The basics: How to bet on the White Sox
The most common ways to bet on single games in baseball include the moneyline (which team will win the game), the total, and the run line.
Below is an example of such markets for a White Sox game from an actual online sportsbook in Illinois:
If you don't like these numbers the sportsbook has on a particular game before the first pitch, you might be able to get odds more to your liking after the game has started. These markets stay available live, with adjustments on the lines and odds as the game goes along.
Additionally, there are myriad other ways to bet on White Sox games. These are the most common and often the first lines you'll see when you visit the MLB section on your favorite sports betting app.
White Sox first five betting
In today's MLB, games can drastically alter once teams get into their bullpens and managers start using pitch hitters to play the matchups. Some handicappers find it far easier to predict outcomes when starting pitchers are on the mound and teams' starting lineups are still in their first or second times through.
Sportsbooks allow for this dynamic by allowing bettors to wager on just the first five innings of games. When you bet on these markets, the sportsbook will grade your wagers at the end of the fifth inning as if the game has ended.
However, you might have to pay a premium for this favor. That will especially apply if one team seems to have a decided edge in the starting pitching matchup for the game. An example of a first five market from the same game is below:
White Sox run line
The run line is the same as a point spread in a basketball or football game. Essentially, it's the difference in the number of runs the winning team scores as compared to the same for the losing team. The margin of victory is another term that means the same thing here. Usually, the market looks like this:
- Astros: +1.5 -180
- White Sox: -1.5 +155
If you think the White Sox will win by at least two runs, then you'd take the better odds for Chicago at -1.5. On the other hand, if your handicapping says the Astros will win the game outright or lose by just one run, you're better off taking the short odds on Astros +1.5.
White Sox run total
The run total in baseball is the same as the point total in basketball and football betting. It's the number of runs that both teams will combine to score in a game. The markets usually appear this way:
- Over: 8 -115
- Under: 8 -105
These bets are quite simple. If you think both teams will combine for at least nine runs in the game, you'd pay a little more on the over bet. However, if your models forecast seven or fewer runs in the game, you'll take the better deal on the under wager.
In this case, the sportsbook has posted a whole number for its run total, which means a push is possible. In that instance, the sportsbook will simply return your wager if the teams combine to score exactly eight runs.
Often, sportsbooks will add what's called a "hook" to the run line to avoid pushes. Usually, that takes the form of a 0.5 added to the number. In this example, that would be 8.5 instead of eight. Since it's impossible to score just half a run in MLB, that would assure either the sportsbook or you win the bet.
Betting on White Sox futures and props
Illinois has very few regulatory and statutory limits to what kinds of futures and prop bets sportsbooks can accept on MLB games and other related events. For that reason, sportsbooks are mostly left to their own levels of comfort and can get creative to that extent.
That's why you'll see myriad futures for entire seasons, postseasons, and props on everything from single pitches to player awards. Some of the most popular futures include which team will win the World Series and how many games a team will win during the regular season.
Right now, DraftKings Sportsbook has the White Sox +2500 to win the World Series. You can also bet on the exact matchup of the World Series, like White Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, at +4000.
Prop bets are even more plentiful and varied. You can find them in-game, like whether the next pitch will be put in play; for entire games, like whether a certain player will hit a home run that day; and for entire seasons, like a home run total for the White Sox as a whole at the end of the season.
If you have season-long futures or props bets on the White Sox live, it's a good idea to check in on the markets from time to time during the season. You might have chances to "sell your position" or cash out your bet early before you risk losing the wager altogether.