Illinois baseball betting fans now have the convenience of legally placing bets on their favorite MLB team using mobile apps. With both the Cubs and White Sox based in Chicago, the state is poised to experience a thriving baseball betting market.

Discover how to place bets on MLB games online in Illinois, with up-to-date MLB betting odds provided by authorized IL online sportsbooks.

Today’s MLB odds at Illinois online sportsbooks

Please refer to the feed below for real-time MLB game lines and World Series odds from Illinois online sportsbooks. You can also explore additional MLB futures odds such as Division and Pennant winners, Cy Young, Win Totals, and more by using the drop-down menu. Click on any odds to visit the online sportsbook, redeem your bonus, and place your MLB bets.

Types of MLB bets

You can bet on a wide range of MLB events, from the season’s overall results to individual plays. One popular way to bet on the outcome of a single game is through the run line.

Run line betting

If you have prior experience betting on the spread of a football game, then you’ll understand the concept of a run line bet in baseball. In essence, you’re wagering on the margin of victory between the winning and losing teams in the final score of a game. The betting market for a run line bet at a sportsbook will be presented in a similar format.

Cubs +1.5 -110

White Sox -1.5 -110

In this scenario, the Chicago Cubs are the underdog playing on the road, while the White Sox are the favored team playing at home. If you believe that the White Sox will win by a margin of at least two runs, you would place a bet on the White Sox at -110 odds. If the White Sox win the game by two runs or more, you would be successful in your wager.

If you believe the White Sox won’t win by two or more runs, consider betting on the Cubs at -110. In this scenario, your bet would win if the Cubs win by any margin or if the White Sox win by just one run.

Moneyline betting

In a moneyline wager, you are simply betting on the team you believe will win the game. The number of runs scored by each team and the total number of runs in the game do not matter. The betting market will be presented in this format:

Cubs +220

White Sox -200

The sportsbook’s confidence in its prediction increases with the magnitude of the difference between the numbers. For instance, in this case, the sportsbook is very confident that the White Sox will defeat the Cubs.

Inning bets

Betting on innings involves placing prop bets on the outcomes of individual innings in a game, with sportsbooks offering a wide range of markets. One popular option is a moneyline bet on which team will score more runs in a specific inning.

To win 1st inning
Cubs +150
Neither team -110
White Sox -170

There are also alternative ways to place bets on inning outcomes, such as predicting the total number of runs scored by one or both teams in the inning, or wagering on whether a team that is leading at the start of the inning will maintain their lead going into the next inning.

Alternate run lines

If you find the run line on the odds for a game to be either too cautious or too generous, don’t worry – you have other options. Many sportsbooks provide alternate run lines for you to consider.

There are numerous options available in these markets, with potential payouts varying based on the likelihood of the winning team defeating the losing team by a specific margin. The more risk you take, the higher your potential reward. If you believe that one team will win by four or five runs in a particular game, there are additional opportunities to profit with alternate run line bets.

Totals

If you’re not concerned about the outcome of a single game or the margin of victory, then totals betting may be the right market for you. In this type of wager, you are betting on the accuracy of the sportsbook’s prediction of the total number of runs that both teams will score.

Over 7.5 -118

Under 7.5 -104

The line includes a “hook” at 0.5 to avoid a “push” outcome in the wager. In this scenario, the bet is not on whether the Cubs or White Sox will score less or more than 7.5 runs individually.

You are placing a bet on whether both teams will score less than or more than six runs total in the game. If you choose the over and the final score is 5-3, you win. Similarly, if you pick the under and the final score is 4-3, you also win. MLB game totals are typically odd numbers since ties are not possible in the league.

First Five

Due to the recent trend of starting pitchers having shorter outings and the rising dominance of relievers, there is a growing interest in betting markets related to these developments. One popular wager is the first five bet, which disregards anything that occurs in a game after the fifth inning.

