One of the toughest sports to place bets online for is baseball. Fans betting on baseball for the first time, should know that there are many variables which can be the difference between winning your bet and becoming an expert, or losing and never trying again. Some of the factors involved in baseball betting, include, betting lines, weather conditions, listing pitchers and the over/ under.

Of the four factors noted above, the most over looked is the listing of pitchers. Many believe this does not make a difference when it comes to the actual game, however it can be the difference between winning and losing. In essence, by stating that the starting pitcher must be listed, you can’t lose your bet if they are scratched for any reason. When fans bet on the qualifier and state that the pitcher listed, (who is noted as a probable) is the one they are betting on, if that pitcher can’t pitch, the sportsbook is required to refund your money instantly.

For many sportsbooks, they offer the option of an action wager, in which bettors can wager on one particular pitcher starting the game. Nonetheless, the theory behind listing a pitcher when wagering on a game, is that you believe that pitcher stands a better chance against the opposing team’s batters, rather than simply betting on the two teams.

As well, it is important to research a pitcher’s health, as many sportsbook sites with run lines have a list pitcher rule they put into effect. Basically stating that the line only becomes applicable if the specific pitcher is in the game, if they are scratched for any reason, the sportsbook keeps your money. This is why it is important to research on the pitcher and then lists them, rather than make a bet based on the team and not the pitcher.

MLB betting for the Washington Nationals has never been greater as Monday and Tuesday night showed two dominant reasons for why fans should start betting on this team. On Monday night, with the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB entry draft the Nationals took 17 year old outfield phenom Bryce Harper. Then last night, the Nationals top pitching prospect and 2009 first overall pick Stephen Strasburg made his debut in the big leagues. Strasburg and Harper have both been hyped up by the baseball experts as having the biggest ceilings in professional sports. As a result, Nationals fans betting on the team to dominate the NL East for years to come have plenty to be optimistic about.

In his debut last night against basement dweller the Pittsburgh Pirates Strasburg picked up the win in a five to two victory, logging seven strong innings of four hit ball while striking out a career high 14 batters. Let me repeat, last night June 8^th 2010 was Strasburg’s MLB debut and he struck out a career high 14 batters. There are pitchers pitching in the league for the last five years who have yet to fan 14 batters in a single game, and Strasburg did it in his debut. The way Strasburg pitched, one would not have known that he was making his debut as he appeared as confident as the league’s greatest pitchers, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee to name a few. If Strasburg can continue to be as dominant this season as he was in his debut, no one should be surprised, if he wins the 2010 CY Young.

Conversely, Bryce Harper, the Nationals 2010 pick, is the much needed outfield bat the club has not seen since its days in Montreal. Harper has been described by experts as the Lebron James of baseball, and while we have yet to see if Harper has James’s swagger, we do know that he has the talent to live up to the comparison. In an all star game home run derby last year, Harper hit a home run which was over 500 feet. Furthermore, Harper is only 17 and switched schools specifically to play with wooden bats instead of Metal so he would feel the same as a big league hitter.

If both Harper and Strasburg can reach their potentials and avoid injuries, the Nationals will have perhaps the brightest future of all the teams in Major League Baseball. The team has yet to win a World Series, but with Strasburg presently on the team and Harper waiting in the wings, a championship can be seen in the not so distant future.

MLB betting and fantasy players alike don’t know what to do with David Ortiz, the aging Boston slugger who is coming off one of his best months in recent memory.  So when it comes to your fantasy team, do you hold onto “Big Papi”, or trade while the value is high?

In April, Ortiz had a .143 average with a single homer and four RBIs, and like last year, many were wondering if the big slugger was done.  Ortiz exploded on the media, manager Terry Francona, and for all of May, he exploded on the opposition.  Ortiz went deep 10 times with 27 RBIs in the month of May, and he also hit .363 at the plate.  That has sparked a comeback by the Red Sox, who struggled through the first month of the season.

Over the last three years, Ortiz has been generally a slow starter, but he picks up the pace in June.  This year, he started a month early and the Red Sox are hoping that he can continue to keep this trend up.  From 2007 to 2009, Ortiz hit .264 with 39 homers and 142 RBIs in 796 games before the All-Star break.  In 710 games after the All-Star break during those three years, Ortiz knocked out 47 homers with 163 RBIs and a .297 average.

We would hang onto Ortiz for at least another month to see if his upward ascent is for real, and we think it is.  We think Ortiz has one more huge year left in him before he hangs them up, and that will be huge for Boston’s betting odds.