Live Betting At Baseball Games: Here’s Our Pitch-By-Pitch Experience From Michigan

Could you please rephrase this?

Can you please purchase peanuts and Cracker Jacks for me? Also, place a bet of $10 on the upcoming pitch being a strike.

Michiganders now have a fresh opportunity to enhance their sports fandom experience as life gradually returns to normalcy in 2021.

As fans return to stadiums like Detroit’s Comerica Park after a year-long absence, live betting on baseball can introduce an exciting new element to the experience.

However, is it possible for a dedicated fan to outsmart Michigan sportsbooks by placing a spontaneous bet based on real-time events? How achievable is this strategy? Furthermore, what types of in-game betting choices are there?

I put on my mask and faced the cold of late April to discover the truth.

Pre-game planning for Pirates, Tigers

Taking those questions into consideration, Playinmichigan instructed me to head across the street for the April 22 matchup between the typically struggling Pittsburgh Pirates and the even more struggling Detroit Tigers.

As I was about to depart for the game, I noticed that PointsBet had introduced their Home Run Insurance promotion for the series. Under this offer, if you bet up to $25 on a player to hit a home run but he fails to do so despite his team’s victory, you will receive a consolation prize of free bets equivalent to your initial wager.

While it’s clear that free bets hold significantly less value than an equivalent amount of cash (due to the inability to claim the stake from the free bet), it appeared to be an enjoyable risk to take on the game.

Although he has lost some momentum since his impressive beginning, taking a chance on the Akil Baddoo frenzy before heading out seemed like an entertaining bet.

Despite the unfavorable +500 odds, I placed a bet on the Tigers outfielder to hit a home run.

Gambling signage is in your face at Comerica Park

Last summer, we reported on PointsBet’s existing presence at Comerica. The Tigers had become the first Major League Baseball team to collaborate with the Australian company when they signed the partnership agreement.

PointsBet remains positioned on the right-field wall at Comerica Park, as well as in various other locations.

As soon as I entered, my eyes fell upon the pre-game and post-game show stage at Bally Sports Detroit. It dawned on me that this was the Tigers’ new television home, now bearing the branding of a gambling operator.

I noticed the Motor City Casino Off Ramp Bar as the very first beer stand. The theme of gambling continued throughout the entire field.

Gambling operators fighting for outfield real estate

FanDuel Sportsbook, in collaboration with MotorCity, previously shared an advertisement on the left-field wall. However, this year, FanDuel has acquired the entire space for its exclusive use.

Comerica signage has been incorporated by Bally Sports and BetMGM at the right-center field, where BetMGM also holds the out-of-town scoreboard digital space just like it does at Little Caesars Arena across Woodward Avenue.

While I circled the ballpark to absorb the atmosphere, check out the available concessions, and observe people, Baddoo stepped up to bat in the second inning.

The newcomer hit a powerful shot towards center field, prompting Bryan Reynolds to dive in an attempt to make the catch. Unfortunately, he was unable to reach it, causing the ball to swiftly head back towards the wall.

At the vast Comerica Park, the swift Baddoo possessed the ability to run tirelessly for days. While he successfully scored a run, his momentum was halted by third-base coach Chip Hale as Baddoo rounded third base.

Although the fans booed (or perhaps “Baddooooooo-ed”), it was likely the wise decision. Nonetheless, there was a potential $125 payout, so it would have been satisfying to witness the rookie give it a try. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity in the future.

By the way, Baddoo was stranded at third as Victor Reyes made a line out.

Who is really ‘Michigan’s Fastest Sportsbook?’

PointsBet boldly declares itself as “Michigan’s premier high-speed sportsbook” on one of the digital scoreboards positioned behind home plate.

I concluded it was about time to verify that claim.

On the main score, PointsBet offered 47 “In Play” wagers, featuring adjustable spread, total, and moneyline options.

When you click for more, you will discover various categories including adjusted totals, adjusted spreads, first-seven-innings bets, and game props.

In addition, the total runs expected for the upcoming inning are displayed. I opted to place a bet that the total combined runs for the fifth inning will be over 0.5.

As the Tigers entered the frame, they found themselves trailing 2-1, with both Mitch Keller and Detroit’s José Ureña continuing their pitching duties.

Based on their track record, I anticipate one of these guys will likely falter by the fifth occurrence due to their historically poor performance.

Just as I was about to make my bet, I came across another hurdle.

Comerica Park’s Wi-Fi: Cross your fingers and trust it?

