In some sports betting markets, it is not possible to bet on games that have not officially started. This is especially true in baseball, which often experiences shortened and suspended games due to rain.
For MLB, it’s a common rule that moneyline bets have action if the game has been official for at least 5.0 innings or 4.5 innings if the home team is winning. Exceptions include games with an official result but no extra innings and those that are based on statistical totals.
Other types of bets include exactas, quinellas, trifectas and superfectas, which entail picking the first two, three or four winners in a specified order. Some betting markets also offer pick-six wagers, which entail picking six consecutive winners.
The most popular type of official betting is the moneyline, which consists of a team winning by a certain amount of points. In baseball, this means that a -1.5 Red Sox win must be covered by the Baltimore Orioles to pay out.
A number of other types of wagers exist, including player props and totals. These bets can either be based on statistical totals or specific events, such as the number of hits a player has.
While many states are considering official betting mandates, the American Gaming Association largely opposes them. It believes private commercial agreements are preferable, although it is unsure how much those will be worth. The leagues are essentially seeking a way to monetize their data, ideally by sharing a portion of the amount wagered with operators.