Maryland Sports Betting + MD Online Sports Betting

With more and more states getting into the action with sports betting, people in Maryland may be wondering “Where can I get involved with all this sweet sports betting I’ve heard so much about?” And it’s good news and bad news for Maryland sports betting. The state has embraced gambling in casinos, so there are multiple places for bets in person. It looks like they are trending towards legalizing sports betting in the next couple years. The overall outlook for Maryland citizens that are ready for sports betting is very positive. There are, however, some details that need to be sorted out. Here are the five things you need to know about Maryland sports betting and MD online sports betting apps.

1) Is Maryland Sports Betting Legal?

Legal sports betting is not available in Maryland. Voters in Maryland will likely be able to vote in November as to whether or not sports betting will be legal. They passed SB 58, which is the first step to getting legal sports betting. With sports betting not likely before 2021, the bigger question remains if online betting will be included in the bill. The way the bill was written and the timeline created after could be monumental for MD sports betting. As it stands, the bill could leave just enough time for Marylands sports betting to be up and running by the NFL 2021 season.

2) What Bills are Currently Before the State Legislature?

Maryland’s HB225 bill would allow over a dozen online sports betting licenses. They would allow retail sportsbooks at some of the casinos and tracks that are up and running already in Maryland, so the implementation would likely be quick should this bill pass. There has been some pushback from some of the Casinos, as some representatives only want sports betting to be operated through the casinos. DraftKings has lent its voice to being eager to get involved with sports betting in Maryland, and they believe they can offer lower fees to deter citizens from going to offshore books instead.

3) What are the Next Steps for MD Sports Betting?

Sports betting will likely be legal in Maryland within the next two to five years. They recognize that sports betting would be an incredible source of revenue for the state, and with all the different forms of wagering they allow, they will likely offer sports betting soon. Citizens in Maryland may be able to vote on sports betting as early as November 2020. This would include online sports betting as well as retail sportsbooks.

4) What are the Most Popular Teams to Bet on in MD?

With two NFL teams in the state in the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens, football is tops. There is, however, one other professional sports franchise, the Baltimore Orioles in the state. Most of the baseball love goes towards the O’s, but being in such close proximity to the nation’s capitol, there are some Washington Nationals fans as well.

Maryland doesn’t have any NBA or NHL teams, so many people in the state gravitate to the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals as their teams.

The biggest college program to wager on is the Maryland Terrapins — mostly for their successful basketball program of late.

5) Is There Anything Else to Know About Maryland Sports Betting?

Maryland’s Live! Casino is set up to allow sports betting when it becomes legal. Ocean Downs has championship horse racing (with wagering), so it’s likely that they are quick to allow sports betting when it becomes legal. DraftKings, as you’ll see below, is also going to be a big player in Maryland sports betting if/when it becomes le

It is currently not legal to sports bet online. Offshore sites are illegal to gamble on, but they are still offered in Maryland because they are not in Maryland’s jurisdiction. Gambling on horse racing is allowed, as is the lottery. You are allowed to play daily fantasy contests in Maryland.

What are the Most Common Types of Bets I Can Make in Maryland?

Straight bet

This is the most common bet type and it is just a straight up single bet on a game. A point spread is determined by the oddsmakers with one team being favored by a certain amount of points. Let’s take a look at an example line below to give a clear indication of what a straight bet would be:

Boston Celtics -6.5 (-110), moneyline -320

at Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-110), moneyline +260

O/U 206

The Celtics are favored by 6.5 points in this example. This means that if you bet the Cavaliers, you are getting 6.5 points, so if the Cavaliers win the game, or lose by fewer than seven points, you will win the bet because of your 6.5-point cushion. On the other side, when you are laying 6.5 points as the favorite, you would need the Celtics to win by seven or more to win the bet.

Final Score: Celtics 102 Cavaliers 98. Cavaliers would cover even though the Celtics won the game because the +6.5 point spread is enough to cover a four-point defeat.

Moneyline Bet

The moneyline is a bet where there is no spread; you are just picking the winner of the game. In the example above, the Cavaliers ML is +260, which means that for every $100 wagered, you win $260 if the Cavaliers win the game outright. They receive the plus side of the moneyline since they are the underdog and picking them rewards you with nice odds since they are projected to likely lose the game. On the flip side, if you bet the Celtics ML at -320, you have to bet $320 to win $100. They are the favorites so if you decide to bet the moneyline instead of the point spread, you are forced to bet additional money to win $100.

In the example above, the Celtics ML would be the winner as they won the game outright. The spread is irrelevant for a moneyline wager.

Over/Under

This is a straight bet wagering on how many total combined points will be scored in a game by both teams. For example, an NBA game may have an over/under of 210 points, which means that the oddsmakers are projecting a combined points total of 210 between the two teams. If you think the teams are going to score more than 210 points total, you bet the over, and conversely, if you think it’s going to be a defensive struggle, you can bet the under hoping that the total points scored equals 209 points or less.

Parlay

A parlay is a bet where you combine multiple bets into one bet and you get increased odds because you only win your parlay wager if all of your bets win. If you do a three-team parlay, you select three different teams from three different games and if you win all three of the bets you hit your parlay for longshot odds (6-1 so $100 to win $600). Going 0/3, 1/3, or 2/3 is all the same and you lose the parlay bet. It’s all or nothing which makes them tough to hit and is more of a home run type bet than a regular straight bet since there’s a chance for a big payoff.

Maryland Sports Betting FAQs