In the dog days of summer, MLB betting is the best game in town. Bettors in Texas have plenty of ways to get in on in the action, including live game odds for the Rangers and Astros.

See below for the basics of betting on MLB plus the best MLB betting sites to use when legal online sports betting goes live.

Best baseball betting sites for Texas residents

The first step in betting on the MLB in Texas is to choose a sportsbook. Several legal sportsbooks will be available, so do your homework to ensure you are not registering with an illegal operator. Below, we cover some of the best MLB betting sites to consider. That said, you cannot go wrong as long as you are betting at a legal sportsbook.

• DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings got its start as a DFS giant before making a natural transition to sports betting. It’s now one of the most recognized brands in the industry for MLB bettors.
• FanDuel Sportsbook: Like DraftKings, FanDuel has become a major player in sports betting after getting its start as one of the top DFS options. It is known for its slick app design and is a strong option for beginners looking to bet on the MLB online.
• BetMGM Sportsbook: BetMGM offers a strong bonus program for MLB bettors all season long. It continues to be among the top MLB betting apps around.

How to bet on MLB online in Texas

Once you decide on the sportsbook (or sportsbooks) with which you intend to make your MLB bets, below are instructions to sign up and bet on baseball online. It is a simple process on your preferred device (phone, tablet or computer).

This page will offer a variety of online betting bonuses to use once you decide on a sportsbook. It is certainly important to take advantage of the bonuses and promotions that may come available, especially when you are starting out. There is incredibly fierce competition among the various sportsbooks for new users, especially when a state like Texas goes live to the public.

That is great news for sports bettors because sportsbooks will do everything they can to get you in the “door.” They will take a short-term hit if it means keeping you over a sustained period of time. This enticement may come as a deposit bonus matching up to a certain dollar amount or percentage. Be sure to take advantage when signing up.

To create an account, you must provide the required personal information that will help you deposit and withdraw. Prior to the legalization of sports betting in the United States, this was considered a bit of a risk. But with a regulated sports wagering market, this is a much safer process.

Once you sign up and deposit money into your account—taking advantage of promotions to do so—it is time to bet on baseball online. Sportsbooks put a ton of resources toward making the betting process easier, especially for beginners. Hence, navigating to the MLB section of the app should be quick and simple.

Once you get to the baseball section, there will be numerous betting opportunities throughout the betting board. It is up to you to decide where you would like to place your money and hope to return a profit.

Best Texas MLB odds boosts and promos

We always recommend new bettors take advantage of our odds boosts and promos. Your preferred sportsbook will likely have a tab on its website or app that shows the day’s list of promotions. Then, it’s up to you if you want to put them to use. Sometimes you can find a bet that offers significant value and makes you more likely to put some money on that particular outcome.

An odds boost is exactly what it sounds like. The sportsbooks will make a wager more enticing by offering a larger payout on a certain outcome. For example, a moneyline parlay bet on the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers might offer +230 odds. But if a sportsbook is offering enhanced betting odds, it may bump those odds to +260 for a larger return with a winning wager.

Today’s MLB odds at TX online sportsbooks

MLB betting odds are likely to move for every game on the slate leading up to the first pitch. Therefore, it is important to get in on the optimal number. Look below for the latest MLB odds at top online sportsbooks (once legal).

How to read MLB betting lines

You will find a number of ways to bet on baseball at whatever sportsbook (or sportsbooks) you join, but there are three main betting types when looking at an individual game. Those three include the moneyline, run line and over/under. Let’s use the below example in a potential matchup between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

	Run Line	Total	Moneyline
Houston Astros	+1.5 (-180)	Over 8.5 (-110)	+115
Texas Rangers	-1.5 (+155)	Under 8.5 (-110)	-135

