The 2017 Major League Baseball season is upon us, which means it is time to research the latest MLB betting previews and get ready to bet on the best baseball matchups. The 117th season of the ball game will be even more epic than the last, which means the betting opportunities that you find at online MLB sportsbooks will be that much more thrilling. With a preceding season full of unexpected favorites and rising underdogs, understanding which club to bet on and why is more significant than ever. Whether dominating offensively or having a strong pitching rotation, each team has their unique strengths and weaknesses within the American League and the National League.
We have together the important statistics, betting trends, schedules, and more that you need to know in order to get the best value out of your MLB wager. Throughout the 2017 season, we will keep you updated on injuries, current standings, and most importantly, MLB betting odds, so make sure to check back frequently!
Is MLB Betting Legal In The United States?
Yes, betting on Major League Baseball is legal in the US, it’s just a matter of where it’s done. If you would like to place your wagers in person, the only state where this is legal is Nevada. This is because of a federal law called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). PASPA prohibits states from regulating their own sportsbooks. There are four exceptions to PASPA – Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon – that had already legalized sports betting in one form or another before PASPA was signed into law, but only Nevada allows wagering on all sports. So if you want to bet on baseball in person, you’ll have to take a flight to Nevada.
While PASPA limits land-based gambling, it doesn’t actually make the act of sports betting unlawful. So if you and your wallet would rather avoid flying to Vegas every time you want to place a wager, you should check out an online sportsbook. These are sports betting sites that accept American players and provide them with safe, fun, and legal betting opportunities. Because these sites’ headquarters are located in other countries, they are exempt from US federal law, making them a perfectly viable option for all your MLB betting needs. So after you’re done checking out the 2017 MLB betting previews we’ve got below, head on over to any one of the USA sportsbooks listed. They’re safe, reliable, and best of all, legal for US residents.
What good is an MLB betting preview without absurdly early predictions? The most popular of which being who is going to win it all. According to Bovada and BetOnline, the Chicago Cubs have the best odds to win the 2017 World Series at +350 and +375, respectively. The Cubbies can rest easy knowing that only two contributors from their 2016 run are free agents, Aroldis Chapman and Dexter Fowler. Their mix of young talent and seasoned veterans served them well and should continue as they attempt to repeat.
The Boston Red Sox are the consensus second best team. BetOnline sees them as slightly bigger threats than Bovada, giving them +800 odds as opposed to the +1,000 that can be found on Bovada. The loss of David Ortiz will be felt in the locker room and on the diamond. He had been the face of that franchise for more than a decade. But, with veterans Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, and David Price, the team should be able to make a deeper run in the 2017 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the consensus third best team with +900 odds on BetOnline (tied with the New York Mets) and +1,000 on Bovada. The biggest contribution to this ranking is the growth of the squad’s young talent. Rookie of the Year Corey Seager is joined by pitcher Julio Urias and Joc Pederson as the centerpieces of the developing powerhouse in L.A. Expect the next step of that development to be on display in 2017.
The 2017 MLB season is rapidly approaching and with all of the major offseason moves essentially done at this point, it’s time to take a look at an American League preview for 2017. The current favorite in the AL is the Boston Red Sox. After the signing of pitcher Chris Sale, the Sox now have the most feared rotation in baseball and are expected to make a run at a title in 2017. Some other contenders in the American League include the runner-up in last year’s World Series, the Cleveland Indians, and the Toronto Blue Jays. Both the Indians and Blue Jays were able to make up for the players they lost via free agency and are expected to contend for a championship this season. If you are more interested in betting on the underdog, then a couple of teams to keep an eye on in the AL are the New York Yankees, and the Seattle Mariners. It never takes long for the Yankees to dig themselves out of a dry spell and they are certainly on a dry spell. The Bronx Bombers haven’t won a playoff game since 2012 and will be looking to get back in the spotlight in 2017. As for the Mariners, they just missed out on a playoff spot in 2016 and certainly have the talent to surprise people in 2017.
The AL East is home to three of the five American League playoff teams from last season in the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox are not only projected to repeat as AL East champions but they also currently have the highest World Series odds in the American League at +600. One of the biggest storylines over the offseason was the acquisition of Chris Sale via trade, which gave the Red Sox perhaps the best pitching rotation in the league. The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t far behind at +1400 as their odds improved after resigning Jose Bautista. The Orioles and Yankees both are expected to compete for a playoff spot in 2017 as well while the lowly Tampa Bay Rays will look to compete in arguably the best division in the American League.
