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First 5 Innings Made Simple
The first 5 innings refer to the first half of a regulation 9-inning baseball game. Each inning brings its unique strategic implications, and the first 5 innings establish the conditions for either pitcher dominance, high-scoring, or nail-biting drama late into the final third of the game. During and by the end of the 5th inning, game strategies clarify for offense, pitching, and lineups. Scoring can escalate as any risks are taken for rallies, pinch hitters, and relievers. It is a perfect time for bettors to place their wagers.
How To Bet On Baseball F5?
To put it simply, when you bet on the first five innings, your wager will be settled after the end of the 5th inning and anything that happens afterward does not matter.
F5 in baseball betting means wagering on the result of the game when the 5th inning ends. So, the result of the rest of the game is irrelevant.
What Types of Bets Are Available?
The baseball F5 betting concept is quite similar to first-half bets in sports like the NFL or NBA. Typically, to bet on F5s, you can find all the betting options that top online sportsbooks offer for the entire baseball game. For example, you can bet on:
- Straight-up Moneyline F5 bets: Which team wins?
- Run line, the same as point spread. For example, F5 ATS(First Five Innings Against The Spread): how much a team wins by.
- Over/Under or Totals: total number of runs scored by both teams.
Let’s briefly review each type of bet. But if you need an in-depth refresher on reading odds and different markets, you can check out our comprehensive guide on betting on baseball.
1. F5 Moneyline Bets
Betting the Moneyline is the most straightforward type of bet in any sport, and baseball is no exception. In this type of bet, you just have to pick the winner and back it. Betting on the F5 Moneyline is the same as betting on any other sport’s Moneyline. But you should remember that no baseball game ends in a tie(except for some All-Star games), but there is a possibility of a tie after five innings. Hence, unlike Moneyline bets on the full game, where there is no push option, there may be a push after five innings. It means if you bet on the Moneyline, i.e., winner, and the 5th inning ends in a tie, your wager will be refunded.
2. F5 Run Line Bets
Baseball run line bets are the same as point spread bets in other sports betting. What do we mean by point spread? It means you bet on the margin of victory. In other words, it doesn’t matter who wins the game, but by how many runs they win matters. Betting on the F5 run line is the same: you bet on the number of runs that a team will be ahead by the end of the 5th inning.
3. F5 Total Bets
Baseball total betting involves wagering on the score of both teams at the end of a game. F5 totals follow the same concept. However, you bet on the score of both teams at the end of the 5th inning instead of the end of the game. Instead of the exact number of runs, you will be betting on whether the total score at the end of 5 innings will be over or under the number set by the oddsmakers. Remember the point about the tie option? A baseball game never ends in a tie. It means that the full-game total score is more likely to be an odd number. But there is a possibility of a tie for the first five innings. It means the F5 total score would be more likely to be an even number.
In short, the F5 total is somehow half of the full game total.
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First Five Innings Vs Full Game Bets Odds
As explained above, the 5-inning line is a version of the halftime line. Unlike other sports, there is no halftime in baseball, but the middle of the 5th inning is literally halfway through a baseball match. So, oddsmakers set the halftime line according to the baseball games.
5 inning Moneyline will be very close to the full game Moneyline in terms of odds. Totals would be around half, while run line odds differ. Instead of a standard –1.5/+1.5 handicap, you would see -.5/+.5 for F5 run line odds. For example, let’s have a look at the following odds inspired by the Betonline sportsbook.
| Baseball Full Game Odds | |||
| Team | Moneyline | Total (O/U) | Run Line(Point Spread) |
| Minnesota Twins | -130 | O 7.5 -105 | -1.5 +145 |
| Detroit Tigers | +105 | U 7.5 -115 | +1.5 -170 |
| Baseball F5 Odds | |||
| Team | Moneyline | Total (O/U) | Run Line(Point Spread) |
| Minnesota Twins | -125 | O 4.5 -105 | -0.5 +125 |
| Detroit Tigers | +100 | U 4.5 -115 | +0.5 -140 |
All F5 bets will be settled after the home team has made three outs in its half of the 5th inning. As a general rule of thumb, F5 inning outcomes are tied in with the full-game outcomes. According to the statistics, 7 games out of 8, the team leading the F5 inning goes on to win the full game. Things are not so steady when it comes to totals. It happens 1 game out of 6 where a team that is behind by the end of the 5th inning goes on to win the total game. The same is true for a 5-inning leader that loses the full game.
Generally speaking, factors that can make a team the absolute favorite are more influential in the final 4 innings of a baseball game. You will see this fact reflected in the properly formulated odds by top oddsmakers, where favorites are set heavily to win the full game compared to the F5 innings. It means you would see a higher return on investment when betting on a full game. But it is not always the case. Handicapping the odds based on the factors that influence the outcome is the key to making successful sports bets, baseball and MLB included. Baseball is one of those sports in which lineup changes, weather, and players’ injuries drastically change the course of the game, especially in the final innings.
So, you must go for F5 innings betting when it gives you an edge in handicapping the game, and keep the following tips in mind while deciding what wager to place.
3 Pro Tips For A Successful F5 Baseball Bet
- Pitchers matter the most. Baseball is a team sport, but starting pitchers are the central factor in any baseball game. For this reason, oddsmakers rely heavily on pitchers’ performance stats to set the lines. So, make sure to go beyond the traditional stats, like wins, losses, or ERA, because you must find and back pitchers who can give their team a better chance at winning than the oddsmakers give them credit for.
- F5 inning odds are less reactive to the news. Mostly, the F5 inning line is less responsive to news than the full game line because bettors are more interested in the full-game odds than the F5 innings. For instance, if the news leaked before the game that the favorite team’s main pitcher is injured or will not play, the full game total drops by a run as bettors pile into the under. This should affect the F5 inning line and shrink it by a half run, but typically, this is not the case. In such scenarios, betting on an F5 inning under can offer a positive EV opportunity.
- Keep an eye out for heavy lineups. We said pitchers are central to the game. So, comparing starting pitchers is very helpful and crucial in successfully handicapping first 5 inning baseball bets. However, analyzing and comparing the batting lineups to see where the heavy hitters lie in each team is an advanced baseball handicapping skill to master. If you can determine which team has stronger hitters for the first three to four slots of the lineup, you will have an edge to successfully pick a winner on the F5 innings Moneyline.
Final Thoughts
Similar to all sports betting types, baseball First Five Innings come with advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you can avoid late-game changes like new pitchers that are hard to predict. It also offers better odds as fewer factors are involved compared to full-game bets. On the downside, there is a possibility of a push, and weather can still dramatically affect the outcome.
Overall, betting on F5 innings can be pretty profitable if you do your homework. Monitor weather and every other factor influencing the outcome and course of the game. Make sure to keep up with the pitchers’ performance stats and master your handicapping skills.
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