How to Bet on the First Five Innings in Baseball

First Five Innings

First five innings bets in baseball are a popular option for fans of MLB. These are an alternative which enables earlier payouts and provides security against late-game swings.

Just as a run in the first inning has become a go-to for seasoned baseball bettors, first five innings wagers will be seen from the best MLB tipsters. Think of it like backing the half-time markets in the NFL or wagering on both teams to score in the first half of a Premier League fixture.

With the inevitable twists and turns of a baseball game, focusing on the first five innings can make it easier to predict outcomes.

💡How it works
⚾MLB Betting: Types of Bets
📊Comparing Odds
🕒When to Bet First 5 Innings

How Do First 5 Innings MLB Bets Work?

A first five innings bet is exactly as it sounds. It is based on what happens in the first five innings of the game. Anything that happens in the sixth inning onwards is irrelevant for a first five innings bet.

For example, you might back the San Francisco Giants -1.5 over the San Diego Padres in the first five innings. The Giants need to have a two-run lead by the end of the fifth inning for the bet to pay out.
Alternatively, you could bet on over 3.5 runs in the first five innings of the same game. Your bet would be a winner if there was four or more runs by the two teams combined in the first five innings. This could be 2-2, 3-1, 1-3, 4-0, 0-4, or any other combination of numbers adding up to four or more.

Placing a first five innings wager is a means of shortening the game. You can remove some of the late-game variability, such as the risk of a blown save or additional runs being scored in extra innings.

Placing a first five innings wager is a means of shortening the game.

Think of a five-inning bet like a game is abandoned after five innings. You don’t need to worry about the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth innings. All the focus is on what happens over the first 30 outs of the game – bettors get the outcome of their wager once the fifth inning has concluded, meaning there is a much shorter wait for potential winnings.

MLB Betting: Types of Bets

The top MLB sportsbooks will have the moneyline, run line, and totals for the first five innings. There should be alternate spreads and totals available, as well as team totals.

Markets like ‘Both teams to score X runs’ in the first five innings are often available, too. Some might allow you to wager on the total number of strikeouts in the first five innings of the game.

The standard types of MLB bets will be available for the first five innings. The leading sportsbooks will also have options to bet on other innings segments, such as the first three innings and first seven innings.

First 5 Innings vs. Full Game Bets: Comparing Odds

Part of the decision when making a first five innings wager on baseball is based around comparing the odds with the full-game alternatives.

For instance, the Los Angeles Dodgers might be -125 on the moneyline in the first five innings and -140 to win the game outright.

Do you prefer the Dodgers in the first five innings because of the starting pitching matchup? Is their bullpen superior to their opponent’s?

Compare the odds from DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel when looking at first five innings vs. full-game bet odds. Make sure you are getting the best possible value when comparing potential wagers and take a look around at the different markets at offer for the first five innings.

When to Bet First 5 Innings

Bet on the first five innings when the value is better than the full-game markets. This will often be when you feel you can predict the starting pitchers better than the respective bullpens or if one of the teams has a knack for making late-game comebacks.

In general, a first five innings wager on a team to cover the spread or to hit the moneyline makes most sense when one team has a much stronger starting pitcher. If one of the teams is going for a bullpen game and they lack depth in their relief corps, perhaps it’s a good idea to bet against them.

a first five innings wager on a team to cover the spread or to hit the moneyline makes most sense when one team has a much stronger starting pitcher

The usual pre-bet process remains. It’s vital your research is thorough before placing a first five innings wager. Look into how teams have performed offensively in the first five innings of games and look in-depth at the performance of the respective starting pitchers or openers.

There is a lot to take into account when betting on the first five innings. If a team has been particularly effective against left-handers, that might work in their favor against a southpaw starter. If one team has a below-average starting pitcher and an elite bullpen, backing them to be trailing after five innings could be beneficial rather than betting on them to lose straight-up.

Teams have deeper bullpens than ever. Every team has multiple relievers with electric stuff. It makes sense for first five innings bets to become more relevant in the world of sports betting with the increased use of relief pitchers.

Conclusion

Learn how first five innings bets work. Make them part of your arsenal when betting on baseball from the Majors to the KBO and World Baseball Classic.

Each time you are analyzing baseball bets, it’s worth considering the value on the first five innings. This should be an option you are willing to use when appropriate – it’s crucial you identify the right betting strategy for the first five innings and locate the sites with the most useful data to conduct your research.

We think first five innings bets are an excellent option that should be kept in mind throughout the baseball season. There’s often value to be found in this market – they have the potential be very profitable from March through to November.

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