The American League Central was represented in last year’s World Series by the Cleveland Indians. Although they didn’t come out on top, the Indians are coming into 2017 as the favorite in the division and have the third highest World Series odds in the league (+700). The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are around the middle of the pack in terms of odds but will be expected to make a run at the postseason in 2017. With all of these talented teams in the division, it was actually the Chicago White Sox who held the biggest storyline of the offseason. They dealt their ace, Chris Sale, to the Red Sox for four prospects, including the top prospect in all of baseball, Yoan Moncada. The Minnesota Twins bring up the rear as they try to improve on a disaster of a season a year ago.
Though the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners finished ahead of Houston last year, the Astros are coming into the 2017 season as the favorite to win the AL West. They currently have +600 odds to win the American League and +1200 odds to win the World Series while the Rangers and Mariners World Series odds are in the +2000’s. The Los Angeles Angels are in possession of the best player in baseball in Mike Trout but can’t seem to put the supporting cast around their superstar to contend. They will be looking to solve that problem in 2017. As far as the Oakland A’s are concerned, they have the worst odds to compete for a title in the entire American League (+15000) but they did make a few signings during the offseason so only time will tell with them.
The National League is full of World Series contenders for 2017 and it all starts with the defending champions, the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs possess the highest World Series odds for 2017 and will have a target on their back throughout the year. Some teams who will be aiming for that target will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and the San Francisco Giants. Each of these teams has the talent, experience, and coaching that’s necessary to succeed and are good bets to go all the way. If you want a not so obvious bet that you can actually win some money on, you could focus on the National League underdogs like the Rockies and Marlins. Obviously, both of these teams haven’t had much success over the last few years but they have been slowly building and could be ready to make a run at the postseason in 2017. Any of these teams could come out on top this season so get ready for an incredibly competitive year in the National League.
The oddsmakers are currently projecting the Washington Nationals to win the NL East as they have posted their World Series odds at +1100. The New York Mets will be looking to overtake the Nationals as the top dog in the East and will need to finally stay healthy in 2017 to do so. Not to mention they were able to keep Yoenis Cespedes from leaving via free agency and locked him in long-term. Elsewhere in the division, the Miami Marlins caught the injury bug last season as well and are expected to compete for a Wild Card spot in 2017. The Phillies and Braves round out the division and currently have World Series odds of +10000. Clearly, they are both incredible long shots but a wager on either of them could net a big payday for you if they shock the world.
The defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs are coming into the 2017 season as the favorites once again as their odds are listed at +375. The Cardinals are their biggest competition as they come in at +2000 and even stole a key piece away from the Cubs in free agency after signing Dexter Fowler to a huge deal. The Pirates have spent the whole offseason contemplating trading their star player Andrew McCutchen but no deal has been made yet. They could be a dark horse contender though and at +4000, betting on the Pirates could prove lucrative. Speaking of dark horses, the final two teams in the division, the Reds, and the Brewers are the darkest of horses coming into 2017, as they are tied for the worst World Series odds in all of baseball at +20000. Maybe throw a five or a 10 on one of them and hope for a miracle. It could prove to be the best decision of your life.
The betting odds for the NL West seem to always begin with the LA Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Both teams have been perennial playoff teams for a few years now and both have legitimate chances at the World Series. Each of them is sporting +1100 World Series odds but the Dodgers hold the slight lead when discussing National League favorites (Dodgers +500, Giants +550). The Rockies and Diamondbacks are on the outside looking in but both made improvements over the offseason. The Rockies signed shortstop Ian Desmond to a big deal and the Diamondbacks brought in Fernando Rodney to help out their bullpen. The San Diego Padres are bringing up the rear of the NL West and have +20000 odds, which is tied for last in the league.
American odds are the most popular set found for baseball betting, but lines in fractional and decimal form are not unheard of. When figuring out the potential payouts of a wager, understanding how to read all three types of odds can be beneficial if you were to run across a sportsbook that does not have the type you are accustomed to. Remember, the only purpose that odds serve is to inform the bettor of the payout of a given wager.
How American Odds Are Interpreted
American odds are represented with a plus or minus symbol (+ or -). They show you how much you stand to make based on a $100 bet. Minus symbols represent the favorite and show how much you have to risk to win $100. Plus signs are for the underdogs and tell you how much you will win if you risk $100.
