Bet on MLB in New Jersey
MLB betting ranks second only to NFL betting in terms of volume. With MLB instituting new rules like pitch clocks and bigger bases, the 2023 MLB season will be intriguing for bettors.
World Series odds, odds to win the AL and NL pennants and daily MLB betting lines are all now on the board at NJ online sportsbooks. Player props like AL and NL MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year are just a few of the favorites with moneylines, run lines, and totals for actual games also below.
MLB live odds
Below are the current game lines and futures odds for MLB from the top NJ online sportsbooks. Click on the odds to go directly to the sportsbook and claim your bonus. Use the drop-down menu to see more baseball futures including AL/NL winners.
Top MLB betting apps
1. DraftKings Sportsbook app: up to $1,200 in bonuses bets
Since day one, DraftKings let it be known it would do whatever necessary to get sports fans closer to the action. Be it by way of Daily Fantasy or sports betting, DraftKings has been a pioneer in the new world sports order and more than held up its end of the bargain.
The DraftKings app interface is top of the line and lightning-fast, which allows for a fantastic experience when betting late-inning props and/or live betting with FlashBet. Available for both iPhone and Android, it's a win/win to have a DraftKings account to find both pre-game MLB betting lines and in-game action.
The DraftKings app is available for iPhone and Android devices.
2. FanDuel Sportsbook app: up to $1,000 no sweat first bet
Often playing second fiddle to its arch nemesis, FanDuel opened its online sportsbook right before the 2019-20 NFL season kicked off and did more than make an impression on those frequenting their brick-and-mortar locations at the Meadowlands Racetrack or Bally's Atlantic City.
Locked in for both iPhone and Android, FanDuel made it a point to set its app up almost exactly like its desktop version to create a sense of familiarity between the two platforms.
A cool option parlay bettors can take advantage of is Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance. It’s only in play for five-leg parlays or higher. If all but one of them cash, FanDuel will refund the bet. This is just one of many special boosts FanDuel offers up to its customers.
You don’t need to be a resident of New Jersey to open an account, but must be within the state’s borders to make a real money bet. First-time FanDuel app users can take advantage of a no-risk first bet. If won, the winnings are credited. If lost, account credit will be refunded.
Baseball betting explained
Betting Full Games vs. Five-Inning Betting
The difference between betting the full game and the first five innings has everything to do with what occurs before the bullpens take over. When you bet on the first five innings, you’re more or less betting on the starting pitchers and taking the bullpens out of the equation.
By doing so, you eliminate the possibility of the bullpen ruining a fantastic outing from the starter you backed with "listed pitchers” at the outset of the game. So if you decided to lay the modest chalk with Jacob deGrom and the Mets and they lead 1-0 after five innings, you just cashed yourself a ticket. But if you made that same wager for the full game and Edwin Diaz blew the save and game like he did so many times a year ago, you’ll, unfortunately, be forced to rip the ticket up.
Run Line vs. Moneyline in baseball
Run-line bets constitute MLB’s closest thing to a point spread. When you take the favorite on a run-line wager, that team must win the game by two runs. If you back the underdog +1.5, that team needs to either win or lose by just one run to cash the ticket.
With nearly 30% of baseball games decided by one run or less, the vigorish attached to these betting lines is reduced. That makes them attractive to MLB bettors who think a favorite is going to destroy their opponent or the big plus-money underdog has a higher probability of competing than the betting line suggests. They’re a form of insurance for bettors looking to minimize risk.
Series vs. Individual Games
When betting on an individual game, you’re only concerned with the end results of that one game. Series bets account for all of the games played between two teams be it in the regular season or the playoffs.
The winner of a three-game series would have to win two games, while the winner of a five- or seven-game series would have to win three and four games, respectively.
Prop Betting in Baseball
This is when baseball betting really gets fun. With fantasy sports stepping to the forefront over the last decade and the enormous (and growing) popularity of DFS, sportsbooks have begun offering up gobs and gobs of proposition bets, or props, for MLB bettors to sink their teeth into.
