Postseason Baseball Betting

Let's get right to it, postseason baseball betting is like handicapping a brand new season. Especially since the last couple weeks of the year can seem to drag on forever with 60-70% of teams either out of the playoffs (seemingly going throw the motions) or having already locked up their playoff spot.

However, once that first postseason game starts, it's a whole different ballgame...and that's what I love about postseason baseball betting. Teams pull out every stop and trick they have to try and win games. It's either win or go home.

Just take a look at the average length of a regular season game compared to a postseason game. A playoff game is nearly 25 minutes longer (as of this writing) than a regular season match-up.

Managers pull out every strategy they have to try and give their team even the smallest advantage. From pitching splits to bringing in starters out of the bullpen, you name it and I'm almost sure it's been tried.

But, that's what makes postseason baseball betting so exciting. The intensity level is greatly increased when compared to the regular season. The players go all out on every play...yes, even on routine ground balls (ok, maybe not all of them).

I think you get the point though. It's a different animal than the regular season, which makes betting on it a different animal as well. The strategy and philosophy that you applied during the regular season can still work, but there's a few nuances that need to be looked at as well.

And that's exactly what we're going to help you out with in our Postseason Baseball Betting chapter. We'll be going over some tips and strategies that should be applied to your handicapping when betting the playoffs.

Some are more obvious than others, but all are important. Enough of me blabbing and carrying on about how great the postseason is, let's get to the good stuff.

In other words, what is the mental and physical condition of the team going into the playoffs. Some teams will have to work their butts off the final week of the season, even starting their best pitchers on short rest to get a victory.

While other teams will have had their division locked up since the beginning of August. I'm not saying that one team is better than the other going into the playoffs, but these are important variables you must factor in to your handicapping.

What's there rotation look like coming into the playoffs? How have they been worked the last two weeks? What about injuries on the offensive side of the ball? These are all questions you need to ask.

However, when it comes to injuries, everybody is a little banged up going into the playoffs, simply because the regular season is such a grind...so I wouldn't put a lot into minor injuries unless you are 100% certain.

What about streaks going into the playoffs...both for teams and players? While they are important, it's very hard to determine if they will continue.

A team could have won their last 5 games of the regular season, but what's that really mean for the postseason? The point is, nobody really knows and it's very hard to accurately interpret.

Also, streaks can happen with individual players as well. Streaky players can play great in the regular season and then fizzle in the playoffs. What I'm trying to say is that streaks are extremely difficult to predict and weigh.

While they do get hyped by the media, it's important to have a level head when it comes to postseason baseball betting. It's probably best to not put to much into or take to much away from streaks that are occurring.

Experience can be a major factor in the playoffs...especially from a pitching standpoint. Starting pitchers with post season experience are very important to be aware of in your handicapping.

That experience can go a long way in how they control their emotions on the mound...in a good way. However, the same can be said of offensive players as well.

Be aware of teams or individual players that have played a number of games in the playoffs. It can be a major factor in your postseason baseball betting, both for individuals games as well as series betting.

As we discussed previously, pitchers, particularly starters, are more important than ever in the playoffs. Teams that typically have the best 3 starters will have an advantage in the postseason...especially if they have 2 superb aces in that mix.

In a 7 game series, a team can pitch their top two pitchers twice, thus giving them a very distinct benefit. For some, that's almost a guarantee of 3 wins...however, we all know that nothing is guaranteed in sports.

With that being said, most teams that make it to their respective league championship series' will have at least two very good starting pitchers. If they don't, then they'll most likely be a heavy underdog.

With that being the case then, it's those pitchers who start in games 3, 4, and 5 that will play a major role. Even if a pitcher is on short rest, I wouldn't discount that at all simply because of the adrenaline in the playoffs.

It's also not surprising to see starting pitchers come out of the bullpen in extremely crucial situations...typically an elimination game of a series. All in all, be very aware of a teams rotation in your postseason baseball betting.

Let's be honest, home field advantage isn't a huge factor in the regular season...as we explained earlier in our Baseball Betting Guide. However, once the playoffs come around, it's been statistically proven to be much more important, even more so the farther a team advances.

It really is just a different atmosphere in the postseason. It can be seen, heard, and felt in every stadium where a game is being played. Don't be afraid to bet on home dogs in the playoffs.

That intensity can make a difference, but it's up to you to handicap it on a game by game basis. Be aware of home field advantage and make sure to account for it when it comes to your postseason baseball betting.

I've always preached this strategy, but the hype from the media gets extremely intensified in the playoffs. The media loves to talk up the big stories, which teams have momentum, streaking teams, etc.

Don't buy into it. Do you're handicapping as you always would and make your own conclusions. The media and talking heads live in a world full of "guarantee's and 100% outcomes", when in reality, that's just not true.

Don't listen to them, just as you should never really do so during he regular season as well. To be successful at postseason baseball betting, as well as just handicapping baseball in general, you have to be extremely unbiased.

Play with your head and not what your heart (or ears) may be telling you. The media isn't betting on these games and if they are, they're most likely losing.

Continue to handicap games as you have throughout the regular season (or according to our Handicapping a Baseball Game chapter), but with the additions we've mentioned here in our Postseason Baseball Betting chapter.

These tips and strategies are to be used as a supplement to your regular baseball handicapping philosophy. In other words, don't try and reinvent the wheel.

Do what you've been doing with a few extra nuances...nothing more, nothing less. Keep running your numbers and keep handicapping the games with an unbiased view. Do this, and your success will continue right on until the World Series is over.

So there you have it. Nothing truly groundbreaking that we reveal in this chapter, but still very good fundamental tips that you should always apply to your postseason handicapping.

As we've said throughout, the playoffs are a whole different animal, so it's vital that you account for that in your own strategy...plus, nothing is better than 30 days of meaningful baseball.

Now that we have some tips for postseason baseball in our repertoire, let's take a look at some Baseball Betting Software in our next chapter. As always, best of luck in all your sports betting endeavors.

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