The baseball season in North America begins at the end of March. It has been a long wait for the 2022 season for baseball betting and MLB betting fans. With just over a month to go, betting opportunities on other sports should be an option to pass the time. Two popular betting leagues in Canada are NHL betting and NBA betting. Both of these leagues are at the business end of the season, and with the playoffs fast approaching, there is plenty of value to be found.
2022 Baseball season key features
Currently, the MLB is on a lockout and negotiations between the players union and teams have reached a stalemate. Baseball fans worldwide will hope that an agreement is found and the season will commence on time.
The 2022 MLB season will run from March to early November, with the World Series finale scheduled for October. The Atlanta Braves are the defending MLB champions. Spring training was scheduled to start in February, but the start has changed to the beginning of March due to the lockout. The opening day of the new MLB season is 31st March 2022. All 30 teams will be in action. During the offseason, Cleveland Indians changed their name to Cleveland Guardians. 15th April 2022 is Jackie Robinson Day, and all 30 teams will take to the field. The All-Star break is scheduled for July 18-20, with the 2022 All-Star game on 19th July 2022, at Dodger Stadium in LA. The end of the regular season is 2nd October 2022, and the post season begins a few days later.
Types of bets that will be available on baseball in the 2022 season
MLB Money line betting is considered the most straightforward bet to make. This type of bet requires a wager on which team will win the game. There are only two possible outcomes with money line betting, either Team A to win or Team B to win.
MLB Spread Betting – Run line betting is a form of spread/handicap betting which allows you to bet on either a favourite or underdog. Favourite spreads can range from -0.5, -1.5, -2.5. While underdogs spreads range between +0.5, +1.5, +2.5. The larger the spread, the bigger the favourite chances to win the game.
MLB Totals betting is considered a popular market if you do not like to bet on the money line or spread betting. MLB totals betting is known as Overs/Unders betting. Bets can be placed on the total number of runs scored by both teams in a game. Lines can range from O/U 7.5 to O/U 12.5. MLB games are always affected by weather conditions; when placing runs total bets, research should be done on wind and rain forecasts for the game and the stadium dimensions.
Player and Team props is a standard bet type for people who prefer stats based performance analysis. Player prop betting includes batters runs, home runs, and pitchers strikeouts. Team prop betting has markets such as Over/Under team runs in an innings and team runs in a game.
Live betting is a type of bet when wagers are made once a game has started. The odds on live betting are constantly fluctuating and changing. However, with live betting, not all betting markets are available. A money line, spread and total line are available with live betting. Player prop betting is rarely available during an innings in the MLB.
Futures/Outright betting are considered long term bets. Typically, these types of bets are made throughout a season. World Series champions, teams to win a division, which team to finish at the bottom of the league standings, and the MVP of the season are some types of future betting available during an MLB regular and postseason.
The latest MLB betting odds for the 2022 season has the Los Angeles Dodgers at +700 favourites to win the World Series. A $100 wager will return $700 should the Dodgers win their 8th World Series in 2022.
Baseball leagues you can place your bet on in 2022
Baseball is played around the world and in the majority of countries. Professional baseball leagues include; the Japan series and Mexican Pacific league. In North America, the MLB is the largest and most popular baseball betting league globally. The MLB is considered the oldest sports league in the world. The MLB consists of 30 teams from the US and Canada. Typically, each team will play 162 games (81 home and 81 away games).
Popular sportsbooks to place bets on the MLB
Canada has plenty of sportsbooks that offer MLB betting. Canadian Gambler has a sportsbook directory for online sportsbooks that provide MLB betting. Popular sportsbooks that offer MLB betting include; Betway, Unibet, Power play, PlayNow, 22Bet, Spin Sports and 1XBet.
Try your hand at betting on the NHL while you wait for Baseball season
NHL is considered the most popular betting league in Canada. The NHL consists of 32 teams, and all teams play 82 games (41 at home and 41 away from home). In total, there are 1271 games during the regular season. Due to many games, there are plenty of opportunities to place bets on the NHL.
NHL betting is a diverse betting market. There are many different ways to place bets and different bet types to wager on. Popular bet types in NHL betting are Money Line bets and Prop bets.
NHL Money line betting requires a wager on which team will win the game. There are only two possible outcomes with money line betting, either Team A to win or Team B to win.
NHL Spread Betting – Puck line betting is a form of spread/handicap betting which allows you to bet on either a favourite or underdog. The larger the spread, the bigger the favourite chances to win the game.
NHL Totals betting is known as Overs/Unders betting. Bets can be placed on the total number of goals scored by both teams in a game. Lines can range from O/U 4.5 to O/U 7.5. For an Over 4.5 line, for a bet to result in a win, there need to be five or more goals scored combined by both teams in a game. However, if fewer than five goals are scored, this bet will be settled as a loss.
Player and Team props are popular among bettors who study players and teams statistics. Player prop betting includes player goals, shots and points. Team prop betting has markets such as Over/Under team goals and the first team to score.
Live betting is a type of bet when wagers are made once a game has started. NHL is a fast-paced, action-packed sport. NHL is a perfect sport for live betting. The odds on live betting are constantly fluctuating and changing.
Futures/Outright betting are considered long term bets. Stanley Cup champions, teams to win a division, conference, and the MVP of the season are some types of future betting available during an NHL regular and postseason.
