# Betting on baseball question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [May 30, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388 "2022-05-30T23:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/1 "2022-05-30T23:21:58Z")
Sports betting site has betting for total runs for my team as Under 5.0 runs +110 and Under 4.5 runs +135. Is that not the same thing? You can’t score half a run so under 5 and under 4.5 should be the same payoff, right? ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/2 "2022-05-30T23:31:03Z")
I assume for under 5.0 a $10 bet will get you $0 for 4 runs, $10 for 5 runs and $21 for 6 runs, including stake. Exactly 5 being “money back”. Under 4.5 will get you $0 for 4 runs and $23.50 for 5 runs. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/3 "2022-05-30T23:38:52Z")
Under 5 is a push if 5 runs are scored. Under 4.5 is a loss if 5 runs are scored. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/4 "2022-05-30T23:48:28Z")
Apologies for sounding ignorant but this is all new to me. I don’t understand gambling odds and betting. Let’s say I bet $1 that My Team scores Under 5 runs. I also bet $1 that My Team scores Under 4.5 runs. If My Team scores 4 runs do I win both bets? ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/5 "2022-05-30T23:51:08Z")
Yes, both bets win. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/6 "2022-05-30T23:52:55Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Apologies for sounding ignorant but this is all new to me. I don’t understand gambling odds and betting. Let’s say I bet $1 that My Team scores Under 5 runs. I also bet $1 that My Team scores Under 4.5 runs. If My Team scores 4 runs do I win both bets? Yes, you would win both bets. The under 5 at +110 means that you would win $1.10 plus receiving back your $1 for a total of $2.10. The under 4.5 runs at +135 bet gets you $1.35 for a total of $2.35. The biggest difference is that if 5 runs are scored, you lose your money on under 4.5, and get back your dollar on under 5, but with no additional winnings. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/7 "2022-05-30T23:53:31Z")
Yay! I’m learning. But why are the odds different? Under 4.5 pays more, no? ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/8 "2022-05-30T23:54:46Z")
As I explained in my first post, and **Flik** repeated, exactly 5 is “money back”, like the “draw no bet” market in soccer. It’s a little bit of insurance, that makes the 4 or lower payment lower. Edit in my first post I just noticed I accidentally reversed the bet treating it like it was “over”. Sorry about that ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/9 "2022-05-31T00:01:32Z")
Thank you guys. I’ve been educated. It’s that little insurance thing that makes it quirky. When I become a big time gambler and win millions of dollars I’ll remember you in my will. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/10 "2022-05-31T01:52:02Z")
Aren’t all the over/under bets for the total runs scored by both teams. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/11 "2022-05-31T01:57:40Z")
No, that’s the more traditional one, but you can bet on almost anything. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/12 "2022-05-31T02:05:12Z")
Man, you got that right. There’s something like 116 different bets you can make on one baseball game! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/13 "2022-05-31T03:12:19Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Yes, you would win both bets. The under 5 at +110 means that you would win $1.10 plus receiving back your $1 for a total of $2.10. The under 4.5 runs at +135 bet gets you $1.35 for a total of $2.35. The house will get its share though, right? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betting-on-baseball-question/965388/14 "2022-05-31T12:24:12Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > The house will get its share though, right? In sports betting the house only gets its share when you win, using the odds to make what they call the “vig.” If you lose, you lose only the money you bet. With a push you get back all of your original wager. Take that +110 bet as an example. The other side of that bet is probably listed as -130. That means that if you want to win $1, you have to bet $1.30. That twenty cent difference is where the house makes their money.