As a result of baseball games being nine innings long, many of the best online sportsbooks have created in play bets in which fans can bet on individual innings such as the first. The first inning bet is one similar to that of the over under total wager. In which fans guess on whether the final score will be higher or lower than the predicted total number of runs by the sportsbook. The difference with first inning bets is that your goal as a bettor is to guess whether a run will be scored or not be scored.

One important factor to take into account when wagering on the first inning is who the starting pitchers are. As well you should also consider which teams are playing. For instance, if a pitcher with a high earned run average is pitching against a team that ranks higher up in the offensive categories, then you may feel safer betting on a run being scored. Conversely, if a team with a middle of the pack offense is facing the ace of a rotation you may feel better wagering on a run not being given up.

Although first inning bets are similar to totals, sportsbooks require bettors to wager in a similar fashion to that of the money line. For the bettor who believes a run will be scored, they are asked to risk a higher amount then that of a bettor who believes no runs will be scored. Here is how it looks:

Will a run be scored in the first inning?

Yes – 120

No – 110

As portrayed in the example, fans are required to wager on a 30 cent line, which provides two positives for them. Firstly, by betting on a 30 cent line, bettors have the ability to choose games in which they have the best value odds. Secondly, because we are betting on the start of the game, if we bet a run to not be scored we have an advantage, because the sportsbook slants the odds to benefit the no side as a result of having confidence in the starting pitcher.