Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

Baseball Betting Sportsbook House Rules for MLB and College Wagering

by Docsports.com

Doc’s Sports offers baseball betting House Rules. These are the general sportsbook rules for baseball games involving college baseball and MLB matchups. Also included is a section for player props that pertain to most baseball matchups. Always remember that these baseball House Rules apply to most matchups, but some sportsbooks rules may differ slightly from shop to shop, so it’s always a good idea to check with customer service at your sportsbook if you have a question about a specific rule.

Baseball House Rules

  • Regular Season Baseball Games must be played on the scheduled date and at the listed venue to be considered action.
  • Before Game Starts Wagers – MLB Baseball money lines are official after 5 innings of play. If the home team is leading, the game is official after 4 ½ innings. For games scheduled to play a full 9 innings, game must go to 9 innings (8 ½ if the home team is ahead) to have action on run lines and totals.
  • Playoff Game Rule - In the case of a halted playoff game (or postseason tournament game), all wagers have action until the completion of the game, as determined by the league’s governing body.
  • Baseball Mercury Rule - For College Baseball games ending via the “Mercy Rule,” the following settlement will take place. Money line bets will be settled based on the “4 ½ innings rule”. Run Line bets will be voided, and Total Runs bets will be voided unless settlement already been determined.
  • Baseball Action Bets – A wager on team vs. team regardless of the starting pitchers. Once a wager is placed, the odds are locked in, regardless of starting pitcher change(s) before the start of the game. Names of the starting pitchers in the selections are simply for informational purposes.
  • First 3 Innings – For money line, run line and total runs, the full 3 innings must be played for action, unless result has already been determined.
  • First 5 Innings - For money line, run line and total runs, the full 5 innings must be played for action, unless a winning result has already been determined. The exception to the above rule is if the game is called/suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning with the home team ahead, all money line wagers will be settled as official with the score at the time of suspension.

Baseball Player Props House Rules

  • Players that are the subject of a player prop wager must start for the wager to have action.  Specifically, wagers on a position player’s performance will be considered action once the player has a had a plate appearance.  Further, wagers on a pitcher’s performance will be considered action once that pitcher has thrown a pitch for their team.  For any player versus player propositions, both players must start the game and have an official appearance as set forth above for the wager to have action.  Further, these player versus player wagers will be deemed official once at least one of the players has left the game, regardless of the ultimate outcome and/or completion of the game. Except as specified above, all games must be played and considered an official game by MLB for bets to have action. 
  • On any pre-live prop, the player(s) must start, and either throw at least one pitch (if pitcher) or record at least one plate appearance (if position player) in the designated game for the bet to have action.
  • Head to head player props for a specific game will have action if those players are in the starting lineup, and the game becomes official.
  • Baseball Result of late Appearance Props - Listed players must record at least one plate appearance for bets to stand (failing which, in each case, bets on this market will be cancelled). In the event that a player is substituted out of the game between plate appearances, bets on plate appearances that have already occurred will stand. However, bets on future plate appearance markets will be cancelled.

·    Total Runs Allowed - Includes earned and unearned runs.

  • Player with first Hit/HR/etc. of game - Player must be in starting lineup, and game must be official, for bets to have action, unless the player who is wagered on is subbed in later and would be the winner of the market
  • Pitch Markets General Rules - The pitch must be in the specified inning, for the listed batter, and against the listed pitcher, in each case, as stated in the bet, otherwise the bet will be void. Pitch markets will be void in the instance of an intentional ball/walk.  
  • Pitch Result - Hit by pitch and pitch out are included in the settlement for “Ball”.  “In Play” includes any type of hit (single, double, etc.) in addition to any batted ball which results in an out(s) being recorded. Pitch timer violations do not count towards the settlement of this market.
  • Pitch Speed - Bets void if no official pitch speed is recorded. Pitch timer violations do not count towards the settlement of this market.

Daily MLB Baseball Specials

  • For all Daily Specials, all scheduled games (quantity listed in the market title) must be played to completion on the listed date and go at least 8.5 innings for bets to have action.
  • Daily Total Runs (Grand Salami) – All bets have action if the “Over” selection is determined regardless of the quantity games played to completion.
  • Highest Scoring Team – All bets have action if the highest scoring team played in an official game (regardless of length) and all other scheduled games went at least 8.5 innings.
  • Highest Scoring Game – All bets have action if the highest scoring game is an official game (regardless of length) and all other games went at least 8.5 innings, or if the highest scoring game is suspended until a later date and all other games went at least 8.5 innings.
  • Pitcher with most strikeouts/Player with most total bases/etc.– All bets have action if the winning pitcher/player played in an official game (regardless of length) and all other games went at least 8.5 innings, or the winning pitcher/player is unequivocally determined.

MLB Baseball Settlement Rules

·  All settlements are based on the statistics and results provided by the official website (MLB.com) or the league’s official statistical provider, unless otherwise stated.

  • Player markets, or other statistically dependent markets, are settled when the game is final, and when the necessary statistics are readily available on the league’s official website (MLB.com), or by the official statistical provider of the league.
  • In the absence of a statistic/result required for settlement of a specific market from the sources listed above, another reputable statistical source will be used to support bet settlement. Most likely it will be ESPN.com

Most Recent Sports Betting 101

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers