Learning how to bet on the World Series is key for anyone looking to make the most of baseball betting this season.

No doubt, playoff baseball is an exciting time for fans and bettors alike. The entire post-season provides engaging storylines and more opportunities for bettors to cash in. The World Series takes the excitement and wagering opportunities to another level.

In this guide, we will take you through the differences between betting regular MLB games versus the World Series, the type of bets you can make, and some key strategies to help learn how to bet on the World Series.

World Series Betting vs Regular Season: What Are the Key Differences?

The first key difference between betting regular season games and the World Series is the fact you are betting a full seven-game series as opposed to one game. With this format, teams have some time to get to know each other. They require more depth and stamina to be successful over multiple games against a challenging opponent.

The World Series is also harder to predict given that the two best teams are playing. Furthermore, each team will take risks and adjust their strategies in ways you likely wouldn’t see during the regular season.

Because managers are no longer concerned about next week or next month’s game, you will see starting pitchers come out of the bullpen as teams do whatever they can to get the win.

It is generally much easier to find long odds offering the chance for bigger payouts during the regular season. Because the World Series features the league’s best teams, it’s reasonable to expect a relatively close match up. So, there is a better chance to bet on heavy underdogs in the regular season as opposed to the World Series.

World Series Prop Betting

The World Series offers a huge number of prop betting opportunities compared to the regular season. Beyond picking the winner, you can also bet on who you think will win MVP, the number of home runs in the series, how many games the series will last, and more.

Unusual props are a fun way to add excitement to the post-season and a key difference between betting the World Series and regular season games.

World Series Betting Strategies

Knowing the right strategies is key to learning how to bet on the World Series. Many of these unique considerations relate to the fact you are betting an entire series rather than a single game.

Since the introduction of widespread interleague play, there’s a decent chance the teams playing in the World Series also met during the preceding regular season. Looking back at the outcome and details of any head-to-head matchups is the clear place to start when handicapping the World Series.

Considering who has the home-field advantage is also a common strategic consideration when betting the World Series. This is particularly true when an National League team is playing at home. Remember that American League pitchers typically do not have to bat during the regular season. This means the team’s entire batting order and way they field their team needs to be adjusted. Interleague matchups occur only a few times per year, so this unfamiliarity can create a hurdle for AL clubs.

Pitching Wins Championships

Looking closely at pitching staff is one of the best strategies to look at when betting the World Series.

In football and hockey, the common cliché is that defense wins championships, but in baseball, it’s pitching that wins championships. If you take a deep dive down each team’s pitching staff and stats, you should get a good idea of which team has the advantage. Using FIP is an excellent way to quickly compare the overall quality of individual pitchers.

It’s easy to understand why pitching is such a crucial indicator of potential success. Expect to see teams rely on only their best three or four starters. It’s not unusual to see starters come out of the bullpen to help get the win. For example, Madison Bumgarner’s pitching heroics during the 2014 World Series helped carry the San Francisco Giants to the win. From starting games to coming out of the bullpen, his performance is a clear indication that one exceptionally talented pitcher can have a massive influence on Word Series performances.

Ride the Hot Hand

Getting to the World Series is a difficult task, as teams are beaten up from playing 162 regular season games and at least two previous Playoff series with multiple-game elimination formats.

Many sharps use a strategy known as ‘riding the hot hand,’ which involves considering both which team won the most games in the regular season and the difficulty of their path to the World Series.

For example, if one team got a few days off after advancing early while their opponent is still playing in the Conference Series, it gives them a huge advantage as they can heal injuries and recover their bodies. Teams that scrap their way to the World Series almost certainly have lots of nicks and bruises that may impact their play.

Looking for More Baseball Betting Tips?

In the end, there are a bevy of differences between betting the World Series and a regular MLB game.

In order to make money in betting the World Series, you also need to know what strategies to use and which prop lines present the most value.

Exploring the rest of the baseball betting articles in Sports Betting Dime’s how to bet on sports series is a great way to pick up a few additional pointers. In the end, firsthand experience is the best way to learn how to bet on the World Series.

Try your hand at a few different bet types this MLB season, and you’ll be primed and ready when the World Series rolls around.