Like many of the most popular sports in Canada, there are many different betting markets within baseball.

It is a low scoring sport compared to football and basketball, so point spread betting is not in play for MLB.

The most common bet type is on the money line. This is simply a bet on which team will win the game. There is no such thing as a tie in baseball.

In the absence of point spread betting, there is instead a run line which is fixed at 1.5. The favourites are given -1.5, and the underdogs +1.5. This swings the odds more in the underdog’s favour, as they only need to avoid losing by more than one in order to win a run line bet.

If there is a bigger skill gap between two outfits, the better team may still be favourites with the -1.5 run line applied, but the odds on them covering the run line would be longer than them simply winning the game.

While many bettors will back a money line or run line winner across the entire game, a number of sportsbooks will give them the option to do so over the first 4.5 innings instead, or even just the first inning, and other similar options.

Punters may bet on the outcome of the first few innings rather than the whole game. They might do this if they like a particular starting pitcher, but don’t trust the bullpen pitchers who are introduced later on in the game.

Game total bets are very common in MLB betting too. Oddsmakers will set a line for the total number of runs in a game, for example, 8.5, and you can bet on over or under that amount. Most betting sites will allow users to adjust the line if they want to play it safer or be more adventurous.

Should they wish, bettors can bet on a team’s total runs in a game, rather than both teams combined. Like the money line and run line, this can also be done for just the first 3 innings, or 7 innings, etc.

A number of other innings bets are listed on various betting sites. Bet365, for example, take bets on who will be in front after each inning. Their live betting offering on MLB is also exemplary, with markets such as yes/no on whether there will be a run in the next inning.

While pretty much all betting sites in Canada will offer baseball markets including MLB playoff odds, some sportsbooks may be better suited to what you’re looking for than others.

It is important to look for the best prices before placing any bet, just like you would shop around online before buying any physical product.

This can be applied to outright or futures bets on the World Series winner, or a parlay bet on the day’s slate of games.

When it comes to a standard MLB game, the odds are hugely influenced by the starting lineup, especially the pitcher. Any change of lineup due to injury or other circumstances can make a massive difference to the expected outcome of a game and should change the odds.

You should always stay up to date with the latest MLB news, and gather as much knowledge as possible.

If there is a game-defining piece of team news, some bookies may not adjust their prices accordingly as fast as others, so make sure you’re on the ball and be prepared to take advantage.

With live betting, you may not have as much time as you’d like to look around for the best odds, so in this case, it is best to be signed up to a bookmaker you trust to function well on mobile and always have competitive live odds.

For Canadians looking for a new betting site to use for MLB wagers, sign up offers should be taken into account as many of them offer an opportunity to secure some extra funds to play with.

Some will give new players a bonus in the form of free bets, while most will offer a matched first deposit or wager, which must be turned over a number of times before it becomes withdrawable as cash.

The better sign up offers are the ones with the least taxing wagering requirements.

This is arguably more important than the value of the bonus, as ultimately the aim is to turn it into cash.

You can claim any of the sign up offers listed on this page by clicking the green ‘Claim’ button, which will take you to the registration form for that particular bookie.

👉 Read more about all of the best betting bonuses in Canada.