Looking to get some betting action on the 2020 World Series? SportsbookWire.com has you covered with a full Betting 101 guide to Major League Baseball and the World Series. We'll be providing game-by-game picks throughout baseball's 2020 championship series, and here we'll go over all the key terms you need to know to place a legal, online MLB bet.
Also see:Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tampa Bay Rays World Series Game 6 odds, picks and best bets
Futures are also popular when it comes time to bet on the World Series. These bets are made well in advance, usually in the beginning or middle of the regular season. With this type of betting, you will see World Series betting odds with each team being assigned a value. World Series betting odds At virtually any point during the season – and even in advance of it – we can take a peek at the odds for the winner of the next World Series. The futures market will list out all teams in contention, from favorites all the way down to longshots. How to Bet on the World Series. The World Series is the pinnacle of the baseball season, and there are plenty of bets to be made surrounding it. A bettor can always make a bet on each individual game of the World Series, but there are other ways to make some money as well. Let's take a look at a few of the types of bets available.
2020 World Series betting: Bet types
Money line
The money line is the most straight-forward bet of all sports bets. Simply pick which team will win a given game. Opposing teams will be expressed as a favorite or an underdog (more on this below) with favorites being given odds of -100 or lower and underdogs generally getting plus-money at odds of +105 or higher.
Against the spread (ATS)/Run line
On against the spread bets, lopsided matchups are handicapped by giving favorites a line of -1.5 or -2.5 for them to win by 2 or 3 runs instead of the outright/straight-up victory.
Underdogs will get lines of +1.5 or +2.5 on the other side, and they'll need to stay within either 1 or 2 runs in a loss or win outright in order to cover the spread.
Over/Under (Total)
The Over/Under asks for how many runs the two teams will combine to score in a game. Odds are typically equal on lines ranging from 5.5 to 9.5 (or higher).
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Series line
The series line is a form of futures bet asking for the outcome of an event at a later date. Odds will adjust based on the results of each game, injuries or other factors. The closer a team comes to securing the World Series victory, the less profitable their odds will be.
Prop bets
Prop bets can be available for the series as a whole or for an individual game, team or player. These allow bettors to predict statistical accomplishments of players or teams, or winners of awards such as World Series MVP.
2020 World Series betting: Key terms
Favorites
The favorite is the team viewed as more likely to win the game. In a regular season, home-field advantage can also factor into the betting odds and lines, though that won't be the case this year with the World Series being played at the neutral site of Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Still, the official home team will have the advantage of batting last each game and that'll be weighed into the odds.
Underdogs
Underdogs are given higher odds to win the game to represent their lower implied win probability. They need to pull the upset and generally are given plus-money odds to do so.
Chalk
Though it's unlikely to be seen in the World Series, chalk is the term used for low odds that often aren't worth a bet due to the risk associated with a very small return on a winning ticket.
2020 World Series betting: How do odds work?
With the AL and NL champions meeting in the evenly-matched, best-of-seven World Series money line odds should stay within -200 for the favorites and +200 for the underdogs. A $100 wager would return a profit of $50 or $200, respectively, with a win by either side.
Run line or Over/Under odds will usually be equal on both sides of the lines and can range from a more conservative -105 to -125. The lower the number, the more likely the sportsbook views that result.
Want some action on the 2020 World Series? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
If you're looking for a great place to bet on the baseball World Series check out Bet365, listed below. They accept bettors from outside the USA only, and accept Visa and MasterCard for depositing. They are hands-down the best and most trusted online international bookmaker in the industry.
- Canada
- 1Sports InteractionHuge Variety of World Series Betting Options. Easy Deposit Options.
Types of World Series Bets
- Game Betting: The most common way to wager on the World Series is to pick the team that you think is going to win each game. At sportsbooks, odds are usually posted the night before every game, which gives you plenty of time for research and to make your pick for the game. Some online sports betting sites also allow you to wager on the 1st 5 innings in case you don't trust the bullpen of the team you want to bet on.
- World Series Winner: Another popular bet to place is on the winner of the entire series. This type of bet will have better payouts than wagering on a single game, but it's obviously a bit more difficult since your team needs to win the entire series and not just a single game. In a single game, one pitcher can easily be the difference, but over the course of a seven game series many other variables come into play.
- Over/Under Bets: Wagers on the over/under can be made on every World Series game. To bet on the over/under, sportsbooks will set a line of how many runs they think both teams will score combined. If you think the teams will score more, pick the over. If you think they'll score less, pick the under. Because of superior pitching, most World Series games tend to have fewer runs than games during the regular season. Keep this in mind if an over/under looks too high to you.
