HomeMLB Betting in Virginia

MLB betting in Virginia

Virginia isn’t home to any Major League Baseball teams, but baseball betting remains popular in VA. This could be due to fans of the state’s five Minor League Baseball teams supporting their major league affiliates.

Dan Bradley By: Dan Bradley
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Getting started wagering on MLB in Virginia

If you’re in Virginia, you can get started wagering on MLB action by following these steps:

  1. Learn more about Virginia sportsbooks: VABetting.com works hard to bring you the most accurate, useful information we can about all aspects of gambling in Virginia. To that end, we’ve written comprehensive reviews of the licensed Virginia sportsbooks. These reviews contain info about promo codes and bonuses, mobile app and desktop performance, payment methods, customer support contacts, and more. You’ll also find an overall rating with a breakdown of ratings components at the end so you can make a well-educated decision.
  2. Complete the signup process: Next, you can use the links at the top of the sportsbook reviews to open the signup forms wherever you’ve chosen to play. Using these links will ensure you’re receiving the best available welcome bonus offer, especially as sportsbooks change their offers regularly and it can be a challenge to keep up. Virginia law requires bettors to be at least 21 years of age to register. To confirm your identity and eligibility, you’ll be prompted to provide your name, birth date, phone number, email address, street address, and the last four digits of your social security number when you’re signing up.
  3. Research the games, teams, and players you’re backing: Before you open up your sportsbook app to make a bet, you should always spend time studying the matchups, as well as what odds you can get on those matchups. Well-informed wagers are the surest way to consistently churn out winning bets.
  4. Shop the odds: Shopping the odds to get the best deal will win you more money when your bets hit. Think of it the same way you’d shop around at several stores before making a major purchase - why pay more for the same product? The same applies to sports betting. If Sportsbook A has +125 odds on the team you’re backing while Sportsbook B has the same team at +150, you’ll win more money betting at Sportsbook B.
  5. Place your bets: Finally, once you’re all set to place your wager, tap on the team, player, or line in the mobile app to add the lines to your betting slip. Then, open your betting slip and decide how much money you want to play as a stake. You can choose from any of the preset increments or enter a custom amount, then tap “Submit.” From there, tune in to the ball game and watch your bets unfold, hopefully turning plenty of winners along the way!

Best VA betting sites for MLB betting

Ultimately, the decision on the “best” VA sports betting sites for MLB betting will be up to you; what appeals to you may not matter to someone else and vice versa. Use the platforms that best suit your needs and wants. We can recommend these operators for their consistent performance and reputability.

  • FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook: FanDuel and DraftKings have co-exclusive deals as the “Official Sports Betting Partners of Major League Baseball.” They both began as daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms but evolved to include horse race betting and online casino platforms.
  • Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars Sportsbook VA is highly regarded for its generous welcome bonuses, making it a fantastic option for new sports bettors. We’re also big fans of Caesars’ mobile app.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: Using BetMGM Sportsbook VA will allow you to enroll in the BetMGM Rewards program, where you can earn points on every MLB wager you make to earn exclusive prizes, betting perks, travel and hotel discounts, casino credits, and much more.

Top bet types for MLB wagering in Virginia

Here are some of the top bet types for MLB wagering in Virginia.

  • Moneyline and run line: Moneyline bets and run line bets are different ways of looking at which team you think will win a game. If you’re only interested in picking the straight-up winner, the moneyline is the play to make. However, run line bets work the same way as a spread bet in football or basketball gambling; the betting favorite must not only win but also cover a margin set by the sportsbook (usually this means winning two runs or more, though in some cases, the line could move and require the favorite to win by at least three runs). On the opposite side, an underdog could theoretically lose the game but win on the run, making an underdog bet more likely to hit than on the moneyline.
  • Player and team props: Player and team props are a popular way to make bets on baseball and often allow gamblers to put together same game parlays, combining a few in-game outcomes at multiplied odds for a bigger payout than making each bet on its own. Some examples of prop bets could include backing a player to hit a home run, choosing whether a pitcher will finish with over or under 6.5 strikeouts, or which team will score first.
  • YRFI/NRFI: YRFI and NRFI are acronyms for “Yes, Run in the First Inning” or “No Run in the First Inning.” These bets tend to have less variation in the odds than the other options above, so you can study trends more easily to turn consistent winners. Better yet, unlike the others above, YRFI/NRFI bets are exclusive to baseball and softball.

