MLB betting options have expanded over the last few years, as now bettors are able to break the game down into halves. The first half of a baseball game is seen as the first five innings of the game. Within the first five innings, baseball betting fans have the option of wagering on how long a pitcher will last, and how well a batting order may fair. Here is a look at a few things to consider in the first half of a baseball game.

1. Effect Of The Starting Pitcher - The starting pitcher is essentially the main premise of how your bet will be determined. If you bet on the first half of a baseball game, you are risking the majority of your wager on how well you expect one team’s starting pitcher to fair over their opponent. The typical starting pitcher should go about five innings before handing things over to the bullpen. In some cases however, the starting pitcher get’s roughed up by the batting order he faces and hands things over to the bullpen. When this occurs, it is very rare for bettors to win their wager.

2. Value Of The Underdog – On the moneyline, the difference between a half and full game in baseball is very small. However, in theory, the underdog should be able to make a move during the first half of a game, before the favorite get’s its act together and wins the game, outright by the end. One of the many factors that favor the underdog is that in a five inning game, the starting pitchers ideally are evenly matched. As well, an underdog may be able to get its offense going against a favorite.

For instance, taking into account an underdog’s offense against a specific favorite’s starting pitcher can be of great value. Such as when James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays faces the Toronto Blue Jays, he gives up an average of five runs. Since the Rays are the better team, the Jays would be seen as the underdog in this situation.