Fractional Odds Are Read From Right To Left
Fractional odds are pretty standard at most books and are the easiest to read. The number on the right of the fraction or bottom (the denominator) expresses the amount you must risk on a wager. The number to the right or top (numerator) shows the potential payout. Just add zero to both sides. Fractions that have a value of more than one are the underdogs and fractions that are lesser than one are the favorites.
Basic multiplication is all that is needed to determine winnings from a bet with decimal odds. Multiply the odds by the risked amount to determine the payout and you are done. When it comes to favorites and underdogs, the underdog will have the higher decimal number and the favorite the lower. Even money bets will be posted at 2.00.
Though the majority of betting methods are similar across all sports, you will find that there are certain wager types exclusive to baseball. MLB moneylines are the easiest wagering concept to grasp, considering that you are simply picking a side and betting on whether team A or team B will win the game. Wagering on run lines is a popular type of MLB betting that involves a small point spread of either -1.5 or +1.5. The favorite (-) must win the game by at least 2 runs, and the underdog must either win outright or lose by 1 run. Betting baseball totals involves wagering on whether the number of runs scored by both teams will be over or under a total set by the oddsmaker. When betting over/under MLB bets, it is important to remember that the game must go all 9-innings in order to be graded. MLB parlay bets are where you combine two or more individual bets that must all win in order to receive a payout. This can be a combination of totals or sides that are all put into a single bet. Betting on the first five innings is the bet type that is unique to baseball betting. Bettors find a lot of value in betting on what the outcome will be after the first half of the game because there are typically no bullpen considerations to be made. The final types of MLB wagers are futures and propositions. Prop bets involve making wagers on events not related to the winner of the game. For example, betting on player statistics such as number of hits, runs, or strikes. Futures are placed on events that will not occur for weeks or months. A popular MLB future in the offseason is betting on who will win the World Series in the coming season. For detailed explanations of each individual baseball wagering type, see our Major League Baseball Wagering Guide.
Once you have a solid understanding of MLB odds and wager types, you can begin putting your money on the books. Learning how to bank with online MLB sportsbooks is not complicated in the slightest, and you will find that the cashiers are extremely safe and reliable. Each book will provide multiple deposit and payout options to fit the needs of every bettor. In terms of funding your account, Bitcoin is the fastest online sportsbook deposit method that you will find. The minimums are low and the maximums are mid-range. The most convenient sportsbook deposit method is by credit card, with most sites accepting Visa, Master Card, and even American Express. There is sometimes a small transaction fee associated with this method, but you cannot beat how easy it is to just type in your card number and then be on your way to wagering. When it comes to withdrawals, checks are a common payout method for US bettors because you will not run into any red tape with banking institutions. A reliable sports betting site payout method is MoneyGram, which easily transfers funds to most locations around the world. The processing time is around 2 or 3 days, and then the funds are available for pick up the same day. Our detailed guide to MLB deposits and withdrawals provides even more expedient options for baseball bettors.
Deposits + Payouts for High Rollers
Of all the sports available to bet on, there are the most high rollers in the world of Major League Baseball. Being able to deposit and withdraw large sums of money without hassle is of high importance to any high-stakes bettor, and that is why knowing the best banking options for high rollers is crucial. Bank wires will be the most fitting option for both deposits and withdrawals. Nine times out of ten this method will have the highest maximums in the sportsbook, with sites like BetOnline putting no cap on deposits, and allowing upwards of $24,000 to be cashed out. If you reside outside of North America, e-wallet services are a high roller’s dream. Neteller and Skrill sportsbooks will put no limit on the amount of cash that you can deposit, and when it comes time to cash out you can withdraw at least $9,000 on a weekly basis. The $20 fee is relatively low considering how high the average payouts are. Keep in mind that all the top MLB sportsbooks such as offer one free payout per month, so that automatically cuts down on the fees associated with any high roller payout method.
There are hundreds of online sportsbooks available to US residents today. Unfortunately, quantity does not necessarily equal quality when it comes to online sports betting. With so many sports betting sites to choose from, it can be hard to tell the good from the bad. That’s why we’ve put together a little preview of our favorite sites. These sportsbooks are known for their reliability when it comes to providing a safe, fun, and legal MLB betting experience. Known for speedy payouts, generous bonuses, and unique features, these books will not disappoint.
Best Live in Game + Mobile Baseball Betting
Bovada has been ahead of the curve for years when it comes to providing the extra features that MLB bettors want. Not only is the sportsbook design professional with a red and black Vegas theme, it is fully functional and allows bettors to wager from multiple platforms. The live betting section is where you will find a huge selection of the latest MLB odds on games that are currently taking place. For in-play betting the odds will instantly refresh during breaks, just visit the in-play betting page. You can bet on which team will win the game, the total runs during an inning, or a number of other adjusted moneyline and total bets. The live betting section is where you can find all your props that will automatically update after each and every play of the ball game. Will the game be played into the 9th inning? Will there be extra innings? These props and others are commonly featured on the live betting board.
