MLB First Inning Bet
If you ever get tired of betting straight games in the MLB, I’ve got a different option for you to try and earn some money. I’m talking about the first inning bet. First inning bets are exactly what they sound like – you bet on whether a run will be scored in the first inning of a game. Because the odds of this happening aren’t exactly 50/50, this type of betting uses a money line. There isn’t an exact science to this, but it can be a fun change of pace.
Also, over the years I’ve tended to notice that sports bettors aren’t the most patient of people. A nine inning baseball game usually lasts about two and a half to three hours. That’s a long time to be kept in suspense compared to other sports, especially because there is more down time in baseball. If you are looking for a quick bet that you can use some of your knowledge to gain an edge on then I’ve got it for you.
Obviously, like the whole baseball game itself, the key to the first inning bet is who is on the mound for each team. If you are going to bet that a run will be scored, you will be laying a higher amount of money when there is sub-par pitcher in the game. Conversely, you will be risking less when an ace is on the mound. Another key to first inning betting is who is holding the bats. This is not rocket science here people. Some teams have more of a tendency to come to play right from the start. Those are the teams with a solid top of the order who can get on base regularly. However, sports books usually skew the line towards the pitchers and the batters usually hold less weight in setting the money line.
It is extremely important that you analyze the pitchers in making these first inning bets. The pitchers are the ones with the ball in their hand the whole game and they are going to decide if you win this bet or not. Take a look at the pitcher’s past games. What percentage of games has he let up a run in the first inning? Is he a strong starter then begins to fold in the fifth and six innings? These are the types of questions you need to ask and they types of statistics you need to look up in order to make a good bet.
In addition, you can’t think of a first inning bet as a straight bet on a whole game. Certain things can happen that mean absolutely nothing to the whole game itself but can be the deciding factor in your first inning bet. For example, say you are betting that a run will NOT be scored in the Oakland Athletics versus the Los Angeles Angels game. It’s the first inning and the A’s have men on first and third with no outs. Things aren’t looking too good for you right now. So then, the guy at bat hits a double play ball to the shortstop and he turns it, but the run scores. To the Angels, that run means next to nothing because it’s the first inning and there are eight more that they have to play. However, you just lost your bet.
What you should take from this is that the first inning of a baseball game has a different meaning than the entire game. Players are going to play differently in the ninth inning as compared to the first. It is important to realize this when you are trying to make a first inning bet. This can be a very entertaining aspect of betting on Major League Baseball especially for those of you who enjoy your quick fix, but you will need to put in some extra research.
Source: - Rich Allen is the author of Sports Betting Professor
