If you love MLB betting but don't want to slog through nine innings, First Five Innings Betting, often referred to as F5 betting, is for you.
F5 betting is the best way to help you hone in on the start of games, handicapping just the starting pitching matchups to get your money in before a crummy bullpen blows a lead.
Below is all the First Five betting data from the 2025 season, including ML records and best/worst F5 starting pitchers.
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F5 Moneyline Records
| Team | Overall | Home | Away | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewers | 79-51-32 (+$1694.87) | 43-24-14 (+$789.99) | 36-27-18 (+$904.88) | 3-6-1 (-$322.42) |
| Cubs | 83-52-27 (+$1101.93) | 48-19-14 (+$1230.59) | 35-33-13 (-$128.66) | 4-4-2 (-$149.13) |
| Yankees | 91-50-21 (+$1036.18) | 46-21-14 (+$750.08) | 45-29-7 (+$286.1) | 7-2-1 (+$134.58) |
| Rangers | 79-60-23 (+$591.28) | 40-24-17 (+$642.87) | 39-36-6 (-$51.59) | 3-4-3 (-$98.57) |
| White Sox | 59-71-32 (+$472.65) | 33-27-21 (+$1213.5) | 26-44-11 (-$740.85) | 5-5 (+$86.15) |
| Diamondbacks | 79-64-19 (+$272.07) | 46-26-9 (+$733.54) | 33-38-10 (-$461.47) | 1-7-2 (-$590.0) |
| Tigers | 78-58-26 (+$162.18) | 42-26-13 (+$261.04) | 36-32-13 (-$98.86) | 4-5-1 (-$131.89) |
| Athletics | 65-69-28 (-$17.23) | 28-39-14 (-$1179.92) | 37-30-14 (+$1162.69) | 4-5-1 (-$131.12) |
| Phillies | 78-54-30 (-$326.08) | 48-20-13 (+$1031.57) | 30-34-17 (-$1357.65) | 5-3-2 (+$36.95) |
| Pirates | 59-61-42 (-$528.08) | 36-28-17 (+$440.03) | 23-33-25 (-$968.11) | 5-3-2 (+$206.84) |
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Teams like the Tigers and Yankees (good before their bad bullpen kicks in) tend to sit near the top of the First Five moneyline rankings, often rewarding bettors with quick starts and strong early pitching. Meanwhile, clubs like the Rockies have struggled to build early leads due to poor starting pitching, landing closer to the bottom of the pack. Some teams show strong home/road splits. For example, the Cubs typically perform better early at home, while others falter regardless of venue. The F5 market is a great way to isolate starter performance and avoid late-game bullpen swings.
MLB Betting Reports
F5 OVER/UNDER Records
| Team | Overall | Home | Away | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamondbacks | 87-67-8 (56.5%) | 40-37-4 (51.9%) | 47-30-4 (61.0%) | 6-4 (60.0%) |
| Giants | 83-69-10 (54.6%) | 43-34-4 (55.8%) | 40-35-6 (53.3%) | 7-3 (70.0%) |
| Padres | 83-69-10 (54.6%) | 44-34-3 (56.4%) | 39-35-7 (52.7%) | 7-3 (70.0%) |
| Mariners | 82-69-11 (54.3%) | 42-35-4 (54.5%) | 40-34-7 (54.1%) | 5-4-1 (55.6%) |
| Yankees | 83-71-8 (53.9%) | 36-39-6 (48.0%) | 47-32-2 (59.5%) | 5-5 (50.0%) |
| Rockies | 82-74-6 (52.6%) | 47-32-2 (59.5%) | 35-42-4 (45.5%) | 6-4 (60.0%) |
| Twins | 80-73-8 (52.3%) | 43-32-5 (57.3%) | 37-41-3 (47.4%) | 2-8 (20.0%) |
| Red Sox | 79-72-11 (52.3%) | 36-42-3 (46.2%) | 43-30-8 (58.9%) | 3-5-2 (37.5%) |
| Cubs | 79-72-11 (52.3%) | 38-36-7 (51.4%) | 41-36-4 (53.2%) | 4-5-1 (44.4%) |
| Tigers | 80-73-9 (52.3%) | 42-34-5 (55.3%) | 38-39-4 (49.4%) | 3-5-2 (37.5%) |
The Dodgers, Cubs, and Diamondbacks are usually among the best F5 OVER teams, driven by aggressive top-order bats and less stingy starting pitching. On the flip side, teams like the Royals, Guardians, and Reds tend to cash more F5 UNDERs, often relying on pitching and slower offensive starts. Some clubs show major splits between home and away totals, adding another edge for savvy bettors. If you're trying to anticipate the game's early pace, this is a key market worth watching.
