Similar to the way the NFL and NBA have prop bets specifically for the first half, so too does the MLB. Although a baseball game is nine innings long, many consider the first half of the game to be the first five innings. When betting online, you have the option of choosing half game or whole game. If you bet on the first half of the game you are essentially relying on the starting pitcher to pitch at least five innings. It is important when making this wager that you consider who the starting pitchers are and how they have fared in the last handful of starts leading up to this game.

For instance, fans who bet on the first half of a baseball game when a workhorse pitcher such as the Phillies ace Roy Halladay pitches, can almost certainly guarantee a win for that half. Conversely a team such as the Houston Astros, who are the worst team in baseball, may be better to wager against in the first half of a game.

Also, when fans bet the road team it is wiser to take them in the first half of the game. The belief behind this is that if a road team faces a home favorite, the road team’s best opportunity to win the game is to strike early. On the other hand, the home favorite is believed to be able to win the overall game, because they have the last at bat of the game and can win it in the bottom of the ninth if need be.

Further, as we noted above, one should always keep track of who is pitching and how they have fared in their previous starts. For a team such as the Astros it is rare that their starters make it to the fifth inning, and thus the bullpens get overworked. As a result, fans betting against a team such as the Astros can expect to go over the totals in the first half of games.