Learn how to bet on baseball, including expert tips and insights. Discover MLB markets and the best online sportsbooks for baseball betting this year.
The good news is that understanding how to bet on the MLB is straightforward, and baseball betting is 100% legal and secure in Ohio.
So, read on as we explain everything you need to know to place real-money wagers on the MLB. We also reveal popular baseball betting options and how the MLB is structured, which will help you as you make your World Series picks.
Is MLB Betting Legal in Ohio?
Online sports betting is legal in Ohio, so that you can bet on all Major League Baseball (MLB) fixtures in the state. This has been the case since the passing of House Bill 29, and sportsbooks have been up and running in Ohio since January 2023, offering odds and markets for Reds and Guardians fans.
You must be 21+ to place real-money baseball wagers in Ohio and be located within state lines before signing up. Don’t use a VPN to disguise your location; doing so can cause issues when cashing out your winnings.
In addition to being legal, betting on baseball in Ohio is safe and secure, provided you sign up for a legitimate online sportsbook or mobile betting app. At the time of writing, 16 online sportsbooks are legal and licensed by the Ohio Casino Commission. We introduce the best of them below.
MLB Bonus Bets for Ohio
Ohio Sportsbooks
bet365Bet365 Ohio Sportsbook: Get $1,000 Safety Net OR Bet $5 Get $150 in Bet Bonus
AmWagerAmWager Ohio Bonus: Get $150 Deposit Match
BetRiversBetRivers Ohio Bonus: get up to $100
FanduelFanDuel Sportsbook Bonus: Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
The Best Online Sportsbooks for MLB Betting in Ohio & Bonus Bets
Identifying a safe, secure, and good value sportsbook for MLB betting isn’t easy. So, we’ve done the research for you and identified the most trusted Ohio sportsbooks with great value odds and excellent welcome bonuses for all new punters:
| Sportsbook | Welcome bonus | MLB Markets? |
| Bet365 | Bet $5 for $150 free bet credits or $1,000 safety net bet. Promo code: USB365 | ✅ |
| BetMGM | Up to $1,500 for new customers | ✅ |
| FanDuel | Receive up to $150 in bonus bets | ✅ |
| BetRivers Ohio Sportsbook | Second-chance wager up to $100. Bonus code for MLB Bets: USBTRV | ✅ |
| Caesars | Up to $1,000 in bonus bets for new sign-ups | ✅ |
| Bally Bet | Bet $25 for $150 in bonus bets | ✅ |
| ESPN BET | $1,500 first bet reset bonus | ✅ |
How to Bet on the MLB – Popular Betting Types
When you register for an Ohio sportsbook for MLB betting, one of your first tasks is to explore the betting options. As you will quickly learn, there are many ways to bet on the MLB, including the following popular wagers:
MLB Moneyline
When learning how to bet on baseball, stick to moneyline bets. Simply pick the team you think will win an MLB match. If they do, you will win a payout. It’s as simple as that.
⚾️Example: The Cleveland Guardians to beat the Minnesota Twins.
Runline (Point Spread)
In baseball, the point spread is known as the runline. This is a handicap bet on a team’s winning margin in a baseball fixture. Usually, the runline is set at 1.5, so you can:
- Bet on a team to win by at least 1.5 runs.
- Bet on a team not to lose by more than 1.5 runs.
⚾️Example: The Cincinnati Reds to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (-1.5). To win this runline bet, the Reds would need to win by at least two points.
Over/Under (MLB Totals Bet)
Rather than backing the winner of a Major League Baseball match, you can place a bet on the total number of points scored in a game.
This is a bet on the total runs scored by both teams, with the line set by the sportsbook. It doesn’t matter which players or teams score the runs; only the combined final number of runs on the card matters.
⚾️Example: Cleveland Guardians v Kansas City Royals (over 8.5 runs).
Parlays and Same-Game MLB Parlays
Parlay bets are much-loved among baseball fans and can increase your potential payouts. Rather than backing one outcome, you’re backing numerous occurrences.
The easiest way to place a parlay when learning how to bet on baseball is to back three or more teams to win their respective matches. However, you will lose your entire bet if one team loses.
⚾️Example: Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, and Houston Astros all to win their respective fixtures in an MLB gameweek.
Also popular in Ohio are same-game baseball parlays. Rather than backing several teams to win, you can bet on different outcomes from the same match.
⚾️Example: Reds to win + over 8.5 runs + Elly de la Cruz over 1.5 hits.
MLB Player Props
In baseball betting, player props are wagers tied to individual rather than team performances. They let you put your research to good use while maximizing your potential returns.
Using player props in your baseball betting strategy, you can bet on total bases, strikeouts, and home runs.
⚾️Example: José Ramírez over 0.5 home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Futures
Rather than betting on each gameweek throughout the Major League Baseball campaign, you can place futures bets at your chosen sportsbook. These are bets on outcomes later in the season, though you can place them anytime. Your MLB futures betting options include:
- World Series winner
- League winner (AL/NL champion)
- Division winner (AL East, Central, West, etc.)
- Player awards (MVP, Rookie of the Year)
⚾️Example: The Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series.
Learning How to Bet on Baseball – Understanding Odds & Value
One of the most crucial things to understand when learning to bet on the MLB is how baseball odds work.
American odds identify the favorite and the underdog. The favorite carries negative (-) odds, while the underdog has positive (+) odds. Here’s what they mean and how to calculate your returns:
⚾️Example: Cleveland Guardians (-160) v Cincinnati Reds (+140)
- You must wager $160 to win a profit of $100 on the Cleveland Guardians.
- A $100 bet on the Cincinnati Reds would return a profit of $140.
When you’re learning how to bet on baseball, you might switch to decimal or fractional odds, popular in Europe, as they’re easy to read and understand for most punters.
World Series Betting – Baseball Futures
The World Series is the pinnacle of the baseball season in the United States. It is contested by the American League and National League winners and is a gruelling, highly competitive best-of-seven series. Therefore, the first team to win four games is the World Series champion.
You can bet on the World Series winner any time during the season. However, the earlier you place this futures bet, the likelier you are to access longer odds.
Ohio’s baseball teams have won the World Series seven times combined. The Reds are more successful than the Guardians, with five titles, and their most recent win came in 1990 against the Oakland Athletics.
The Guardians last won the World Series in 1948 and are serving the longest World Series drought in the MLB, having not won the title for 77 years.
| Cincinnati Reds World Series Wins | Cleveland Guardians World Series Wins |
| 5 (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990) | 2 (1920, 1948) |
The Format & Structure of the MLB Season
Each team plays 162 games in the regular MLB season between March and October. There are 30 teams, 15 in the American League (AL) and 15 in the National League (NL). Each league has three divisions – East, Central, and West.
The Cleveland Guardians compete in the AL Central League alongside the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, and the Chicago White Sox.
The Cincinnati Reds are in the NL Central League alongside the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
At the end of the season, the top six teams from each league make the playoffs, consisting of the three divisional winners and three wild-card teams. Then follows the Wild Card Series, the Division Series, the League Championship Series, and the World Series.
The World Series winner is crowned the MLB season champion.
Sign Up for Baseball Betting Today at Ohio.bet
You now know how to bet on the MLB. Choose one of the reputable sportsbooks above and sign up via Ohio.bet for free bets and special offers – check our latest promo codes for exclusive offers. Then, back the Reds, Guardians, and other teams as they compete for the World Series this season.
