subject: Comprehending MLB, NCAA and World Series betting [print this page] Comprehending MLB, NCAA and World Series betting
Unlike with a point spread where the score is important, in money line it makes absolutely no difference how much a team wins by, what matters is the outcome; as long as they win the game you make money.
It would be extremely simple to make money if all you had to do was pick the better team, but it is not that easy. The bookmakers have their ways of balancing out the chances of the two teams; this is where betting on an underdog and a favorite comes into play.
In events like World Series betting, making a bet on a heavy underdog is as attractive as making a bet on a heavy favorite. In football or basketball point spread is the most popular type of bet. Money line works in such a way that if you were to bet the same amount on two different teams, then the underdog will fetch you more money than you would get if you bet on a favorite.
The money line is typically presented as a number larger than 100 and it can be either positive or negative. A number that is -101 or lower is a favorite; a -130 favorite is more favored than a -110 one. A team with positive money line of +101 or higher is called an underdog. The higher the number, the less likely the team's chances of winning.
Though good teams will usually have lower odds than the bad teams in MLB betting, the odds any one team faces differs extensively, based on the starting pitcher. Given that the rest of the lineup is relatively steady, the pitcher plays the most important role in a game. If you only want to pay attention to one thing in your handicapping, focus on comparing the starting pitchers.
NCAA basketball betting is another sport that has great money involved. Due to the vast number of teams, there is a lot of disparity between college basketball teams, and therefore you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. The talent disparity is especially big in the non-conference section, making it very hard to decide one pick.