Most Profitable F5 Pitchers
| Team | Profit | Five Inning Record |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Leiter | +$794.36 | 17-9-3 (65.4%) |
| Merrill Kelly | +$701.21 | 18-7-7 (72.0%) |
| Carlos Rodon | +$698.07 | 24-8-1 (75.0%) |
| Jason Alexander | +$669.75 | 9-3-1 (75.0%) |
| Jose Soriano | +$669.17 | 15-10-6 (60.0%) |
| Michael McGreevy | +$651.62 | 11-4-1 (73.3%) |
| Cade Horton | +$632.03 | 13-4-5 (76.5%) |
| Drew Rasmussen | +$626.95 | 19-8-4 (70.4%) |
| Clayton Kershaw | +$566.23 | 15-5-2 (75.0%) |
| Luis Gil | +$546.62 | 9-1-1 (90.0%) |
Least Profitable F5 Pitchers
| Team | Profit | Five Inning Record |
|---|---|---|
| Andre Pallante | -$1500.35 | 7-22-2 (24.1%) |
| Dustin May | -$1095.12 | 7-15-1 (31.8%) |
| Erick Fedde | -$1008.85 | 3-13-8 (18.8%) |
| Spencer Strider | -$951.06 | 7-14-2 (33.3%) |
| Zack Littell | -$906.64 | 8-17-7 (32.0%) |
| Bryce Elder | -$774.94 | 8-16-4 (33.3%) |
| Dylan Cease | -$769.49 | 13-16-3 (44.8%) |
| Antonio Senzatela | -$738.04 | 6-15-2 (28.6%) |
| MacKenzie Gore | -$731.49 | 8-15-7 (34.8%) |
| Framber Valdez | -$722.84 | 12-16-3 (42.9%) |
Pitchers like Andrew Abbott, Robbie Ray, and Kyle Hendricks consistently deliver value in the F5 market, often giving their teams early leads and limiting damage. On the other hand, arms like Erick Fedde and Dustin May have struggled to cover the first five, becoming risky bets despite their reputations. First-five profitability isn’t just about talent. It’s also about matchups, consistency, and who can lock in right away. Tracking which starters thrive or flounder early can offer a strong edge for bettors looking to get in and out before the bullpens show up.
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How First Five Innings Betting Works
It’s quite simple — you’re basically just making a bet on what the result will be at the end of five innings as opposed to the full-game outcome. Just like regular full-game betting, there’s a moneyline and total option, along with a runline, which is usually 0.5 runs instead of the regular full-game 1.5 runs.
The value of an F5 moneyline bet generally isn’t as good as the full-game odds because there’s less risk involved, but this can vary from game to game.
Why Bet First Five Innings Instead Of Full Game?
There are many different strategies when employing either betting option, but the decision often comes down to the starting pitching matchup and/or quality of the bullpens. If a team has a significant edge in the starting pitching matchup, a bettor might opt to bet the first five. If a team has a quality starter on the mound, but the bullpen can’t be trusted, this is another opportunity to consider a first five innings bet.
How These Tables Work
The data in these tables is based solely on results from the first five innings and profits are based on $100 bets. The moneyline profits are in the brackets beside each record. Keep in mind every single game needs to be analyzed differently. Just because a team has been a strong moneyline or OVER bet throughout the season doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worthy of a bet each day. Many factors should be considered when placing a bet and this data can be a great weapon to have in your betting tool belt.
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