Prior to the start of the 2023 MLB season, a pitch clock was installed at ballparks to help shorten the length of ballgames. It was heralded as a new and needed change for baseball, though it was really just the first true enforcement of a rule that had been on the books since 1901.
Many baseball bettors were already shortening baseball games by making wagers on the first 5 innings of a game at their favorite MLB betting sites. It is one of many unique opportunities on a baseball betting card, and like the other wagers among baseball betting options, there are pros and cons.
Shorter Game, Same Betting Angles
Just how a first 5 innings, or first half, wager works is simple enough since the name says it all. Instead of wagering on the entire game, bettors are only concerned with the score at the end of the first 5 innings. Playing the MLB odds goes like this:
- Totals and run lines are in effect for the full 5 innings.
- Moneylines are for the first 5 innings, or 4½ innings if the home team is ahead at that point.
The upside is bettors not having to include bullpens during their handicapping process, and least generally speaking. The downside is the return on underdogs is usually a little below the moneyline for a full game, and the vig can be a little higher for totals wagers.
It is important to understand that most first 5 bets also carry action regardless of the starting pitchers. That means a late scratch due to an injury, or games where managers employ openers and bulk relievers, are in play as opposed to making a listed pitchers wager for a full contest.
Starting Pitchers Doubly Important for First 5
Top-rated sportsbooks have long put their emphasis on starting pitchers when setting moneylines for a full game, and sports gamblers look at that matchup first when deciding which team to bet on.
It should therefore be obvious to even the most novice of bettors that starting pitchers mean even more in a first 5 innings wager, and if it isn’t, please return to the Sports Betting 101 classroom and await further instruction.
With starting pitchers accounting for fewer and fewer innings now, a first 5 innings wager is in many ways a throwback to a time when pitchers actually completed a healthy percentage of their assignments.
Bettors will want to dig a little deeper into the stats for the starting pitchers, and look more in-depth at their history with the hitters in the opposing lineup and any tendencies to possibly be a ‘cold starter’ that is prone to rough 1st-innings.
The extra time spent looking into the starting pitchers will be more than made up by not having to worry about the bullpens.
A -140 favorite for a full game bet will often be priced a little higher for the first 5 innings, but that is a con that can be turned into a pro if handicapping reveals that the initial moneyline was a little high to begin with.
Which Lineup is the Deepest?
Yes, the two hurlers who climb the hill to begin a game are extremely important. But making the winning MLB pick goes beyond the mound and must include comprehensive looks at the batters they will be facing.
Here again, we start with the pitcher/batter matchups. A hitter may have strong results in the past against a specific pitcher, but might also be in the throes of a prolonged slump. Conversely, a batter in a groove might be coming up against a pitcher they’ve had a poor history with.
Look at the depth of a lineup, especially how the first 4-5 hitters in the batting order did in their most recent games, and how they performed the last time these two teams faced off.
Managers are resting players, even the best ones, more frequently now as baseball tries to emulate the NBA’s load management. And, of course, always be aware of injuries and be prepared to back off a game if a star batter is iffy.
Playing the First 5 Totals Can Be Tricky
While researching the MLB odds for moneyline wagers in the first 5 innings is made simpler by removing bullpens from the equation, playing totals for the first half of a game can be a little more difficult.
For starters, a total set for a full game isn’t just chopped in half for a first 5 inning target. That’s because there are 5 full innings in the calculation, as opposed to potentially just 8½ for a full contest.
An 8-run total for a full game, for example, will usually be 4½ for a first half bet. The general tendency for all bettors is to look at an ‘over’ play for a full contest, but playing the first 5 innings means starting with a strong lean to the ‘under’ and going from there.
Those just starting out betting first 5’s may want to cut their standard wager, or unit, in half until getting familiar with the concept. Like any other sports gambling, discipline with regards to money management is the key.
