Sport betting experts know that the pitcher is one of the more important players on the field when betting baseball games. A pitcher that is having a bad day can lose a game for his team while a pitcher that can’t miss could steal a game for a normally bad team. Because the pitcher is so important to the outcome of a baseball game, the price per head service bettors often use a statistic known as a WHIP to try and determine how a starting pitcher will affect the outcome of a game.

WHIP stands for “Walks and Hits in Innings Pitched” and it is a number that constantly changes for every pitcher. But it can be used as an average which could help determine the likelihood that a pitcher will put runs on base and allow a high number of runs to cross the plate. The WHIP is calculated by adding together the total number of walks and hits a pitcher has surrendered for the season and then dividing by the number of innings pitched. The higher the WHIP, the higher the likelihood that the pitcher will put runners on base that can score.

Whether you are a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays or the St. Louis Cardinals, you need to look at MLB betting as a business. If the starting pitcher has a high WHIP number against a team known for its hitting, then that pitcher may not be a great bet on that particular day and it may be a good idea to find another bet.