MLB Team Totals
MLB team totals are the projected amount of runs each team will score in a baseball game by the oddsmakers. Bettors can wager on the over or under that number.
If we reduce the variables each team receives 27 outs to score as many runs as possible. This makes it a great market to go after due to potential soft lines and market inefficiencies.
Team totals fall into the prop bet category, but they’re closer to traditional markets, such as MLB moneylines and game totals, than they are to player props.
Top Gambling Sites To Bet On MLB Team Totals 2023
How To Bet On MLB Team Totals
Team totals act similarly to over and under markets or totals. In fact, they’re almost the same.
When wagering on MLB totals, you’re betting on the number of runs scored by both teams (combined runs in the game), but with team totals, you’re betting on the runs scored by each individual team.
MLB Team Totals Example
We are simply wagering on the number of runs that a team, in this case, the Astros, score in a game. In his example, the oddsmaker’s total is set at 5.5 runs, and we can wager over or under that number.
Houston Astros Total Runs Scored
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 5.5 Runs | -115 |
| Under 5.5 Runs | -115 |
If we take the over 5.5 runs, the Astros need to score six or more runs for us to win our bet.
If we take the under 5.5 runs, then Houston needs to score five runs or fewer for our wager to be graded as a winner.
It’s important to note that runs scored include all innings of play. If the game happens to go to extra innings, then those runs are also counted in the team total wager.
There aren’t many bet variations when it comes to team totals. The above example is as basic and advanced as it gets. If you’ve bet on totals before, then team totals are no sweat.
MLB Total Wagering Limits
Wagering limits for team totals will be far lower than MLB sides, run lines, and game totals. Most betting sites will only offer a $500 max bet on MLB team run totals, with a few going above that to $1,000.
It is extremely rare to find wagering limits higher than $1,000 on MLB team totals.
Top Sportsbooks To Bet MLB Team Totals Online
Picking a trusted sports betting site is essential before you place your team totals bets. We’ve done the homework for you and the following are the top online sportsbooks we recommend.
| Rank | MLB Betting Site | Deposit Bonus | Highlights | Get Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Betonline | Deposit Bonus 50% Up To $1,000 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
| 2 |  Bovada | Deposit Bonus 50% Up To $250 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
| 3 |  BetUS | Deposit Bonus 125% Up To $2,500 | Highlights
| Bet Now |
Don’t Miss Our Full List Of The Best MLB Betting Sites
Tips For Betting MLB Team Totals
There is a lot of value to be found when betting team totals. Not only can you find market inefficiencies, but there is a lot of gambling theory behind taking a team total, compared to the over or a side in a game.
The Odds Can Be Soft
Team totals almost always have -115 pricing compared to -110 pricing, as they are proposition bets by definition. Since they are props, this increases the breakeven percentage by a bit compared to placing bets at -110 or less.
However, odds for these bets can be quite soft compared to other markets as oddsmakers are much more focused on markets that are getting more volume, such as MLB run lines, moneylines, or totals.
So, even though you will be paying an increased price for MLB team totals, the value is there, as they’re not a significant focus of sportsbooks. Also, like props, their betting limits are considerably lower than sides and totals.Team Totals May Not Move Reflect Odds Moves
Team totals are a derivative of main markets in a game, like the sides and totals. Team totals are initially handicapped from these numbers.
For example, if the total is eight runs and the odds are:
* Astros -140
* Rangers +130
The team totals would be derived from the point spread odds and the total. We might see team totals of Astros 5 runs and Rangers 3 runs.
However, many sportsbooks do not link their team totals to their MLB moneylines or totals. Even if they are related, they may be slow to move when those markets move.
In a lot of cases, MLB team run totals and main lines are traded entirely independently.
Bettors may find advantages in the market after a steam move when team totals do not move quickly or are simply not accurately priced.Lean Towards Betting Unders
Like other MLB propositions, MLB team totals can be inflated by public perception or opinion. This aspect may come into play less when it comes to betting baseball, but it still rings true that most people love betting overs and seeing runs scored.
The above tip also comes into play here. If the team total odds are not connected to the main odds of the game, outside influence may allow bettors to profit from an inefficient market.
That is not to say there will not be valuable when it comes to betting overs, but if oddsmakers are moving the lines to reflect betting action, these bets may be inflated towards over, by default.