The latest NHL betting odds has the Colorado Avalanche at +550 favourites to win the 2021/2022 season. A $100 wager will return $550 should the Avalanche lift the Stanley Cup in June.
2022 NHL season key features
The 2021/2022 NHL season began in October 2021, ending in June 2022 with the crowning of the Stanley Cup Champions. The 32 teams competing in the NHL are split evenly into two Conferences; Eastern and Western. The Eastern Conference has two divisions; the Metropolitan and Atlantic. The Western Conference has two divisions; the Central and Pacific. The top three teams from each Division progress to the playoffs, and the 12 teams are joined by four Wildcard teams (two teams from each Conference who have the most points out of the remaining teams in their Conference irrespective of divisional standings). The playoffs consist of four elimination rounds of the best of seven games. There are no byes in the playoffs, and the final two teams remaining will compete in a seven-game series, with the winner becoming the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions.
The current NHL standings for each Conference:
Eastern Conference – Metropolitan Division – Carolina Hurricanes lead the standings with 74 points and a 35-11-4 record. Pittsburgh Penguins are 2nd with 70 points and a 31-13-8 record. New York Rangers are 3rd with 69 points and a 32-13-5 record.
Eastern Conference – Atlantic Division – Florida Panthers lead the standings with 75 points and a 35-10-5 record. Tampa Bay Lightning are 2nd with 70 points and a 32-11-6 record. Toronto Maple Leafs are 3rd with 67 points and a 32-14-3 record.
The two Wildcard teams from the Eastern Conference are Washington Capitals (65 points – 28-15-9 record) and the Boston Bruins (62 points – 29-17-4 record).
Western Conference – Central Division – Colorado Avalanche leads the standings with 76 points and a 36-10-4 record. Minnesota Wild are 2nd with 65 points and a 31-13-3 record. St. Louis Blues are 3rd with 64 points and a 29-14-6 record.
Western Conference – Pacific Division – Calgary Flames lead the standings with 64 points and a 29-13-6 record. Vegas Golden Knights are 2nd with 62 points and a 29-18-4 record. Edmonton Oilers are 3rd with 59 points and a 28-19-3 record.
The two Wildcard teams from the Western Conference are Nashville Predators (60 points – 28-18-4 record) and the Los Angeles Kings (59 points – 26-17-7 record).
Keep entertained with placing bets on Basketball with Baseball season just around the corner
Basketball betting has a variety of betting markets, and NBA betting is offered at most Canadian sportsbooks. The NBA consists of 30 teams, playing 82 regular-season games. Due to the number of games, there are plenty of opportunities to place bets on the NBA. Popular types of bets in NBA betting are:
- NBA Money line betting
- NBA Quarter bets
- Parlay bets
- NBA Spread Betting
- NBA Totals betting
- NBA Player and Team Prop betting
- Live betting
- Futures/Outright betting
The latest NBA betting odds have the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns at +500 favourites to win the 2021/2022 season. A $100 wager on each team will return $500 should the Warriors or the Suns be crowned champions.
2021/2022 Basketball season key features
The 30 teams competing in the NBA are split evenly into two Conferences; Eastern and Western. The Eastern Conference has three divisions; the Atlantic, Central and Southeast. The Western Conference has three divisions; the Northwest, Pacific and Southwest.
The regular season duration is from 19th October 2021 to 10th April 2022. The play-in tournament will run from April 12-15. After that, the playoffs commence from 16th April till 30th May. The NBA Finals are scheduled for June 2022. The playoffs consist of a 16 team full bracket under a best of seven-game format.
The top placed teams in the latest NBA standings in the Eastern Conference are Miami Heat (Southeast Division), Chicago Bulls (Central Division) and Philadelphia 76ers (Atlantic Division).
The top placed teams in the latest NBA standings in the Western Conference are Phoenix Suns (Pacific Division), Memphis Grizzlies (Southwest Division) and Utah Jazz (Northwest Division).
Summary of sports you should bet before Baseball season
NHL and NBA are two popular sports to bet on at the moment. Both leagues are at a critical point of the season, and there is a lot on the line for teams. NHL betting and NBA betting has plenty of value, especially with futures markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find out how to bet on baseball?
Canadian Gambler has detailed information on how to bet on the MLB and has a sportsbook directory for online sportsbooks that offer MLB betting.
What is the best sport for Canadians to bet on?
There are over a 1000 sports that you can bet on but the most popular sports that attract Canadian bettors include:
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Baseball
- American Football
- Tennis
- Golf
- MMA/UFC
- Soccer
- F1
Is sports betting legal in Canada?
Online sports betting is legal in Canada.
Which sportsbooks allow Canadians to place bets?
Canada has plenty of sportsbooks that offer sports betting. Canadian Gambler has a sportsbook directory for online sportsbooks that provide different sports betting markets.
Pros and Cons of betting on Canadian sports
There are many pros of sports betting. The major attraction is creating an alternative source of income through sports betting. There are many popular Canadian sports teams, and each plays a high number of games; this gives bettors plenty of opportunities to place bets and find value throughout the year.
However, there are cons to betting and betting on Canadian sports. The most significant is that not everyone can control their staking plans and budgets. As with any form of betting, sports betting comes with risk and, for some individuals, an addiction.
