Up to MLB Betting Trends

posted May 16, 2008 at 12:45 in MLB Betting Trends

This weekend we'll get to wager our sports betting coins on the Battle of the Beltway, Lone Star Shootout, Subway Series and Battle of Ohio among other MLB interleague games, featuring homegrown rivals taking a swing at intra-city or intra-state bragging rights and paydays for the online baseball wagering crowd.

Interleague play is MLB's equivalent to Capital Hill's Left-Right political encounters, and regardless of your stance on it, interleague play is here to stay. Baseball ''purists'' like interleague play about as much as Mexicans like Rep. John McCain's hard-nosed views on tightening the border, but for us online sports betting faithful it delivers exciting online betting action, anyway you shake it.

By the way, who exactly are these baseball ''purists'' people? Who ever they are, or however they may roll, I'd bet my entire hefty $14.80 online sportsbook account balance on: Baseball ''purists'' wouldn't bitch about spending money won on an MLB interleague betting event. Who said there's no such thing as a lock in the online sports wagering industry?

These backyard no-holds-barred grudge matches are minutely important to divisional standings but are vital to your bankroll, and online MLB betting fans need to remember: American League teams playing at National League venues are essentially giving away the minimum of three outs (ABs) per game with AL hurlers taking their hacks. In saying, giving away three outs is being generous to AL supporters, because it's more likely to happen four or five times in a game.

Interleague games are played by the hosting teams' rules, and in NL ballparks there's no DH and pitchers from the AL must attempt to hit. AL hurlers stepping to the plate has the same chances of getting a hit as does the Democratic Party has of Sen. Hillary Clinton dropping out of the left-wing race this weekend, which is very little.

When betting on a three-game series, National League investors will have received more than a three inning (9+ outs) advantage thanks to much better hitting-pitchers when it's all said and done. That information may seem as important as tits on a boar hog, but it could very well be the difference in winning money or losing it.

The matchup I like most among the 14 interleague series slatted for this weekend is the Battle of Ohio between the Cleveland Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds. You didn't expect a Buckeye to look at the ''Starbucks Series'' featuring the San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners did you?

I'm backing the Reds to win the three-game series and to win Game 3 as they welcome the Indians to Great American Ball Park, which you already know is a NL site, giving us an advantage right out of the box and slight value on Cincinnati.

Since interleague play was born in 1997, the Indians are 102-91 (.528) and the Reds have a record of 78-79 (.433). Last season, neither club played over .500 interleague ball. Cleveland was 9-9 and Cincinnati was 7-11.

Last season in head-to-head action, the Indians and Reds split six games with each club winning two of three at its home field. They also split their six meetings in 2006. Cleveland leads the all-time series, 29-22.

The Indians are 5-1 in their last six roadies and enter this series relying on its pitching. Cleveland visits the banks of the Ohio River coming off an impressive 6-1 home stand in which it allowed runs in just four of 64 innings. The starters went 6-0 with a 0.16 ERA and haven’t allowed an earned run in 50 1-3 innings.

The Reds are 4-0 in their last four homies and 4-1 in their last five overall. They will be counting on its hitting that's recently came alive. Cincinnati’s offense is 11th in the NL in runs and last in its division, but they plated 20 runs against NL East-leading Florida and swept them in three games in a scheduled four-game tilt, after the finale was rained out on Thursday.

In Friday's series opener (7:10pm EST), the Indians hand the ball to left-hander Jeremy Sowers (0-0, 5.06 ERA), who was 0-2 with a 9.60 ERA, and allowed 12 runs in 10 innings in two starts against Cincinnati last season. Sowers has made just one start in 2008, surrendering three runs in 5 1-3 innings of work as the Indians beat the Yankees 4-3 on April 26.

The Reds send rookie right-hander Johnny Cueto (2-4, 5.91) to the mound in hopes of a team's fourth straight win. Cueto was lights out in his first two career starts but has struggled in his last four trips to the bump. He’s 1-3 with a 9.31 ERA during that stretch, and gave up six runs over 4 2-3 innings in his last start, an 8-3 loss to New York on Sunday.

In Game 1, BetUS MLB odds are giving Cincinnati the slight edge priced at -120 with a game total of 9½ -110. But, oddsmakers are giving respect to Cleveland to win the series at -130, pricing the Reds at +105.

In the middle game of the series on Saturday (3:55pm EST), Cleveland will call on right-hander Fausto Carmona, who's 4-1 with a swift 2.40 ERA on the season. This will be his first start against the Reds but he's faced them twice in his career as a reliever, pitching just two innings that included two hits, a walk and a strike out.

The Reds will counter with right-hander Aaron Harang, who's 2-5 with a respectable 3.32 ERA this season. Over his career he's been good against Cleveland with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.38 in seven starts.

The finale on Sunday (1:15pm EST) features a marquee pitching matchup: Indians' left-hander Cliff Lee, 6-0 and leading the majors with an 0.67 ERA against Reds' right-hander Edinson Volquez, 6-1 and leading the NL with a 1.12 ERA.

Analysis: I expect these two to split the first two, making for a rubber match on Sunday between to good pitchers. I'm using the ''due'' factor in this one. Lee has been untouchable for Cleveland, as his number indicate, but it's as simple as this, he's due to lose. If the series is indeed to be decided by the finale's sparking pitching matchup, and you're following my lead with the Reds, you have to like the fact Lee will be opposed by the best counterpart he's faced all season in the likes of Volquez. This game sets up nicely for Lee to get his first loss, sealing the deal in a Cincinnati series win.

Free MLB Free Picks: Cincinnati Reds in Game 3 on Sunday and to win the series priced at +105 as a weekend double-play

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