When it comes to Major League Baseball, public betting trends can help you place your own educated bets. Knowing the MLB public consensus for a particular game you’re betting on can help you make smart wagers because you know what everyone else is thinking.
It's one of many handicapping methods, but utilizing Major League Baseball consensus picks can help shape your bets and hopefully allow you to win big.
MLB Consensus Explained
When learning how to bet on MLB, using consensus picks is a great way to get started. The consensus is expressed in betting percentages that gives you insight into how the public is betting on a particular MLB matchup. We gather betting data across some of the top online sportsbooks to come up with solid baseball consensus data to help you make the right decision on game day for your MLB picks.
There are two different kinds of public consensus numbers, though. The first is how many bets are on each side, say 75% of the wagers come in on the Astros and 25% on the A's.
But, that might not tell the whole story, because there's consensus money too. Even if 75% of the bets are on the Astros, the total dollars wagered on Houston might actually be only 40%, suggesting the sharps or big-money bettors like Oakland.
How To Use Public Betting Percentages
There are two main methods of utilizing public consensus picks: following or fading.
Following is pretty simple. If 75% of the public's money is on Houston, you can choose to follow that pick — Astros moneyline it is!
But, sometimes the public isn't as smart as they think, which opens up fading. Some bettors like to consistently go against the public, fading the consensus picks and riding the public's poor selections to victory.
Should You Bet With Or Against The Public?
Sometimes it’s worth it to fade the public if you feel strongly about it. Just because the public is betting a certain way doesn’t mean you have to follow. That’s what’s so great about MLB public consensus picks. If you are finding yourself fading the public too often or just don’t trust the majority, utilizing Odds Shark’s expert picks is another great betting tool to add to your MLB betting experience.
You can use this info to gain an edge and then use that edge to bet with or against the public and hopefully win your wager. However, you should always keep in mind that the public is usually on the side of the favorites and the favorites generally win more games than the underdogs.