With my Wi-Fi turned off, I used cellular data to access my PointsBet app and scan the available wagers.

Nevertheless, my attempt to place the bet was unsuccessful as the app notified me that I was in close proximity to a restricted zone.

I recollected that geolocation technology may only function when Wi-Fi is enabled.

The available public Wi-Fi option at Comerica Park is “Tigers” (labeled as “Unsecured Network”).

Afterwards, I came across information stating that the availability of complimentary Wi-Fi at Comerica Park was improved prior to the 2015 season. Could this be the same network I experienced?

Yeah, I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m not exactly dealing with sensitive financial transactions or anything.

Due to the limited attendance of less than 8,000 fans and unfavorable weather conditions, most individuals refrained from using their phones. Consequently, connectivity was not a concern. This advantageous situation allowed me to successfully wager on there being at least 0.5 runs in the fifth inning.

Imagine, on a beautiful summer day, a crowd of 40,000 people gathered here.

Here are some live-betting options

Since I didn’t do any pre-game research and spent the early parts of the game walking around the stadium, I am now placing small-money wagers to explore each operator’s markets and test if I can successfully place the bets.

I have a list of apps on my phone that I need to test, including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Fox Bet, and William Hill.

Fox Bet offered 68 live wagers

A total of 68 distinct markets were available while exploring the Fox Bet live betting baseball options.

Naturally, the moneyline, run line, and run totals markets were consistently refreshing.

Additionally, there were various options available for betting, including alternative run lines and alternative totals. These options allowed you to choose the specific amount you wished to bet against. Moreover, parlays were offered, combining game results with total over/unders, as well as over/unders for total hits by team. Similarly, run totals per team and individual inning totals were available for both combined and per team bets.

Additionally, a bet was placed on the total number of runs scored in innings four through six, with the choice between an odd or even outcome.

I could not beat FanDuel after Tigers’ HR

While exploring the 43 options available on FanDuel, I discovered that Fox Bet had mostly similar offerings. However, I came across a unique bet that caught my attention: a total runs wager allowing you to choose between pairs of two numbers such as 5-6, 7-8, and so on.

Ureña successfully completed the first half of the fifth inning without any damage on the field. In order for my over bet to be successful, the Tigers would have to score.

Baddoo began the inning with a strikeout, Reyes followed with a strikeout as well, and JaCoby Jones represented my final opportunity to reach the desired run count. To my delight, Jones smashed a home run towards right field.

As I was already browsing through the FanDuel app to review their odds, I decided to outsmart the app by swiftly placing a Tigers moneyline bet with highly advantageous odds.

Nevertheless, the odds had already been determined once the ball was set in motion. When the odds were updated later on, the Tigers found themselves once again favored at -135, while the game remained tied at 2-all in the fifth inning.

I was beaten to the punch by Sportradar, the sole distributor of real-time statistics for Major League Baseball.

More of the same at BetMGM, William Hill

As I perused through BetMGM’s 51 markets and William Hill’s 47, I noticed a sense of repetition in the available market options.

While browsing BetMGM, I came across an interesting wager called the “Will there be extra innings in the game?” market. It appeared to offer good value with odds of +195 for a “yes” outcome in a tie game with four innings remaining.

Initially, I attempted to place a $2 bet on it, but the app declined to accept my wager.

Because I had logged into BetMGM before connecting to WiFi, I found it necessary to log out and then log back in to enable the locator feature.

Although this procedure may not seem significant, it poses as an obstacle when making quick bets. Moreover, it becomes bothersome when your hands are almost frozen.

At William Hill, a betting option was available to predict which team would be the first to achieve a specific number of runs, such as three, four, five, six, or seven.

While William Hill has made some adjustments to cater to an American audience in its app over the past few months, there are still remnants of its European origins. One such example is the inclusion of the “Total Match Runs Odd/Even” line in their game.

DraftKings puts the ‘micro’ in micro-betting

In the United States, live betting is the more commonly used term, which can sometimes be used interchangeably with micro-betting.

However, as soon as I accessed the DraftKings app, the concept of “micro-betting” immediately crossed my mind, as it allowed me to place live bets on this particular game with astonishingly precise options.

The “Popular” section’s Pitch-by-Pitch tab presents the most peculiar bets I had encountered until now.

“Result of Pitch — DET Tigers: Batter 1 of Inning 7, Pitch 1”

In my opinion, this can be classified as the epitome of “micro” micro-betting, given its pitch-by-pitch nature.

