What pitching strategy should you look for when betting Major League Baseball?

When betting on baseball, pitching strategies are a lot different than they used to be. With starters no longer pitching as deep into games, you need to consider more than just the two starters toeing the rubber.

When weighing starters as part of a betting strategy, you should research the average number of innings they generally through and how many pitches they are often allotted. If a pitcher went deep into the game his last time out, that might mean a shorter stint on the mound this time out.

Because the starting pitcher is the only pitcher you’re sure is going to pitch they have the biggest impact on betting lines at online sportsbooks. Ideally, you want them to go deeper into a game. You’ll need to take a look at the bullpen and see how effective the relievers have been. Have they been overworked? This becomes a factor, especially late in the season.

Overused relievers will often wear down. MLB.com has stats on every team. Take a look at the ERA (earned run average) of the team's bullpens. It’s not an exact science because you don’t know which relievers will be used. The manager might decide to use just one or two or the entire bullpen.