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.
F5 Moneyline Records
| Team | Overall | Home | Away | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubs | 18-7-4 (+$826.37) | 10-4-2 (+$325.04) | 8-3-2 (+$501.33) | 5-3-2 (+$93.94) |
| Brewers | 16-8-5 (+$698.33) | 8-3-2 (+$343.02) | 8-5-3 (+$355.31) | 5-2-3 (+$281.87) |
| Tigers | 18-9-2 (+$587.84) | 12-2-2 (+$649.3) | 6-7 (-$61.46) | 8-1-1 (+$510.37) |
| Yankees | 16-8-5 (+$498.31) | 9-3-3 (+$417.73) | 7-5-2 (+$80.58) | 6-2-2 (+$313.91) |
| Reds | 15-10-4 (+$404.18) | 7-5-1 (+$38.51) | 8-5-3 (+$365.67) | 6-2-2 (+$443.76) |
| Red Sox | 15-9-6 (+$220.64) | 8-3-3 (+$186.57) | 7-6-3 (+$34.07) | 7-2-1 (+$199.61) |
| Twins | 14-9-6 (+$209.89) | 10-3-2 (+$451.6) | 4-6-4 (-$241.71) | 6-2-2 (+$259.84) |
| Rangers | 13-10-6 (+$167.09) | 7-3-4 (+$263.74) | 6-7-2 (-$96.65) | 3-4-3 (-$127.26) |
| Mets | 15-10-4 (+$44.2) | 9-2-2 (+$414.18) | 6-8-2 (-$369.98) | 7-1-2 (+$405.95) |
| Nationals | 13-14-2 (+$29.4) | 10-5-1 (+$671.82) | 3-9-1 (-$642.42) | 5-5 (-$15.84) |
F5 OVER/UNDER Records
| Team | Overall | Home | Away | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orioles | 17-10-1 (63.0%) | 9-3 (75.0%) | 8-7-1 (53.3%) | 4-6 (40.0%) |
| Yankees | 17-10-2 (63.0%) | 8-5-2 (61.5%) | 9-5 (64.3%) | 4-6 (40.0%) |
| Dodgers | 18-11 (62.1%) | 9-7 (56.2%) | 9-4 (69.2%) | 7-3 (70.0%) |
| Marlins | 16-11-1 (59.3%) | 8-7-1 (53.3%) | 8-4 (66.7%) | 8-2 (80.0%) |
| Diamondbacks | 16-11-1 (59.3%) | 9-7 (56.2%) | 7-4-1 (63.6%) | 6-4 (60.0%) |
| Mariners | 14-10-4 (58.3%) | 7-8-1 (46.7%) | 7-2-3 (77.8%) | 7-0-3 (100.0%) |
| Cubs | 15-11-3 (57.7%) | 10-4-2 (71.4%) | 5-7-1 (41.7%) | 4-6 (40.0%) |
| Reds | 16-12-1 (57.1%) | 6-6-1 (50.0%) | 10-6 (62.5%) | 7-3 (70.0%) |
| Red Sox | 16-12-2 (57.1%) | 7-6-1 (53.8%) | 9-6-1 (60.0%) | 8-1-1 (88.9%) |
| Guardians | 15-12-1 (55.6%) | 8-4-1 (66.7%) | 7-8 (46.7%) | 7-3 (70.0%) |
Most Profitable F5 Pitchers
| Team | Profit | Five Inning Record |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Quintana | +$409.88 | 4-0 (100.0%) |
| Robbie Ray | +$395.47 | 4-0-2 (100.0%) |
| Jake Irvin | +$346.15 | 4-1-1 (80.0%) |
| Casey Mize | +$311.67 | 4-1 (80.0%) |
| Tyler Mahle | +$300.0 | 3-0-3 (100.0%) |
| Andrew Heaney | +$287.74 | 4-1 (80.0%) |
| Brandon Pfaadt | +$281.24 | 5-1 (83.3%) |
| Sonny Gray | +$273.48 | 4-1-1 (80.0%) |
| Brady Singer | +$251.04 | 4-1 (80.0%) |
| Ben Brown | +$249.58 | 4-1 (80.0%) |
Least Profitable F5 Pitchers
| Team | Profit | Five Inning Record |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Nola | -$500.0 | 0-5-1 (0.0%) |
| Charlie Morton | -$500.0 | 0-5 (0.0%) |
| Zack Littell | -$423.08 | 1-5 (16.7%) |
| Zac Gallen | -$385.0 | 1-5 (16.7%) |
| Connor Gillispie | -$345.0 | 1-5 (16.7%) |
| Hayden Wesneski | -$341.18 | 1-4 (20.0%) |
| Corbin Burnes | -$325.93 | 1-4 (20.0%) |
| Ryan Feltner | -$300.0 | 0-3-3 (0.0%) |
| Yusei Kikuchi | -$300.0 | 0-3-3 (0.0%) |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | -$300.0 | 0-3 (0.0%) |
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 course of 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.
