What football -- soccer, that is, in U.S. terms -- means to European sport lovers, baseball means to Americans.

America's favorite pastime is a family thing and the highly popular recreational enjoyment. It is also one of the best sports from a punter's point of view as it offers possibility to win serious money.

Betting on baseball is huge in the North American continent and there are a couple of aspects every bettor thinking about diving in this lucrative betting world should know before plunging in and If you apply all these strategies on any new betting sites you'd be in for a huge win.

Baseball is a Moneyline Sport

Winning money betting on baseball is quite different to betting on football -- all right, soccer but quite beautiful in its own merit. Unlike the NBA, another hugely popular sport in the USA, baseball is a low-scoring game. At the same time, it's a moneyline sport. It's quite different to other sports -- NBA and NFL -- where bets are made of point spreads.

Being a moneyline sport, baseball is a sport that allows you to pick an underdog and profit from it. Unlike other sports, where backing a favorite at reasonably valuable odds will most likely bring you a win, in baseball you are more likely to profit from a +150 offer against a favorite since a split at 2-2 in example will bring you profit.

Public Opinion is Not Your Friend

The historical data offer huge backing to the fact betting on underdogs is baseball can be highly profitable. A contrarian idea might be difficult to understand for football -- soccer again -- punters who are well aware underdog surprises are not chronic occurrences.

With baseball, it was confirmed through a study presenting the numbers from 2003 to 2011 that biggest profits were made on underdog betting when a side holds a 30% public interest. What people tend to back is not necessarily a right choice that wins you money. Home baseball teams tend to be hugely undervalued when betting against the public opinion and here lies the best chance of making great money.

Numbers Are Your Allies

Contrary to the public belief, numbers and stats are your friends. Baseball is a stats-supported sport, arguably more than any other sport for that matter.

Doing your homework and conducting a statistical research can increase your chances of winning significantly. Simply go through head-to-head records and check how teams do against one another historically, make sure to check the on the road form and how playing conditions could affect your team's performance.

All of the data combined can provide a meaningful insight into betting on baseball thus boosting your chances of landing a win.

Winning Percentage Means Little in Baseball

It's once again quite a different story with baseball than any other sport when it comes to the winning percentage. In basketball betting -- for example -- you need to win at least 52.4% of your total bets to be in the green.

Such is the scenario with all point spread bets where you need to go above the half in order to break even and start making money. In a clear contrast, lower winning percentages can still yield great profit in baseball providing you consistently bet moneyline underdogs.

Rates below 43% can still go up to +30 units during a year's betting thanks to the plus-money payouts on underdogs.