Intro to MLB in Arizona
The MLB in Arizona is very popular, and it will be one of the most wagered sports in the state because of the length of the season. Arizona is the home of one MLB franchise. The Arizona Diamondbacks were established in 1998, and they have been playing in Phoenix since their inaugural season.
The Arizona Diamondbacks compete in the National League West division of the MLB. The National League West is one of the best divisions in baseball because of the rival LA Dodgers and their prominence in not just the division, but the entire sport as a whole.
The Diamondbacks have not had a lot of success as of late. Their last division title came in 2011, and their most recent playoff appearance was in 2017. The Diamondbacks won their first World Series in 2001, so Arizona has seen a championship-caliber team in the 21st century.
MLB Season Structure
The MLB is a great sport to wager because of the extensive season. The regular season begins in April, and it does not conclude until November. Baseball has the most extended season and shortest offseason of any sport in the United States.
The 2020 season was an exception to the usual format because of COVID-19, but normalcy will return in 2021. Spring Training begins in February, and teams play most of their exhibition game throughout March.
Opening Day of the regular season is either the last week in March or the first week in April. Each team plays 162 games during the regular season. There are two leagues which consist of three divisions each in the MLB. The six divisions have five members each, so the MLB consists of 30 teams.
How the Postseason Works in the MLB Today
Divisional opponents will play each other 19 times throughout the season. Ten teams make the playoffs, and there are four total rounds. The season ends with the World Series, which is a seven-game championship series.
This playoff format is expected to change in the 2022 season. The expanded playoff format that was utilized in 2020 is likely to be implemented for the foreseeable future in the sport. Pitch clocks and aggressive base runner rules in extra innings have also made baseball that much more exciting to bet.
Where to Bet MLB in Arizona
You will be able to bet MLB from the home of the Diamondbacks. All professional sports venues will offer a retail betting sportsbook. Additionally, the tribal casinos in the state will also open retail books.
There will be up to 20 mobile betting platforms in the state like DraftKings and FanDuel. The AZ baseball betting market is going to be massive for the end of the 2021 season once the platforms go live.
Types of Baseball Bets in the Valley
Sportsbooks offer an array of bets for the MLB. Once sports betting is legalized, you will never be bored when wagering baseball from April until November. Here are some of the MLB bets that will be available in Arizona.
Moneyline – The moneyline is the basic bet for all sports. This is when you pick a team straight up to win a baseball game. The only outcome that matters when you bet the moneyline is that the team you picked to win has the lead at the end of the game.
A team that is favored will have negative odds, and an underdog will have positive odds. If the Diamondbacks were -120 on the moneyline, they are a slight favorite.
Point Spread – The point spread in baseball is not as widely used as in sports like baseball or football. Baseball games are tougher to bet on the point spread because the scores are often low, but you still can place this wager.
If the Diamondbacks were -1.5 on the point spread over the Dodgers, they must win by two runs for the bet to be successful. If the Diamondbacks were +1.5 on the point spread, they must be within one run or win the game for the bet to be successful. The point spread evens the playing field by allowing you to bet underdogs successfully.
Totals (Over/Under) – Total bets are significant to wager for the MLB. The most common wager is the over/under, which is when you bet on the total number of runs that will be scored in a contest. A sportsbook will pick a total, and you need to pick if the runs will be over or under this number.
The over/under requires a lot of research because you must look at the pitching and hitting matchups to make an accurate prediction.
Prop Bets – Prop bets are when you wager a player or team statistic for the MLB. Prop bets involve a smaller portion of the game, so they are tougher to win. An example of a team would be, “Will the Diamondbacks get over or under 9.5 hits?” A player prop could be, “Will Madison Bumgarner record over or under 6.5 strikeouts?”
Future Bets – Future bets are popular in the MLB because baseball is a long season. A correct prop bet can create a substantial payout. Future bets are frequently bet throughout the year because of the MLB season’s length. If you bet the Diamondbacks to win the World Series in April, it would be considered a future bet.
Parlay Bets – Parlay bets are when you combine a group of bets to heighten the odds. You could combine an MLB moneyline, spread, and prop for a parlay. All bets must hit for the wager to be successful.
Live Betting on MLB in Arizona
The MLB is a fun sport to live bet, but this wager is not as common in baseball as football or basketball. The slow nature of baseball does not make it a great sport to live bet, but live props are very common for bettors.
There are live bets that allow you just to bet inning outcomes. These types of live bets help you make money quick instead of waiting three hours for your pregame wager to conclude.
Depending on the sportsbook, you can wager on individual batters, which are basically just prop bets – which make the game that much more exciting to tail! Those kind of bets include getting base hits or even hitting home runs in whatever inning is posted when you load the game.
The critical thing to remember with live betting is always to be watching the game you are wagering. Sportsbooks live betting wagers and odds will vary throughout the innings. You should be paying constant attention to successful live betting.
Odds are constantly changing with MLB live betting. The most exciting times to place a live MLB bet are at the end of games.
Baseball contests become very exciting in the final innings, so always check sportsbooks a couple of hours into a baseball game and set alerts on your phone to be notified for updates in the late innings.
Tips for Betting MLB
The MLB has slowly become a sport that is all about analytics. All sports are heavily based on statistics, but baseball is truly a numbers game. If you are not betting off numbers for the MLB, you are doing something wrong.
Statisticians give you a multitude of opportunities to win baseball bets regularly. There are always outlying games that go against statistics, but these contests are in the minority. Follow the numbers, and good things will happen.
You should constantly be researching baseball during the season to place MLB wagers. In today’s world, you can see how a pitcher will perform against a certain lineup. You can also view how a hitter is projected to perform in a specific ballpark.
Take advantage of sabermetrics because they are a way to dominate the sportsbook throughout 162 games. You are going to lose baseball bets, but statistics help your winning percentage in the long term.
Baseball is all about betting steadily throughout a season, so if you win more than you lose, you will most likely profit by October.
Things to Avoid When Betting Baseball
There are a lot of things to avoid when betting on the MLB. The first thing that you must stay away from is betting off of feel. You should utilize statistics in all your bets. You can combine your gut feeling with numbers, but betting without analytics is an easy way to lose.
Baseball is also a sport where you may go on significant losing streaks. These losing streaks can be extended because baseball occurs every day. You have more opportunities to place baseball bets than football bets every season – so where’s there’s a lot of reward to be found .
There are 2,430 regular season MLB games, plus the postseason. There will be some downsides over this stretch, but never try to chase your losses by placing bets on a whim. This will create more losses, which is something that will make you lose more money.
You should focus on a specific slate of games and resist betting on any other MLB contests throughout the day. This permits you to do the research which is necessary to win regularly.
FAQ About MLB Betting in Arizona
Is MLB betting legal in Arizona?
Yes, MLB betting is legal in AZ, but it has not launched.
Does Arizona have an MLB franchise?
Yes, the Arizona Diamondbacks are the only MLB team in the state.
Have the Diamondbacks ever won a World Series?
Yes, the Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001.
Are there any MLB betting restrictions in Arizona?
No, there are MLB betting restrictions in AZ when sports betting is legalized.
Is mobile MLB betting permitted?
Yes, mobile MLB betting is permitted.