What are bets on the first 5 innings?

Bets on the first 5 innings in MLB are a very popular alternative type of bet. They can be placed live, Over/Under, or with a handicap. It involves betting on the outcome of the first 5 innings, which is equivalent to a halftime in football.

Generally, this bet follows a format similar to that of a full match, with some important differences depending on the type of 5-inning bet you wish to make.

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Regarding handicap bets, it works like a bet on the entire match, except that instead of a handicap of 1.5, it is almost always 0.5. Thus, a favorite will have a line of -0.5, and an outsider will have a line with a bonus of +0.5 points. The straight bet is generally similar to the straight bet on 9 innings in terms of odds, but this can vary mainly depending on the strength of the starting pitchers of both teams. Finally, Over/Under bets on 5 innings generally represent half of the total Over/Under of the full match and are usually presented by half a point to avoid ties.

An important difference between 5-inning bets and regular MLB bets is that the point line bet can end in a tie, which is called a "push" and completely cancels the bet. This is a sort of safety net for MLB bettors, and therefore many people prefer 5-inning bets to full match options, which cannot be canceled.

When to use 5-inning bets?

There are two key moments when it is wise to place this type of "halftime" bet. You must follow two rules.

The first is if you want to have the option to cancel a losing bet in case of a tie. Since this is only possible with 5-inning bets, many bettors are attracted to these offers.
The other interest is when you want to focus your bets on the performances of the starting pitchers of the teams. (This is actually the reason why these bets were originally developed). Indeed, the performances of the pitchers in the first five innings can be statistically easier to predict than in a full match.

Starting pitchers are often more consistent than relievers, and bettors also know the starters before the match begins. For a well-informed baseball bettor, there is a lot of money to be made by betting on just half of a match.

Some bookmakers like 1xbet allow betting on as many innings as you want.