The odds for a Strike/Foul are -121, for a Ball/Hit by pitch are +130, and for In play are +750.

The markets for the first and second pitch are already available for both the current batter and the upcoming batter.

DraftKings is unable to keep up with the rapid pace of posting markets for every subsequent pitch during at-bats, which is understandable.

In addition, markets exist for batters achieving a hit or a walk (excluding being hit by a pitch). I placed a one-dollar bet on Niko Goodrum to get a hit or walk in the sixth inning with odds of +330, at some point during his at-bat. Unfortunately, he struck out to conclude the inning.

If you manage to discover a first-pitch free-swinger who is an aggressive hitter, there might potentially be some worth in exploring this. However, I suspect that operators are already aware of these tendencies and adjust the markets accordingly for such hitters.

Baddoo inches away from making me a winner

Baddoo kicked off the seventh inning, providing me with another opportunity to win my home-run bet.

A drive occurs on the fourth pitch, sailing into the depths of left field.

It appears as though the ball struck the upper part of the wall, a mere few inches away from being a home run.

Baddoo smoothly advances to second base for a stand-up double, and with the possibility of a replay, an opportunity arises to potentially earn some money.

Could instant replay give a leg up?

Perhaps, if I can predict that the replay will probably overturn this moment and declare it as a home run before it is officially confirmed, I might be able to place a profitable moneyline bet when I am aware that the Tigers are taking a 3-2 lead before the official statistics indicate it.

Upon reviewing the slow-motion replay on the scoreboard, it became evident that the ball was indeed on its way over the fence. However, left-fielder Phillip Evans skillfully extended his glove over the fence and managed to retrieve the ball, preventing it from going out of play. Upon contact with the wall, his glove unintentionally propelled the ball back onto the field. Eventually, the call was upheld, rightfully so.

Baddoo was making every effort to taunt my home run wager for the day.

During this time at DraftKings, the live moneyline market was available. However, it was not a successful home run. Furthermore, if I had misunderstood the replay, I might have made a foolish bet. The Tigers, who lacked power, left Baddoo stranded that inning.

Be careful to count your batters when micro-betting

To ensure your bet is placed accurately, exercise caution in selecting the correct batter. As the innings progress, be mindful that you are wagering on the right “fourth batter” even if the player’s name is not explicitly mentioned.

I made an error in the count during the seventh inning. I placed a bet on the first pitch being a ball against batter No. 7.

In this frame, it was the sixth hitter’s turn at bat, and Detroit’s Willi Castro ended up making the last out.

The outcome was favorable when Castro took a swing at a pitch outside the strike zone, which would have caused me to lose my intended bet. Since there was no seventh batter in the inning, my actual bet became null and void.

Pitch-by-pitch betting could be fun, that’s all

Upon further contemplation of pitch-by-pitch betting, my initial reaction is: “Who in their right mind would engage in such a practice?”

It appears to be the ultimate gamble, essentially purchasing a lottery ticket with no particular strategy or skill involved.

I imagined myself attending leisurely summer games with friends, where we would casually enjoy a few beers and often be less attentive to the ongoing events.

During yet another disappointing Tigers’ season, amidst a seemingly pointless game, I envision us igniting with excitement over an unexpected pitch in the sixth inning. The bewildered onlookers nearby might question our enthusiasm, but this could serve as a diversion from the overall lackluster affair.

Having said all of that, it seems difficult for me to perceive any significant monetary worth in that situation.

Furthermore, constantly using your phone to place multiple bets detracts from the enjoyment of being present at the ballpark.

Additionally, the increased stress should not be overlooked.

Nobody seemed to be betting on this day

There are several aspects to take into account, but I noticed that no other fan was placing live bets during the game. Only a few fans were using their phones.

Due to the novelty of sports betting in this area, people are not yet accustomed to it. Moreover, given the cold weather, the majority of individuals are either wearing gloves or finding it difficult to operate their phones.

Many fans are also socializing with the people they arrived with, relishing in the experience of eating hot dogs and watching live baseball after a long hiatus.

Furthermore, given the importance of maintaining social distancing, I refrained from inquiring about fans’ activities whenever I noticed someone taking out their phone.

However, I will monitor the situation closely this summer while attending games at the ballpark. As the weather improves and social interactions become more permissible, it will be interesting to observe whether live betting on baseball gains popularity at Comerica Park.

As the fan base continues to be worn down, particularly with the onset of yet another season of losses.

Can you please rephrase the following sentence for me?