MLB offers one of the most analytically rich betting environments in professional sports. With a 162-game regular season running from late March through September, followed by an October postseason, the sheer volume of games creates deep, liquid markets across moneylines, run lines, totals, and player props. Unlike football or basketball, baseball's low-scoring, pitcher-driven nature means small edges compound meaningfully over a large sample. The moneyline dominates MLB betting in a way it doesn't in other sports — there's no universal point spread, and the 1.5-run line often carries heavily juiced prices — making the ability to identify fair value on the moneyline especially critical.
Vig in MLB tends to be tighter than in many other sports, particularly on matchups between evenly matched teams. Because oddsmakers post hundreds of lines per week, competitive pressure from sharp bettors and rival books keeps margins relatively lean — often in the 2-4% range on standard moneylines at the sharpest books. However, vig can widen substantially on lopsided matchups where heavy favorites are involved, as books build in more margin on lines north of -200. Run line and total markets also tend to carry slightly higher juice than moneylines, making it worth comparing across books before placing any wager.
Several factors move MLB odds in ways bettors should track closely. Starting pitcher identity is the single biggest variable — a last-minute rotation change can swing a line by 30 cents or more. Weather conditions, particularly wind direction and humidity at outdoor parks, meaningfully affect totals. Platoon splits matter: lineup construction against left-handed versus right-handed starters can shift a team's implied run expectancy. Home/away performance, bullpen workload from previous days, and travel schedules all create subtle edges that the market sometimes prices slowly, especially in the early months of the season when sample sizes are small and books are still calibrating to roster changes. By midsummer, lines tend to sharpen as the data stabilizes, though September roster expansion and playoff race dynamics can reintroduce inefficiencies.
Analysis updated October 11, 2026. Odds data above refreshes hourly.
↑ 7-day trend: MLB average vig has worsened by 2.40 percentage points over the past week (from 4.30% to 6.70%). Odds margins are widening, meaning bettors are getting less value per wager.
Cross-Sport Vig Comparison
MLB averages 6.70% vig across 14 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Avg Vig | Grade | ML | Spreads | Totals | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetMGM | 4.42% | B | 1.95% | 5.70% | 5.61% | 1 |
| 2 | Pinnacle | 5.25% | C+ | — | 5.23% | 5.27% | 1 |
| 3 | betPARX | 5.64% | C+ | — | — | 5.64% | 1 |
| 4 | Hard Rock Bet | 6.19% | C | — | 6.82% | 5.56% | 1 |
| 5 | DraftKings | 6.42% | C | — | 6.41% | 6.42% | 1 |
| 6 | Fliff | 6.48% | C | — | 6.37% | 6.59% | 1 |
| 7 | Bovada | 6.79% | C | — | 6.86% | 6.71% | 1 |
| 8 | FanDuel | 6.98% | C | — | 7.14% | 6.82% | 1 |
| 9 | Fanatics | 7.13% | D | — | 7.00% | 7.27% | 1 |
| 10 | Bally Bet | 7.40% | D | — | — | 7.40% | 1 |
| 11 | MyBookie.ag | 7.43% | D | — | 7.43% | — | 1 |
| 12 | Caesars | 7.65% | D | — | 7.14% | 8.16% | 1 |
| 13 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 7.89% | D | — | 7.81% | 7.98% | 1 |
| 14 | BetRivers | 8.17% | D- | — | 8.38% | 7.96% | 1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest MLB vig?
BetMGM currently has the lowest vig at 4.42%, earning a grade of B.
Why does MLB have unique vig patterns?
MLB betting revolves around the moneyline rather than point spreads (though run lines exist). This means vig varies significantly based on the matchup — a game between evenly matched teams will have much tighter vig than a heavy favorite vs underdog scenario.
When is MLB season?
MLB runs from late March through October, with the World Series typically ending in late October or early November. Spring training games begin in February but rarely appear on most sportsbooks. The long 162-game season means consistent odds availability for six months.
Which MLB market type offers the best value?
For MLB, moneylines on close matchups (both teams near even) tend to have the best vig. Run line (±1.5) vig is typically higher because it's a less liquid market. Totals vary based on the game but are generally competitive at sharp books.
Are there reduced-juice options for MLB?
Yes. Reduced-juice books like BetAnySports and LowVig.ag consistently price MLB below the -110 standard. Bet105 prices -105 across every sport including MLB, for a market hold of roughly 2.4% — advertised book-wide pricing that would place it in the most-efficient tier, though it is not yet part of our measured feed.
What is vig (vigorish) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice or overround — is the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. It's the difference between the true probability of an outcome and what the odds imply. Lower vig means you keep more of your winnings on every bet. For example, a standard -110/-110 line has about 4.76% vig.
How often is this data updated?
We pull fresh odds from The Odds API every hour, on the hour (UTC). Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds. The timestamp at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How is the vig grade calculated?
Each sportsbook is graded on average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing, A (2–3%) very competitive, B+ (3–4%) above average, B (4–5%) the industry standard, C+ (5–6%) slightly below average, C (6–7%) below average, D (7–8%) high vig, D− (8–10%) very high, F (10%+) predatory.
Why does lower vig matter for bettors?
Lower vig directly impacts your long-term returns. A bettor placing $1,000 per week at a book with 4% vig loses roughly $40/week to the house edge. At 2% vig, that drops to $20/week — a $1,040 difference over a year. For serious bettors, shopping for lower vig is one of the most reliable ways to improve profitability.
What sportsbooks do you track?
We track both regulated US sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) and offshore books (Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, BetUS, LowVig.ag, BetAnything). Data comes from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed sources.
How We Calculate These Numbers
- Data Source
- All odds on this page come from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed US and offshore sportsbooks. We track moneyline, spread, and totals markets across every sport with active betting lines.
- Update Frequency
- We pull a fresh snapshot of every tracked market every hour, on the hour (UTC). Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds for a given event. The timestamp at the top of each page tells you exactly when the data was last refreshed.
- Vig Calculation
- Vig (short for vigorish, also called juice or overround) measures the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. We calculate it by converting the odds on each side of a market to implied probabilities, summing those probabilities, and subtracting 100%. For example, a market priced at -110/-110 implies 52.38% on each side — a total of 104.76%, meaning a vig of 4.76%. Lower vig means better value for bettors because you keep more of your winnings.
- Per-Market Breakdown
- We compute vig separately for each market type: moneyline (h2h), point spreads, and totals (over/under). The "average vig" shown for each sportsbook is the mean across all market types weighted by the number of events sampled in each market.
- Grading Scale
- Every sportsbook receives a letter grade based on its average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing. A (2–3%) is very competitive. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard — a -110/-110 line is 4.76%. C+ (5–6%) is slightly below average. C (6–7%) is below average. D (7–8%) is high vig. D− (8–10%) is very high vig. F (10%+) is predatory pricing. See the full Vig Index Methodology for formulas, worked examples, and known limitations.
- Trend Tracking
- We store daily snapshots for 30 days, allowing us to show 24-hour and 7-day vig trends. A downward trend (improving) means sportsbooks are tightening their lines — often in response to increased competition or higher betting volume as a season heats up.