Tips when wagering on MLB

We hope you’ll keep these tips in mind when wagering on MLB.

  • Avoid heavy moneyline favorites: Most of the time, if you see odds of -200 or greater (-225, -250, etc.) for a moneyline bet, the best practice is to stay away from betting with those odds. This is because the risk isn’t mathematically worth the risk. At -200 odds, any wager you make would make your stake worth twice as much as your potential profit. Moneyline favorites win outright roughly 57.5% of the games, so from a pure betting value perspective, this is seldom a smart play. Learning to minimize your risk and in doing so work the odds to your advantage is an important skill, and mastering it will help you to turn profits more consistently at the sportsbooks.
  • Pay attention to line movement: Studying line movement on MLB action can be an intensive endeavor. With the long season and short turnaround time from the end of one game to the start of the next, lines can shift considerably overnight. A good way to practice studying line movement is to write down the odds for a game as soon as you see them posted. Then an hour or so before the first pitch, observe how the odds have moved since the books opened to see how much the line has moved. You can then relate the line movement to public betting action to see if it is in your favor to back a certain MLB team.
  • Don’t forget the weather: Weather conditions have a major impact on MLB games, arguably more than any other sport. Temperature extremes can increase player fatigue, and the wind can carry balls further or turn would-be home runs into outs. Worse yet, rain in the forecast could lead to the game being delayed or postponed, causing more betting headaches. Always check the weather report before making a decision on whether to wager.

How do you read MLB odds?

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for new gamblers is learning how to read MLB odds. Though it can be overwhelming at first, this guide will get you ready to place your bets in short order.

On head-to-head MLB matchups, a bet will have two sides that you can back: the favorite (which is the outcome that is more likely to occur) and the underdog (the less likely outcome).

You’ll find the favorite designated by a “-” symbol, which means the amount of money you play as a wager will be higher than the amount you could potentially win (for example, betting $20 on the Baltimore Orioles moneyline with -200 odds would only win you $10, leading to a $30 payout).

Conversely, the underdog is denoted by a “+” sign. Because this is the less likely outcome, you’ll collect more money than the value of your initial stake if your bet wins (for example, if the Orioles were playing the Washington Nationals and Washington was the underdog, a $20 bet on the moneyline with +200 odds would win $40 and pay out $60 if the Nationals won).

The numbers that appear after the “+” and “-” signs tell you how much money you can win if your bets hit. The easiest way to think of this is to base around $100; the numbers after a “+” sign show how much you would win on a $100 bet while the numbers after the “-” sign show how much you would need to bet to win $100.

Please remember this is only a frame of reference. You DO NOT have to wager $100 or more when making your wagers; the payouts on winning wagers will adjust proportionately to the size of your stake.


FAQ

Is it legal to bet on MLB in Virginia?

Yes, it is legal to bet on the MLB in Virginia. Sports betting has been legal in VA since January 2021.

Which betting app offers the best odds on MLB in VA?

There is no single betting app that offers the best odds on MLB in VA, as Virginia sportsbooks will all have subtle differences in their odds listings to entice bettors to make a wager. Before placing a bet, you should shop the odds to figure out where you will get the best deal on the lines you’re playing. With that in mind, we have consistently found Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and BetRivers to offer fair, competitive MLB odds.

Author Details

Dan Bradley

Dan Bradley

Dan Bradley, a sports betting expert and author at VA Betting, brings a unique perspective with his background in junior hockey. Outside of evaluating Virginia sportsbooks, Dan dedicates his time to watching as many NHL games as he can.