Bet on MLB Games Online in Pennsylvania

If you are a fan of America’s pastime, enjoy watching baseball during the early days of April or the exciting playoff times of October,  you can spice up the viewing experience even more by placing a wager. Responsible betting is an exquisite way to add more skin in the game of baseball, whether you are watching your hometown Phillies or a game between the Yankees and Red Sox.

How do you bet on MLB games online in Pennsylvania, and what are the MLB games to bet on in PA? We will cover all that and more so you can find a sportsbook and place your first wager in no time.

How to Bet on the MLB

Before you place any money down, you should familiarize yourself with common betting terms. When you open up any sportsbook app, it might feel overwhelming with numbers and odds. Understanding what they mean for the wager and you are vital to being the best bettor possible.

Moneyline

Moneylines are the simplest bets to understand. When you bet a moneyline for a team, you are picking the winner straight up with no gimmicks. If the team you picked wins the game, you collect your winnings. The trick to moneylines is understanding how the casinos list the odds.

We will use an example to demonstrate how moneyline odds work. For this demonstration, we will look at a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the hosting New York Mets. With the game in New York and the Phillies resting a few players, casinos believe the Mets are the favorite to win the game.

You will see the casinos list the Mets moneyline as -190. -190 means you must wager $190 to win back $100. While this is not the most generous return on investment, you will have a safe wager on the favorite.

The Phillies on the other hand are underdogs for this matchup and the casino lists the team’s odds as +185. These odds mean that if you bet $100 on the Phillies and they win, you will receive $185 in profit. 

If you are not comfortable with calculating your payout for a moneyline, consider using a bet calculator so you know what you stand to gain.

Moneylines also apply to prop bets; PA residents will have several options for prop bets. Prop bets are what casinos call wagers on things like the number of runs scored, if a certain player will record a hit or home run, and other wagers outside of the result.

The most common prop bet is over/under for runs scored. The casino will ask you to determine if the two teams will combine for more or fewer runs than indicated. 

Point Spread

While moneylines are the simplest bets, betting the point spread is the most common choice among gamblers for most sports. When you wager with or against the spread, you will take home roughly a 1:1 ratio of money, but these can be much more difficult to predict correctly.

We will use a new example to demonstrate how the point spread works. In a game between the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Cincinnati Reds, the Buckos have a slight advantage. 

The casino will list Pittsburgh’s odds as -1.5. Odds with the minus sign mean the team is favored, and in this example, the Pirates need to not only win but also win by 2 runs for the wager to be a success.

On the other side of the coin are the Reds, who will have a spread the casino lists as +1.5. These odds mean if you bet the Reds with the spread, they do not need to win the game but lose by fewer than two runs. Betting on the underdog gives you some cushion, so you do not need the team to outright win.

We should note that point spreads are not as common for baseball gambling, though most casinos still offer them. Due to the high-variance nature of baseball, where a single swing of the bat often determines the outcome of the game, it is difficult to predict the margin a team will win with.

Futures

If you want to make a bet that covers the longer scope of the season, you should try out futures. These wagers often involve you predicting the outcome of a team or player’s entire campaign, and you mostly make them early in the year.

The most common futures bet is a team over/under. In these bets, the casino will set a win total for the team, and you will need to determine if the squad will win more or fewer games than it in the year. You may also find bets where you can wager on a team making the playoffs or winning the World Series.

Sportsbooks offer player futures as well, and you can predict their statistical accomplishments or any awards received at the end of the year. If you think Bryce Harper is in line to win MVP, you can place a wager on it. Or if you believe Bryan Reynolds will win the Silver Slugger award, there’s a bet for that too. You can also put money down on a pitcher’s total strikeouts or earned runs.

Parlays

If you are feeling risky, you can make a parlay wager. Parlays are multiple bets put into one bet slip. If all the results hold, you will take home a big payday. But if even one of your predictions is wrong, you lose your money.

A parlay may look like this: You bet on the Pirates covering the spread, Nick Castellanos hitting a dinger, and the Phillies winning straight up. If all these occur, you are likely to take home multiple times your initial wager.

Where to Bet on MLB Games Online in Pennsylvania

Now that you know the jargon, we can direct you to some of the premier places to bet on MLB games online in Pennsylvania.

PointsBet

PointsBet is an Australian company focused on providing gimmicks for gambling. The company is most famous for its Points Betting system, where the more you are correct, the more you win, and vice versa.

Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is the app of the Caesars Casino in Las Vegas. If you want to bet with one of Sin City’s most famous casinos, this is the place to do it. 

BetRivers

Want to keep things local in the Keystone State? Try out the BetRivers app, the official app of the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, home to the Pirates.

FanDuel

In the 2010s, daily fantasy sports became all the rage, and FanDuel was one of the chief companies. The company now offers a sportsbook alongside its fantasy sports offerings.

All Online Sportsbooks in Pennsylvania

• BetRivers
• PointsBet
• BetMGM
• FanDuel
• Caesars Sportsbook
• DraftKings
• UniBet
• Barstool Sportsbook

Is It Legal to Bet On Sports Online in Pennsylvania?

Absolutely! While efforts had been made by lawmakers for years to legalize online gambling, the practice was finally legalized by the state of Pennsylvania in 2017. Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 271 opening up online casinos and sportsbooks across the state.

Those wishing to bet on sports must be over 21 and be residents of Pennsylvania. When signing up for any sportsbook, the company will ask you to verify your identity with your social security number and address.

Tips For New Gamblers

If you are new to gambling or would like some general advice, we will give you a few pointers so you can increase your winning percentage.

First and foremost, you should always gamble within your limits and set a budget. Never wager more than you can afford to lose, and avoid placing your entire bankroll on one wager. No matter how much of a sure thing a bet seems, there is always a chance things do not break your way. Besides, the casino may know something you do not.

Information is the key to sports betting, so do your research before placing money down and sourcing your information from trusted outlets. Tracking trends and analyzing stats on MLB.com or ESPN is a smart way to keep up to date on the landscape of the sport or a game.

Be mindful not to believe every stray rumor you hear about a player’s health or a batting slump, and double-check all information.

While parlays may seem like an easy way to win big paydays, making massive parlays that will seldom win is a surefire way to lose money; if you are new to gambling, stay away from massive parlays, and stick to single wagers instead.

Conclusion: Bet on MLB Games Online in Pennsylvania

If you love baseball and want to add extra drama to every game, you should endeavor to join the fun of responsible sports betting. Putting a unit down on a Tuesday afternoon game is an excellent way to increase your emotional investment and enjoyment. Of course, you should always wager within your limits and use it as a fun way to spice up a game.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident over 21, you can sign up for any of the state’s sportsbooks today. Happy gambling!