You’re all set to bet on a tonight’s slate of baseball games, but you don’t know what the run line is in baseball betting?
We’ll explain it quickly and in plain English!
In most sports betting, you bet on a point spread. Particularly in basketball and football, the spread can be anywhere from 1 to 20+ points, since these games are rather high-scoring affairs.
In baseball, the scores aren’t as high, so setting a point spread is different. The point spread in baseball betting is the RUN LINE.
What is the RUN LINE in Baseball Betting?
RUN LINE = fixed point spread of 1.5 runs.
Rather than varying the point spread, sports betting sites and sportsbooks adjust the payout to attract players to wager on one side or the other. With most other sports, the sportsbook will adjust the point spread instead.
The RUN LINE is similar to the PUCK LINE in hockey betting.
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What is a -1.5 Run Line? What does -1.5 mean in baseball betting?
The team that has the -1.5 beside them in the listings, needs to win by MORE than 1.5 runs (aka 2 or more runs), in order for a bet on them to be a winner.
What is a +1.5 Run Line? What does +1.5 mean in baseball betting?
The other team is +1.5 runs, meaning if they either win the game outright OR lose by LESS than 2 runs, a wager on them would cash in.
What is SRL mean in Baseball Betting?
Some sportsbooks indicate the RUN LINE option as SRL. SRL = standard run line of -1.5 for the favorited team.
What is an ALTERNATE Run Line?
Different sportsbooks have alternate definitions. See what I did there?
- The favorite and the underdog swap. The favorite becomes +1.5 runs and the underdog now -1.5.
- Additional runs added/subtracted from the usual run line spread of 1.5 runs.
The standard RUN LINE is + or – 1.5 runs. An alternate RUN LINE is often offered in the live betting, game props, or “additional bets” section of the sportsbook. An alternate run line gives players the option of increasing or lessening their risk and the payout is affected in relation to that risk adjustment. Simply put, you can choose a run line of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, etc, instead of the 1.5 standard. Obviously, if you are betting on a favorite, the payout increases substantially, but you offset that with a large increase in risk. Your team could win by 2 runs and you would lose your alternate run line bet, but would’ve cashed in with a standard run line bet. Alternate run line bets are not typically something we recommend.
What is the difference between ALTERNATE Run Line and ADJUSTED Run Line?
Some sportsbooks have a different definition of ALTERNATE RUN LINE, where the favored team and underdog are switched. So the favored team on the typical run line is +1.5 in their ALTERNATE RUN LINE. The also have an ADJUSTED RUN LINE, which adds a run to the typical run line, making the spread 2.5 runs.
Some things to consider when betting the RUN LINE in baseball
- If winning, the home team will get one less inning to score than the visiting team
- Teams often allow inconsequential runs to score in order to concentrate more on securing a victory
- Teams don’t care about margin of victory in baseball
- While a more challenging wager to win when betting the favored team, the payout is much higher than simply picking the game winner (known as MONEYLINE).
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