Props are bets on individual player statistics in a single game

• Total Hits, Runs and RBI’s [Batter Over/Under]
• Total Strikeouts [Pitcher Over/Under]
• Player Home Runs [Batter Over/Under 0.5]
• Most Hits, Runs and RBI’s [Individual Batter]
• Most Strikeouts [Individual Pitcher]

Most Popular Types of MLB Prop Bets

Across the four categories, the most popular bets are:

Team prop: Team to score first in the game. This is a fun way to route for quick scores for the team that you bet on.

Game prop: No runs first inning (will also be seen as NRFI on many sportsbooks). You will see this on major sportsbooks all season long, and usually have boosts associated with them

Player prop: total strikeouts for the pitcher in the game. Pitchers and matchups tend to heavily influence this prop bet.

MLB Futures and Awards Props

Futures bets are outcomes that will be decided after the last regular season game is completed. These typically have plus odds regardless of the bet. Futures bets usually open to bet before the season starts, and odds fluctuate throughout the season based on team or player performance. These are an aggregate of team or player performance throughout the year.

• Home Run (below), Hits, RBI Leader [Individual Batter]
• Wins, Strikeout Leader [Individual Pitcher]
• World Series, League, Division Winner [Team]

Award props are another fun way to pick low risk, high reward bets that will have you invested throughout the entire season. These props include regular season MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young. Some sportsbooks even offer Manager of the Year, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winners, but these are not as common or valuable.

MLB All-Star Game Prop Bets

Don’t think we forgot about the all-star game and home run derby prop bets that are available every year! It is always a special time to bet on all-star games and the home run derby. Since the all-star game is an exhibition, I would not recommend betting a substantial amount of your bankroll on it, but almost every prop bet available in regular season games will also be available for the all-star game. 

As for the home run derby, you can bet on the winner, player(s) to advance multiple rounds, over/under total home runs for specific players and throughout the entire derby. The 2021 home run derby was held at Coors Field in Colorado (known as a hitter’s park), so the home runs were flying, and the over was the smart play. Try to find the edge when it comes to even all-star games and home run derby!

MLB Prop Betting Strategies

Prop betting in the MLB can be profitable if you are following the right strategies. There are many factors to keep in mind when betting MLB props, including:

• Hitters Park vs Pitchers Park – across the league, some fields have layouts that favor the hitter or favor the pitcher. For example, Fenway Park in Boston is known as a hitters park due to the 37 foot “green monster” left field wall. This is the shortest distance from home plate to left field corner in the MLB (310 feet) and hitters frequently take advantage of the short distance, playing off the wall for automatic hits. A well known pitchers park is PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the distance from home plate to left field is 410 feet. This is a nightmare for hitters and is a fly ball death trap.
• Weather is a huge factor in baseball since the games are outdoors. Wind can keep balls in the park or have them flying like hotcakes. Umpires will try to play through rain at times, so make sure you are paying attention to what the forecast looks like.
• Travel/doubleheaders. Some teams are playing 4 or 5 days in a row, so check schedule and lineups before placing a prop bet. You might find value on a utility player who is getting a spot start for a regular getting a day off, for example.
• Pitching matchups are a huge factor and should absolutely be taken into consideration when betting props. If there is a red-hot pitcher, you will probably want to stay away from some of the hitting props that are available, but on the flip side take some of the pitching props available.

Are MLB Props Good Bets?

Just like every sport’s prop bets, MLB prop bets can be a good bet type to take advantage of, only when you are confident and have a good feel for the bet you are taking. Try not to let your emotions get in the way, and make sure you do your research!

Which Sportsbooks Offer MLB Props

Most of the major sportsbooks offer MLB props in Virginia. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that Virginia currently does not offer Player future bets, like MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year due to state regulations. Other prop bets can be found on – but not limited to – the following books:

• Draftkings
• Fanduel
• Caesars Sportsbook
• BetMGM
• Bet Rivers

Also, check out what is a prop betting in NHL!