Baseball

Baseball is one sport where the edge lies with the hard-working punter. There are few sports that offer up as much analytical data (E.R.A, fielding percentage, save percentage, batting average (broken down against left-hand and right-handed pitching, etc) for betting analysis.

A new statistic called "the quality start" has recently been adopted by Baseball bettors in order to handicap starting pitchers.

A "quality start" is a grade given to starting pitchers who have lasted beyond the sixth inning while allowing three or less runs during that outing. As starting pitchers significantly factor in any astute bettor's approach to baseball, this new statistic should be of benefit in determining pitchers' reliability and effectiveness.

Baseball betting is widespread in America and in other areas where baseball is seriously played such as the Caribbean and in Asia.

Virtually all baseball betting is centered on the Major League Baseball (MLB) season played in the USA. Major League Baseball has 28 teams divided into two leagues - American and National. Each league is sub-divided into three divisions; East, Central and West.

Teams play a 162-game schedule that runs from April until October. After the end of the season, eight teams (four each from each league) make it through to the playoffs. Each division winner gets a playoff berth as does each league's second place team with the best winning percentage. The teams then play in a succession of knockout playoff series, culminating with the best-of-seven game World Series played between the American League and National League Pennant winners.

There are no pointspreads in baseball betting - meaning that a bettor may need to bet more money than normal to win less. The 20-cent line is commonly used in baseball betting. This line means that to bet the favorite to win 100 units, the bettor needs to wager 120.

A popular baseball bet is to wager on the total number of runs scored in a game. The bookmaker quotes a total-points number and the bettor can choose to go over or under that figure.

Baseball Betting Tips:

1) Good pitching normally prevails over good hitting.

2) Playing on the road does make a difference - look at a team's home-and-away records.

3) Consider a team's batting record against left-handed and right- handed pitchers.

4) Consider a team's record in night versus day games.

5) Consider a team's record on artificial turf versus natural grass.

6) Ensure that your bet on a game is valid only if the starting pitchers Is the same as the time when you placed the bet.