Some examples include:
- Single-game hit totals
- Home run totals
- Strikeouts tallied
- Team win totals
- Innings pitched
- Blown saves
You can even bet on whether a batter will get hit by a pitch! In other words, there’s more than just moneylines, run lines, and totals to bet on over the course of the baseball season.
MLB Futures vs. Single-Game Betting Lines
Any bets made that only deal with the result of the game at hand is considered a "single-game bet.†Say the Cubs are taking on the Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball and you bet Chicago to win; you’ll end up cashing a ticket if Anthony Rizzo and his mates come out victorious.
A futures bet is a completely different animal. Examples of these types of wagers are:
- Season win totals
- World Series champion
- AL/NL division winners
- AL/NL MVP Award winner, etc.
When making a futures bet, you’re in it for the long haul as the result of the bet won’t be known until the future.
MLB live betting
Care to bet on the next pitch being a strike? How about a hit leading to a run or an out? Those are just some of the many options MLB bettors have when live betting a baseball game.
That entertainment factor alone makes watching an average midweek baseball game decidedly more engaging. But things really start to get interesting when a decided favorite gets down early and forces linemakers to drastically flip the odds, making it much more attractive to back the much better overall team on the readjusted moneyline or run line.
On the flipside, you could also drastically reduce your exposure if you took a shot with the big underdog on the full game line by reversing course and selecting the now-favored dog at a price that guarantees a profit or on the readjusted run-line.
With lines constantly on the move, you must put yourself in a position to keep up with the action. In order to do so, it’s highly advisable to have a sportsbook betting app open so you can follow the game live and pick your spots.
Why use a sportsbook app for MLB betting?
While visiting brick-and-mortar sportsbooks is fun for the atmosphere and camaraderie with other bettors, it can be a daunting task depending upon how busy the location is - especially when it comes to time-sensitive betting lines like betting on the later innings or taking a new position from your pre-game bet.
Point spreads, totals and moneylines bounce around almost immediately once hitting the board. By using a sportsbook app instead of waiting in line, you increase your chance of getting the number you want to bet on. Line changes are made public immediately which also allows for gauging the market to pick your spot.
Your chances of getting the best MLB betting lines increase exponentially with one-tap access on your sportsbook app. Don’t lose another bet by a half-point simply because you didn’t have the app on your phone and got stuck in line waiting to get your action down.
Baseball betting tips & strategy
1. Know your umpires
Don’t you dare put a bet down on a baseball game without knowing which umpire is behind home plate. That's a major no-no! Regardless of their inability to get every call right, the home plate ump dictates the pace and play of a ball game.
If they have a tight strike zone and you got a pair of live arms with high walk rates toeing the starting bump, you might want to make an investment on the over. More walks create more run-scoring opportunities and that’s all you want when banking on a high scorer.
If they have a notoriously big strike zone and a couple of aces are opposing one another, hit the under and don’t be surprised when linemakers open the total at 6 or 6.5.
Linemakers without a doubt take into account whom the umpire is behind the dish and so should you!
2. Know your pitchers
Starting pitching is no longer what it used to be. Getting six solid innings from a starting pitcher has pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur in this day and age.
The Tampa Bay Rays were trendsetters in 2018 by utilizing an "opener” who was looked upon to get the first three to six outs of a ball game. Other teams followed suit. Before you knew it, just about everyone was doing it.
Make it a point to either know for sure who the starting pitcher is going to be or just select "action” instead of "listed pitchers” to make sure your bet stands when it’s said and done.
3. Ride the streaks
It doesn't matter if they are good or bad, you should ride the streaks. As long a (regular) baseball season is, it allows for teams to adjust and still make an impact regardless of where they sit in the standings. Same goes for teams that get out to great starts.
Just about every team is good for 60 or so wins, and division leaders are destined to go on losing streaks. Remember, it’s tough to win 100 games even though at least three teams have done so each of the last three seasons.
In the history of Major League Baseball, only a total of 109 teams have pulled the feat off dating back to 1942.