When it comes to gambling on the MLB, one of the most important yet overlooked advantages the bettor has on the sportsbook, is the listed pitcher. You can tell a lot on how a team will fair, when you see whom they are going up against. For example, if the New York Yankees face the Philadelphia Phillies and the pitchers are AJ Burnett v Cliff Lee, chances are, 90 percent of the sports betting action will be on the Phillies to win the game. Today, we’ll examine the importance of the listed pitcher.

Sportsbooks don’t allow bettors to wager contingent on which pitcher starts the game, otherwise, bettors would always have their money redeemed, when the ace of a team is scratched from a start and the fifth starter takes their place. Instead, bookie software sites, allow two different wagers to be made on a baseball game. On the one hand, a bettor can make a qualifier bet, and then they can make an action bet. A qualifier bet is one in which the bet is contingent on the probable or listed starter starting the game. If the listed starter is scratched at the last minute such as five minutes before game time, the bet is canceled and the bettor’s money is refunded.

The starting pitcher has as much of an outcome on the game as a quarterback in a football game. Meaning to say, if your bet is listed with Burnett v Lee and you end up getting Burnett v Moyer making his debut after Tommy John Surgery, your wager is affected significantly. On the other hand, the action bet means that no matter whom the starting pitcher is, your bet is in effect. Meaning, if you bet on the Phillies because Lee was listed as the starter, but Moyer ended up starting, your bet is still in effect.