In the fifth inning, you will discover distinct moneyline, run line, and total markets specifically for that point in the game. For example, in a hypothetical Cubs-White Sox matchup, if you placed a bet on the White Sox moneyline and they were ahead at the end of the fifth inning, your bet would be considered a win by the sportsbook.

MLB series bets

In MLB, the majority of regular-season games are played in series that typically consist of two, three, or four games. These series help reduce travel and enable teams to organize their player rotations. Bettors can place wagers on which team they believe will win the series, or if the series consists of an even number of games, they can bet on whether the teams will split the series.

This serves as a great introduction to the countless prop bets available for MLB in Illinois.

MLB prop bets at legal sportsbooks in IL

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) allows its licensed operators to take prop bets on a wide range of MLB events with minimal restrictions. The only limit is the discretion of the sportsbook in determining which bets to offer.

You might come across yes/no betting markets for a player’s performance in a game, such as predicting if Yoán Moncada will hit a home run. Similarly, there could be a market on whether a team will score in a specific inning.

Prop bets often overlap with in-game or live betting, as a single market can encompass both categories at the same time.

MLB live betting

Betting on live events during a game, such as individual pitches, can fluctuate rapidly. This type of wagering is known as in-game betting and offers real-time opportunities for bettors.

Result of next pitch	J. Báez at bat L. Giolito pitching	3-1 count 2 outs top 4th
Called strike -200	Swinging strike +400	Foul ball +150
Ball -110	In play +120	Hit by pitch +900

Since these events can happen in an instant, you must stay alert and proactive. It’s important to understand the unique characteristics of each player, such as their pace of play. For instance, some pitchers may pitch faster than others.

Certain gamblers favor this type of betting due to its swift outcome. Rather than waiting for hours for a game to conclude, you can receive your payout instantly upon winning.

There are also markets for the other end of this spectrum.

MLB futures

Futures markets are bets placed on events that will occur months in the future. In MLB, the most common futures wager is predicting the team that will win the World Series each year. These bets are usually the first ones available for an upcoming MLB season, with sportsbooks releasing these odds shortly after the conclusion of the previous World Series.

The MLB futures market offers a wide variety of options on which you can wager, including betting on events for an entire season such as:

• The total number of wins for each team in a season.
• The probability of a team making it to the playoffs.
• Who will come out on top in a particular division?
• Which team will emerge victorious in the American League and National League pennant races?
• Which players will win the Cy Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year awards in both leagues?

When a player is close to reaching a notable statistical milestone, certain sportsbooks may create betting markets for whether and when the player will reach that achievement. For instance, if Justin Verlander successfully recovers from Tommy John surgery, he may have a chance at reaching 300 career wins. It will ultimately depend on each individual sportsbook whether they choose to offer bets on Verlander potentially reaching this milestone.

Rules for betting baseball online

Although the Illinois Gaming Board imposes numerous regulations, sportsbooks are able to establish their own house rules on various issues. These rules primarily dictate how the sportsbook will handle uncommon situations.

For instance, if a game is rained out, how will DraftKings Sportsbook IL handle a moneyline bet placed on that game? The resolution will vary based on the timing and rescheduling of the game.

If a game is canceled or postponed before it starts, or if the result is not announced within 12 hours of the scheduled start time, any bets placed on that game will be canceled.

If DraftKings were to return your wager in that scenario, most books would also require games to last at least five innings in order to pay out wagers based on the full game results. Even if a team loses a key player to injury after you’ve placed a futures bet on them winning games or a division title, sportsbooks typically will not cancel your wager. This is all part of the risk involved when making such bets.

You can find these house rules at all IL sportsbooks for your review. Make sure to understand them before placing your bet, as they may differ slightly from one operator to another. Do not make assumptions.

MLB season schedule

The MLB season typically spans from early February to late October, encompassing spring training, a 162-game regular season, a postseason tournament, and culminating in the World Series.

Many books offer betting options for spring training games, but the MLB betting lines can vary significantly from those seen in the regular season. This is due to the fact that teams use spring training to try out different lineups and pitching rotations.

