MLB / Nick Shiambouros / 26 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Nick Shiambouros gives an insight into best baseball betting practice...

The Major League Baseball season is if full swing and there are a host of different betting opportunities to satisfy every appetite. Betfair has a match odds market for every fixture, which is turned in-play after the first pitch is thrown. In addition there is a total run market and a handicap score on every single game.

The in-play match odds market can be very profitable if managed correctly as this game can turn very quickly, as I have found out to my cost! When backing a team with a lead heading in to the seventh inning stretch great attention must be paid to the batting rotation and who is on the mound.

An obvious example is the great Albert Pujols of St Louis. He is averaging .324 with the bat and is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. If he is at the front of the batting order when his team is behind then it could be worth backing them at long odds.

A similar principle can be applied to the New York Yankees. Many punters have lost their money at very short odds when this team is behind going in to the seventh inning .This is due to their huge batting depth and as a result they have more comeback wins that any other team in baseball.

In summation there is nothing wrong with taking [1.25] about a team with a two run lead in the seventh inning as long as you have everything in your favour.

Pitching is another huge element of this complex game and on occasion there is value to be had opposing a big name pitcher early in a game. As a rule, pitchers are at their most vulnerable in the first few innings and I have made plenty of money opposing a team early because they gave up a couple of hits in the first two innings.

On the other side of the coin I always keep an eye on young talented pitchers who have not had a lot of experience at the highest level. David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays is a perfect example. On Tuesday he fell apart against Philadelphia, giving up five runs on seven hits. Great things are expected from Price but the pressure at this level can prove to much and it is always worth opposing pitchers with less than 10 professional starts.

Before having a bet it's always worth doing your research. Happily for baseball fans one of the best websites in sport is www.mlb.com . I use this site every single day to plan my betting strategy for upcoming games. Here you will find every statistic you will ever need and it is very easy to navigate. Every game is available to listen to free of charge and there is a subscription service to view every game played live throughout the season.