The feature of Bovada that we get the most use out of is mobile betting. You can get in on MLB action from just about anywhere when you visit the sportsbook’s mobile site. Just log on from your handheld Windows, Android, or iOS device to begin placing bets. You can also make a deposit, request a withdrawal, and check other aspects of your account. If you are not at your computer, you can even create a free Bovada account now from the palm of your hand!
Best Bonuses For American Players
Once you’ve gone over the 2017 betting previews and have a feel for the team you’d like to back, you’ll want to choose a sportsbook. If you’re looking for a way to make great bets and also add a little bang for your buck, check out BetOnline. This book has some of the best bonuses available to its players and always keeps the cash flowing. When you first sign up for this book, you’ll be eligible to receive their 50% Welcome Bonus. BetOnline will match 50% of your deposit up to $2,500 – all you have to do is make your first deposit. If you’ve already made deposits with BetOnline, worry not, because they’ve got loads of other promotions just waiting for their veteran players. BetOnline currently offers a lifetime bonus guarantee, where you can receive 25% matching on every single deposit you make to the book.
Each deposit you make has to potential to earn you up to an extra $1,000, so long as you use the promo code LIFEBONUS. It doesn’t end there, though. BetOnline also offers you free plays for using their live betting and mobile betting features for the first time. BetOnline’s mobile betting feature is browser-based, so it will work with any smartphone or tablet. Live betting can be done through the mobile betting feature, so you have the chance to earn a $75 free play credit in one swoop just by trying something out. BetOnline’s great bonuses are just the cherry on top of the already incredible lineup of features they offer their players, so check out all of the great MLB betting previews they have for 2017. They already have the World Series betting odds for next season available in their MLB futures section, so what are you waiting for?
The Most Flexible Betting Lines
5Dimes online sportsbook is one of the few sites that can boast about having the best MLB betting lines in the industry. The bookmaker has been delivering a premium betting experience for decades and has proven to be one of the top MLB sportsbooks in the online gambling community. When bettors want the latest baseball betting odds and the greatest value, they know to turn to 5Dimes. There are plenty of individual game lines, where you can bet on the moneyline, runline, or game total. With multiple games taking place every day, the sports betting site is guaranteed to have lines available on every matchup. You will also find a wide variety of proposition bets, from MLB team props to MLB player props. Head to the futures section to bet on the World Series or who will be the 2017 NLCS champion.
The wager limits at 5Dimes also make the sportsbook standout against competitors. Only a mere 50-cents is needed to place a wager, and major sports such as MLB have a $5,000 wager limit. For high rollers and those looking to put more money down, the customer service department is always willing to adjust these limits. This flexibility makes 5Dimes ideal for bettors at every experience level.
Best Welcome Bonus For New Players!
If you are going place a wager using the betting preview on the MLB, the best way to diversify your options is by using Sportsbetting.ag. The variety offered at this online MLB betting site is unmatched online. From the different types of wagers and odds types to be taken advantage of to the plentiful selection of bonuses for its members, SportBetting comes highly recommended as a book of the people.
After being taken over by the group that owns BetOnline, the staff at SportsBetting has worked hard on expanding the list of things that it offers. One of those is its list of bonuses. Players can choose from the site’s 75% welcome bonus, $5,000 new player free roll, refer-a-friend bonus, and a personal favorite, the 25% for life bonus. Players are entitled to a 25% match bonus up to $1,000 on every valid deposit throughout the life of their membership. It is truly a unique bonus online and isn’t offered anywhere else. Join now and get in on all of the great savings these bonuses offer and take advantage of the most secure online sportsbook on the net today!
While you’re perusing the 2017 MLB betting previews we’ve got here, we just wanted to remind you to participate in responsible gaming. Sports betting, and especially betting on MLB, can get stressful. The MLB features 2,430 regular season games, and betting on each one takes its toll. Make sure that you take a break every now and then, and remember, sports betting should be done for fun. Never wager with money that is set aside for bills or other commitments. If you feel like you have a problem, reach out to family or friends. You can also call the National Council for Problem Gaming’s helpline, 1-800-522-4700, or go to a local Gambler’s Anonymous meeting.