Baseball Betting Tips: Pitching

It goes without saying, but certainly some of the most important baseball betting tips revolve around pitching. Whether it's starting pitching or the bullpen, both are an extremely vital factor in handicapping baseball.

In our previous chapter we hit on some more general baseball betting tips, while in this one we'll focus exclusively on pitching. We could fill an entire book full of pitching tips, but we'll only hone in on a few that I feel are absolutely crucial.

As with everything related to handicapping baseball, you'll learn many more over the years that you can add to your arsenal. These are really designed to give you a good base or they can be used in addition to ones you already follow on a daily basis.

Now are these baseball betting tips going to make you rich over night? Of course not...nothing will when it comes to sports betting (as much as so many people and websites want to have you believe). What they will do is give you some insight in how to properly handicap starting pitchers and bullpens.

We won't necessarily get into the statistical or power ranking part here (we will in our Baseball Betting Statistics: Pitching chapter though), but rather go into some thoughts and ideas of how to approach handicapping pitchers. As with everything in this Guide, these baseball betting tips were gathered from personal experience over the years or shared with me through interviews with professional handicappers.

Take what you will from each one, but some may be more obvious than others. I try follow each one on a daily basis when handicapping baseball and recommend you do the same (or at least a few)...I can assure you they'll help increase your overall ROI.

Enough of me preaching and riding high on my soapbox, let's get down to the actual baseball betting tips.

Duh. Yes, I know I'm really rewriting the book of baseball with this one, but it had to be said. Simply take a little time to study the starting pitchers.

Find out how they've been pitching lately (we'll talk more about this below). Find out how they've done in the past against the team their facing. Find out how they've pitched in different ballparks. This list can go on and on, but you get my point.

It's not simply about comparing the starters to each other, but rather comparing them to the lineup they'll be facing. This is where a lot of folks go wrong. You can't just look at the starters ERA and go from there.

There's so much more that needs to go into your handicapping (again, we'll go into much more detail in our Baseball Betting Statistics: Pitching chapter). Just take some time to really understand the starters and what their tendencies are at that point in time.

When it comes to baseball betting tips, this is one that should absolutely be followed on a daily basis. Know the starting pitchers current form...in other words, don't just look at the big picture.

Throughout the year good pitchers will go through bad times and average pitchers can be throwing lights out. It's up to you to handicap how the pitcher is throwing at the current moment.

Somewhere between the last 3-5 starts is what you really want to focus on. Great value can be found in betting against good pitchers that are going through a rough patch...it happens every year and it'll happen again next year.

We kind of hit on this a little bit earlier, but it's crucial to compare the starting pitcher to the actual lineup they'll be facing. In other words, if the pitcher is a lefty, look at the stats of how that team fares against lefties.

You can also look up how the pitcher has fared in the past against a team. Obviously they may have different players if it's another year, but you'll find that over the years some pitchers dominate certain teams/hitters and vice versa.

It's up to you to put in the time to find out those favorable situations. As I've said before, becoming a winning baseball bettor isn't easy and it will take some hard work, but it can be done.

By far one of the most vital baseball betting tips that you should never forget: the importance of relief pitching. The bullpens can either make you or break you and without a doubt, they'll drive you crazy at times.

A good handicapper can usually run pretty decent numbers on how well a starting pitcher will perform or how well a team will hit. However, the bullpen can be an absolute unknown and that's where a lot of bettors get burnt.

Starters usually don't last more than 6 innings, leaving the rest of the game up to the relief pitchers. And those last few innings are certainly the most important...thus the significance of a solid bullpen.

It is crucial to have solid data and stats on relief pitchers because of the role they play in the late innings (again, we'll get more into the data part of it within our Baseball Betting Statistics: Pitching chapter, but I did want to mention it here).

What makes it so difficult though, is that you can only hypothesize which relievers will be called and that can certainly change throughout the game. This is why it's so imperative to have a very good understanding for each teams bullpen and how they've been worked recently (see next tip).

As just mentioned, you must know how the bullpen has been used the last 2-4 outings because this can play an enormous factor (whether you're betting on or against a team).

Great value can be found going against a good starter that has an overworked bullpen (obviously other factors must be considered as well). Even if the starting pitcher goes 6 innings, the bullpen still has to go 3 and they simply might not be up for it (these are things you have know).

Two bad outings by starters can be extremely burdensome on a bullpen. Situations to look for are when the manager is going to have less bullpen options. An example of this would be if a manager is forced to leave the starter in longer than normal because of bullpen weakness.

Other situations can include day night double headers and even night games followed by day games. Professional handicappers are well aware of these types of situations (along with others) where it can give them an advantage...and you be well aware of them too. Again, great value can be found in overworked bullpens.

Over the years, there has been a positive correlation between bullpen ERA and money made on that team. In other words, teams that have top bullpens are typically the ones that bring in the most money year after year.

This is a very important tip to remember because so much emphasis is put on the starting pitcher when setting a line. While the starter is crucial in the first 5-6 innings, I would argue that the bullpen is just as important, if not more because of the critical situations they face i.e. being brought in with the bases loaded and no outs.

Now we'll talk more about essential stats to look for when studying bullpens, but certainly bullpen ERA is extremely crucial. If you can't tell by now, I put a ton of emphasis on studying relief pitchers before ever placing money on a game.

This is one of those baseball betting tips that a lot of bettors simply don't follow, but I can assure you it's critical. Just take a look at the top bullpen ERA's, compare that with money made on that team, and you'll have whole different outlook.

Most managers have there own philosophy when it comes to managing the bullpen. Some are quick to pull the trigger when the starter is struggling, while others may give him more time.

But a lot of it also depends how the bullpen has been used the last few days. In other words, it's very imperative to know how the manager handles the bullpen compared to how they've been used recently.

You may be able to find some hidden gems by following the mangers bullpen tendencies. I know it sounds trivial, but it's going the extra mile that will help you uncover information that most people gloss over. I can guarantee every professional does and you should too.

Well there we have it, my top baseball betting tips related to pitching. As I've said with our other baseball betting tips, I would highly encourage you to bookmark this page or print it off to put in your handicapping journal.

You certainly don't have to follow every single one of these baseball betting tips every day, but they are all listed here for a reason. Over time, you'll continue to add more and more, creating your own "daily checklist."

Now that we have some solid tips for handicapping pitching, let's get a little more complex and move on to our Baseball Betting Strategy chapter. As always, best of luck in all your sports betting endeavors.

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