MLB ATS Records: Best MLB Teams Against the Spread/Run Line

What’s Run Line in MLB Betting?

Run lines are baseball’s version of the point spreads you’ll see in football, basketball, or many other sports. Betting on MLB run lines is no different than betting on a spread in NFL or NBA betting.

If the Mets are -1.5 home favorites against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets must win the game by at least two runs to cover the run line. The Phillies, meanwhile, must lose the game by one run or win the game outright to cover their run line.

Unlike point-spread betting in most sports, most notably in the NFL or NBA, there’s rarely variance in run lines. Pre-game run lines are almost always -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. In-game run lines, i.e. live sports betting, have significant variance — if a team is leading by seven runs in the fifth inning, the live run line might be -6.5.