• MLB moneyline: The moneyline is the far-right column. With this type of wager, bettors pick which team will win the game outright. As a sports fan, you know not all teams are equal, and that is shown in the odds. With the Rangers as -135 favorites, you would see a smaller payout with a winning bet than if you took the Astros moneyline at +115.
• MLB run line: The run line is the far-left column, and it acts like a point spread you may see in other sports. The run line is almost always going to be set at 1.5. Since oddsmakers suggest Houston is the underdog, it will give the Astros a 1.5-run head start. If they lose by less than 1.5 runs or win the game outright, they cover the run line. On the other hand, the Rangers would need to win by two runs or more.
• MLB over/under: The over/under, also referred to as the total, is the middle column. Here, instead of betting on a certain team, you are betting on the game’s combined number of runs. Oddsmakers set this number at 8.5, so if you believe more than 8.5 runs are about to be scored, you would side with the over. If you think the Rangers and Astros will fall short of 8.5 combined runs, bet the under. The over/under will almost always have a similar payout in each direction and be close to the standard -110 odds on each side. The grand salami bet allows you to bet on the total runs scored in all games in one day.

What are ‘First 5-Inning’ or ‘F5’ bets?

Betting on a baseball game’s first five innings has taken off recently. As the name suggests, you’re not betting on the outcome, just on the results at a midway point.

One of the advantages here is that gamblers can go into a game with a much clearer picture. Most starting pitchers will reach five innings of work or close to it. By contrast, it is impossible to know how managers intend to use their bullpens on a given night. By taking an F5 bet, you can have a better feel for the variables in a smaller scope.

This style of betting features many of the same betting types we covered above: moneylines, run lines and totals. Here’s an example showing the first five innings odds for team run total in a matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros.

MLB props and futures

Additional ways to bet on MLB games include props and futures. A prop bet acts as a side wager and may not factor into the final score of the game. An example of an MLB prop bet would be betting on whether one of the players will record a hit. Additionally, here’s an example from DraftKings of betting on how many strikeouts a pitcher will throw in a matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers.

Another prop to consider is the total number of hits in the game between both teams.

Futures bets, meanwhile, depend on outcomes that could be months away. An easy example would be a team’s odds to win the World Series or MLB MVP odds. During the playoffs you could also bet on the future World Series MVP. Odds will fluctuate greatly throughout the season or series as oddsmakers gather more and more data. Below is an example of what that might look like.

MLB live betting

One of the best reasons to bet on baseball online is live betting. Instead of submitting your bets before a game, bettors can go straight to their sportsbook app and place a bet as a game happens.

The numbers and sports odds will move quickly based on the latest information. Thus, you must be quick about getting bets in at the optimal time. In addition to the standard betting types, bettors can place bets on many different outcomes with in-game wagering. These include whether a team will score in the next inning or whether the next batter will get on base.

Related pages:

• Live Astros odds
• Live Rangers odds

What makes MLB betting unique?

Smart bettors can find tremendous advantages in the distinctness of MLB betting. It’s also ideal for beginners because of the number of betting opportunities available. It doesn’t happen every day during the regular season but more often than not, all 30 teams are scheduled to take the field for a full slate of MLB action.

The run line is another area that makes baseball unique. Whereas NFL or NBA bets could show wide point spreads with the standard -110 odds on each side, the run line is almost always set at 1.5. Then, bettors must determine whether the odds provided make for a worthwhile wager.

Finally, no sport appreciates numbers quite like baseball. There will be no shortage of betting opportunities as sportsbooks creatively find new ways to place money on the action.

MLB betting rules at sportsbooks

Regardless of your sportsbook, do your homework and understand sportsbook rules and regulations. When it comes to MLB, sportsbooks may have different policies on whether a bet is void based on, say, a pitcher being scratched from his start.

Another item to consider is when a game is considered final. For example, on DraftKings, nine innings (8.5 if the home team is ahead) must be played for the run line and over/under to be considered. Meanwhile, five innings (4.5 if the home team is ahead) must be played for the moneyline bet to be honored.

Sportsbooks may vary slightly in how they handle certain situations. Make sure you know the rules as you start your MLB betting adventures.