MLB
Thursday, May 8
Capping the best 5-inning teams in baseball
Five-inning MLB odds are the fastfood of baseball betting.
You don’t have time to sit through a full nine innings, the kids are screaming at each other, but you want to get some MLB action down. Five-inning odds are your answer.
You’ve handicapped the starters and shopped around for the best prices, but you’ll be damned if you’re going to let some tater-tossing reliever spoil your wager in the late innings. Five-inning odds go down smoother than a cold beer in the bleachers.
You have to kill time in the sportsbook before the big Game 7 showdown tips off and you’re tired of getting trucked by video poker. Hey, five-inning odds – how’s it hangin’?
Betting on shortened MLB action is not a new process. Books have been offering five-inning offerings for years. However, according to books, five-inning lines only make up about 6.5 percent of a game’s total handle, so it’s not the most trafficked market for baseball bettors.
Here’s a look at best teams through the first five innings of action to start the 2014 MLB season:
Detroit Tigers: 3.07 runs for/1.78 runs against = +1.29
The Tigers are no surprise to see at the top of this list. Detroit is 20-9 heading into Thursday’s action – tops in the American League – and a lot of that has to do with a starting staff boasting a 2.73 collective ERA, which ranks tops in the majors. However, Detroit’s bullpen is putting up a 5.24 ERA – second worst in the bigs. A five-inning wager banks more on the Tigers’ starters and makes it less likely the relievers will piss away your win.
Colorado Rockies: 3.65 runs for/2.47 runs against = +1.18
The Rockies surprised some with their start to the still-young season, chasing down the Giants in the National League West. Colorado is crushing it, averaging 5.97 runs per game – 3.65 of those run coming in the first five innings. The pitching staff hasn’t been as potent with a collective 4.09 ERA but is allowing just 2.47 runs through the first five innings, which is good enough for those playing the five-inning odds.
Oakland Athletics: 3.19 runs for/2.13 runs against = +1.06
Moneyball isn’t just a nine-inning equation. The Athletics’ mathematical formula for success is paying off for five-inning bettors as well. Oakland works quick, scoring 65 percent of its runs through the first five – most notably in the first (0.84 run per first inning) and third (0.91) innings. However, the A’s haven’t played to form in recent games, going 2-5-1 in the first five innings the past eight games as of Wednesday.
Kansas City Royals: 2.32 runs for/2.10 runs against = +0.22
The Royals don’t have the biggest run differential through the first five innings but are presenting better value on five-inning odds than a full nine-inning moneyline wager. Kansas City was just 16-17 heading into Thursday's date with the Mariners and down -333 units on the year. However, in that same span, the Royals were 16-11-6 in the first five innings – winning 59 percent of the time. When you factor in that K.C. was likely an underdog or short favorite in those games – and that its bullpen has a 4.17 ERA and six blown saves – five-inning odds are the way to go in Kansas City.
Thursday, May 8
Capping the best 5-inning teams in baseball
Five-inning MLB odds are the fastfood of baseball betting.
You don’t have time to sit through a full nine innings, the kids are screaming at each other, but you want to get some MLB action down. Five-inning odds are your answer.
You’ve handicapped the starters and shopped around for the best prices, but you’ll be damned if you’re going to let some tater-tossing reliever spoil your wager in the late innings. Five-inning odds go down smoother than a cold beer in the bleachers.
You have to kill time in the sportsbook before the big Game 7 showdown tips off and you’re tired of getting trucked by video poker. Hey, five-inning odds – how’s it hangin’?
Betting on shortened MLB action is not a new process. Books have been offering five-inning offerings for years. However, according to books, five-inning lines only make up about 6.5 percent of a game’s total handle, so it’s not the most trafficked market for baseball bettors.
Here’s a look at best teams through the first five innings of action to start the 2014 MLB season:
Detroit Tigers: 3.07 runs for/1.78 runs against = +1.29
The Tigers are no surprise to see at the top of this list. Detroit is 20-9 heading into Thursday’s action – tops in the American League – and a lot of that has to do with a starting staff boasting a 2.73 collective ERA, which ranks tops in the majors. However, Detroit’s bullpen is putting up a 5.24 ERA – second worst in the bigs. A five-inning wager banks more on the Tigers’ starters and makes it less likely the relievers will piss away your win.
Colorado Rockies: 3.65 runs for/2.47 runs against = +1.18
The Rockies surprised some with their start to the still-young season, chasing down the Giants in the National League West. Colorado is crushing it, averaging 5.97 runs per game – 3.65 of those run coming in the first five innings. The pitching staff hasn’t been as potent with a collective 4.09 ERA but is allowing just 2.47 runs through the first five innings, which is good enough for those playing the five-inning odds.
Oakland Athletics: 3.19 runs for/2.13 runs against = +1.06
Moneyball isn’t just a nine-inning equation. The Athletics’ mathematical formula for success is paying off for five-inning bettors as well. Oakland works quick, scoring 65 percent of its runs through the first five – most notably in the first (0.84 run per first inning) and third (0.91) innings. However, the A’s haven’t played to form in recent games, going 2-5-1 in the first five innings the past eight games as of Wednesday.
Kansas City Royals: 2.32 runs for/2.10 runs against = +0.22
The Royals don’t have the biggest run differential through the first five innings but are presenting better value on five-inning odds than a full nine-inning moneyline wager. Kansas City was just 16-17 heading into Thursday's date with the Mariners and down -333 units on the year. However, in that same span, the Royals were 16-11-6 in the first five innings – winning 59 percent of the time. When you factor in that K.C. was likely an underdog or short favorite in those games – and that its bullpen has a 4.17 ERA and six blown saves – five-inning odds are the way to go in Kansas City.