The regular season for MLB typically kicks off at the end of March or beginning of April and wraps up in the first few days of October, with the playoffs starting shortly after.

How MLB’s postseason works

Typically, the top team from each of the six MLB divisions, along with the two teams with the best regular-season records in each league, earn a spot in the postseason. It is possible for three teams from the same division to advance to the playoffs. The postseason is divided into separate brackets for the American League and National League until the World Series.

The two non-division winners in each league compete in a single-elimination game called the AL or NL wild card. The victor of this game advances to the AL or NL divisional series, which consists of best-of-five games. The wild card winner in each league faces the division champion with the highest regular-season winning percentage.

The two other division winners face off, with the higher-seeded teams hosting the games. MLB does not rearrange the brackets after each round. The winners of these series in each league advance to a best-of-seven games championship series. The victors are awarded league pennants and go on to compete in the World Series, which is also a best-of-seven game series.

As the temperature rises, offenses become more productive, and sportsbooks also see increased success as the season progresses. The more data a sportsbook has on a team, the more precise their handicapping models become. While winning bets on MLB late in the season is still possible, it is important to do thorough research in order to consistently come out on top.

Chicago MLB teams

Chicago Cubs

• Stadium: Wrigley Field
• World Series Champions: 1907, 1908, 2016
• 2020 Record: 34-26
• Cap Anson holds the record for the position player with the highest career WAR, which is 84.7.
• Fergie Jenkins has the highest career WAR among pitchers, with a score of 54.9, setting a record.

Please verify the current odds for the Chicago Cubs today.

Chicago White Sox

• Stadium: Guaranteed Rate Field
• World Series Champions: 1906, 1917, 2005.
• 2020 Record: 35-25
• Luke Appling holds the highest career WAR among position players, with a score of 77.1.
• Ted Lyons has the highest career WAR among pitchers, with a record of 70.4.

Please check the current odds for the Chicago White Sox today.

How to watch Cubs and White Sox games live

If you subscribe to cable, live streaming TV, or satellite services, you can watch most Cubs games on their network, Marquee Sports. The network’s website has a regularly updated list of the channel number for your specific provider.

If you are busy and need to watch games on the Marquee Sports app, simply log in on your phone or tablet using your provider credentials. This will give you access to live streaming of games, subject to your provider’s rights to Marquee content.

If you’re a White Sox fan, NBC Sports Chicago is the network you need to watch. They frequently update their channel finder and offer live streaming of games through the NBC Sports app using your provider login.

If you are in Illinois and unable to watch live games, you can watch full Cubs and White Sox games online with an MLB.TV subscription 30 minutes after they have ended. Additionally, ESPN, Fox Sports, FS1/2, MLB Network, and TBS will broadcast some live games throughout the season.

MLB betting tips for beginners

As you gain experience, you will become more familiar with how to watch games and improve as a bettor through practice. Here are some tips you can start implementing right away:

• Knowing the Umpires: In Major League Baseball, the individual styles of home plate umpires can impact betting outcomes. Understanding the unique tendencies of each umpire is crucial when placing wagers on MLB games. For example, does the strike zone change throughout the game with a particular umpire? Do they have a preference for calling strikes at the bottom of the zone compared to other umpires? Until the introduction of an electronic strike zone, these factors can greatly affect the results of your bets.
• Parlays can be very risky. While there are stories of people winning big from small bets on multi-leg parlays, the reality is that the odds are often better when buying a lottery ticket with the same amount of money. However, not all parlays are bad bets. To assess the risk and potential reward of a parlay, it’s important to calculate the probability of winning and compare it to the potential payout of individual bets on each leg. As you add more legs to a parlay, the risk increases significantly because all legs must win for the bet to be successful. If even one leg is incorrect, the entire bet is lost.
• Weather conditions are more important than just predicting rain for outdoor stadiums. Game-time temperature and stadium orientation can greatly impact gameplay. For example, shadows may make it difficult for batters to see the ball, affecting their performance.