How To Place A Bet On The World Series
- Prop Bets: Plenty of interesting prop bets for every World Series game can be found at sportbooks on the internet. Bettors are able to bet on the number of hits a team will have, how many strikeouts a pitcher will record, or tons of other choices. Prop bets are a lot of fun, but it's a good idea to keep your bets small since may of them are hard to hit.
Underdogs
Underdogs are given higher odds to win the game to represent their lower implied win probability. They need to pull the upset and generally are given plus-money odds to do so.
Chalk
Though it's unlikely to be seen in the World Series, chalk is the term used for low odds that often aren't worth a bet due to the risk associated with a very small return on a winning ticket.
2020 World Series betting: How do odds work?
With the AL and NL champions meeting in the evenly-matched, best-of-seven World Series money line odds should stay within -200 for the favorites and +200 for the underdogs. A $100 wager would return a profit of $50 or $200, respectively, with a win by either side.
Run line or Over/Under odds will usually be equal on both sides of the lines and can range from a more conservative -105 to -125. The lower the number, the more likely the sportsbook views that result.
Want some action on the 2020 World Series? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
If you're looking for a great place to bet on the baseball World Series check out Bet365, listed below. They accept bettors from outside the USA only, and accept Visa and MasterCard for depositing. They are hands-down the best and most trusted online international bookmaker in the industry.
- Canada
- 1Sports InteractionHuge Variety of World Series Betting Options. Easy Deposit Options.
Types of World Series Bets
- Game Betting: The most common way to wager on the World Series is to pick the team that you think is going to win each game. At sportsbooks, odds are usually posted the night before every game, which gives you plenty of time for research and to make your pick for the game. Some online sports betting sites also allow you to wager on the 1st 5 innings in case you don't trust the bullpen of the team you want to bet on.
- World Series Winner: Another popular bet to place is on the winner of the entire series. This type of bet will have better payouts than wagering on a single game, but it's obviously a bit more difficult since your team needs to win the entire series and not just a single game. In a single game, one pitcher can easily be the difference, but over the course of a seven game series many other variables come into play.
- Over/Under Bets: Wagers on the over/under can be made on every World Series game. To bet on the over/under, sportsbooks will set a line of how many runs they think both teams will score combined. If you think the teams will score more, pick the over. If you think they'll score less, pick the under. Because of superior pitching, most World Series games tend to have fewer runs than games during the regular season. Keep this in mind if an over/under looks too high to you.
How To Place A Bet On The World Series
- Prop Bets: Plenty of interesting prop bets for every World Series game can be found at sportbooks on the internet. Bettors are able to bet on the number of hits a team will have, how many strikeouts a pitcher will record, or tons of other choices. Prop bets are a lot of fun, but it's a good idea to keep your bets small since may of them are hard to hit.
- Futures: Every sportsbook online offers MLB World Series futures bets. Before the season even starts, you can pick who you think will win the World Series. The benefit to these types of bets are the increased odds. Small wagers can turn into huge profits if you pick the right team. The problem with futures bets is that it takes an entire season before you get your winnings (if you win). If you have a limited bankroll, it's not smart to lock up your money that long.
How to Read the Odds
Before placing a bet, you'll need to know how to read the odds. If you've never bet on baseball, here's an example of how it works:
- New York Yankees –140 vs. Philadelphia Phillies +120
How To Gamble On World Series
The negative (-) money line indicates that the favored team in this example is the NY Yankees. A negative money line shows how much money must be wagered to win $100. So, a bet of $140 would be required to win $100 on the Yankees. Of course you don't have to bet that much, the money line is just a way to do the math.
The Phillies are the underdog in this game and underdogs are listed with a positive (+) money line. For the underdog, it works a bit different than it does for the favorite. A positive money line shows you how much you stand to win on a $100 wager. In this case, with the Phillies at +120, a $100 bet would result in a win of $120 more, for a total return of $220.
World Series History
The'World Series' is the culminating event of the MLB season and takes place at the end of October or beginning of November every year. The World Series has been running since 1903 and is one of the biggest annual events in American sports.
One of the great things about the MLB World Series is that it's a best of seven series, meaning that one of the two teams needs to win at least four games before the series is over. You can afford to have a bad game and still have the chance to win the title, which takes a lot of the luck out of the event, which is always a good thing. The idea of the World Series is to crown the best team of the MLB season as the champion and the best way to do that is by playing out a series of games.
Current World Series Odds
MLB has the longest season out of all the professional sports in North America and millions of people enjoy wagering on the games throughout the season. The World Series is easily the most wagered on event in MLB and every game always has millions on the line. You can wager on the World Series with every online sportsbook, but it's important that you do your research and only play with reputable sportbooks, so you can ensure that your money is safe.
