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If you’re new to betting and need MLB player props explained, we’re happy to help.
Even those with experience in other sports sometimes need MLB betting explained because it is a whole other world, especially when we get into the business of MLB prop betting.
MLB player props explained
With over a dozen games on the schedule most days and rosters of 26 players on each team, there is a nearly endless amount of baseball prop betting that can be done on any given day.
How is a bettor supposed to make sense of all of those options? It starts with understanding the basics of what MLB prop betting entails.
If you need baseball player props explained or just need a few things cleared up, let us answer some key questions to help you get up to speed.
How does a prop bet work?
A prop bet in baseball works the same as any other bet. The difference is that a prop bet isn’t directly tied to the result of the game but rather deals with particular events that take place during a game.
It usually involves the actions of statistics of a specific player in a game. Most of the time, prop bets will either be yes/no on a specific event occurring or have an over/under for how many times a specific event will occur.
For example, a baseball prop bet may involve how many hits a player gets in a game, usually over/under .5 hits or 1.5 hits. There could also be a prop bet involving how many strikeouts a pitcher gets in a game. Just like any other bet, there will be a moneyline attached to it that dictates how big of a payout each prop bet receives if the wager wins.
What does the plus/minus mean on MLB player props?
A plus or minus sign on a moneyline for prop bets works the same as it does for betting the moneyline of a game.
A minus moneyline indicates that the bet will payout less than the wager if it wins.
For example, a -150 moneyline means the bettor must risk $150 in order to win $100 in profit. A -400 moneyline means the bettor must wager $400 in order to win $100 in profit. If a prop bet has a negative moneyline, oddsmakers believe that event is likely to occur.
It works the opposite way with a plus moneyline. Anything with a plus moneyline is less likely to occur in the eyes of the oddsmakers, which is why the payout will be more than the wager. For instance, if the moneyline is +200, bettors will earn a profit of $200 if they wager $100 on a particular prop bet.
What is a prop bet in baseball?
A prop bet in baseball refers to any bet that relates to a player’s outcome during a game rather than the result of the game. Rather than betting on whether a certain team wins or loses or how many total runs will be scored, a prop bet can be placed on how a player performs.
For instance, will a specific player have a hit in that game? Will a specific player hit a home run in a game? Will a pitcher fall short or surpass a certain number of strikeouts during a game? In short, virtually all player actions could potentially bet part of a prop bet during a baseball game.
How do you read a player prop bet?
Reading a baseball prop bet is no different from reading any other type of bet. There will typically be two options for how you can bet, each with a moneyline that tells you what the payout will be for an accurate wager.
It’s possible for these moneylines to be the same, but that won’t always be the case. If a certain event is more likely to occur than not occur, the moneylines will reflect that.
For example, there could be a prop bet on whether or not a pitcher records over or under 8.5 strikeouts in a game. It’s possible for the moneyline to be -110 for both the over and the under.
However, there could be alternate prop bets available for that bet. For instance, the over/under for strikeouts by that pitcher could be 10.5, in which case the over would payout more while the under would payout less because it is the more likely outcome.
What happens if you bet on a player and he gets injured?
At reputable sportsbooks, player props involving hitters are usually contingent on that player having at least one at-bat.
If the player involved in the bet doesn’t play at all, the bet will be void and the money wagered will be returned. The same is true if there is a bet involving a pitcher who ends up being scratched right before the game and doesn’t play at all.
Different types of MLB player props
There is an almost endless list of potential MLB player props. As mentioned, virtually any action or event in a baseball game could potentially have a prop bet related to it, depending on what sportsbooks want to make that bet available. But here is a list of some of the most common types of MLB player props.
- Total hits by a player
- Total bases by a player
- Total runs by a player
- Total RBIs by a player
- Total stolen bases by a player
- Total singles by a player
- Total doubles by a player
- Will a player hit a home run
- Total strikeouts by a pitcher
- Outs recorded by a pitcher
- Hits allowed by a pitcher
- Earned runs allowed by a pitcher
- Walks allowed by a pitcher
- Pitcher recording a win
- What pitcher will record more strikeouts (starting pitcher vs starting pitcher)
Key factors to consider with baseball player props
The factors to consider when making baseball player props largely depend on the specific bet you’re considering. However, with props related to hitters, it’s important to consider the batter’s history against the opposing team’s starting pitcher and some of the potential relief pitchers they might face.
The same is true with prop bets involving pitchers. How has that pitcher fared in the past against the hitters he’ll be facing in a particular game?
Factors like injuries, weather, and the stadium where the game is being played should also be considered in prop bets just as they would in more traditional forms of betting.
