posted May 8, 2008 at 17:20 in MLB Articles
MLB Baseball Betting - Baltimore at Kansas City
BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Baltimore -115, Kansas City -105; Total 8.5 (-110 each way)
The Baltimore Orioles (16-18) have been struggling after a nice start. They look to get themselves back on the right track on Thursday night when they travel to Kauffman Stadium to play the Kansas City Royals (14-18) in American League action that is set to begin at 8:10 PM ET.
Right-handers will oppose each other, as Daniel Cabrera (2-1, 4.26 ERA) of Baltimore, coming off a number of solid outings, goes up against Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.86 ERA) of the Royals, who has given up three runs over his last two starts.
At BetUS Sportsbook, Baltimore is listed as a -115 favorite (Kansas City is -105), with a total of 8.5 runs (both the Over and Under are -110).
Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* BALT has lost its last five games
* BALT has lost nine of its last 11 games
* BALT has played six of its last eight games UNDER the total
* BALT has lost seven of its last eight road games
* BALT has played 10 of its last 14 road games UNDER the total
* KC has lost 12 of its last 18 games
* KC has played five of its last six games UNDER the total
* KC has lost nine of its last 13 home games
* KC has played five of its last seven home games UNDER the total
In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:
* BALT has won the last nine meetings
* BALT has won the last five meetings as the road team
* Seven of the last nine meetings have gone UNDER the total
* BALT has won the last five meetings as the road team
* The last five meetings in Kansas City have gone UNDER the total
This game matches the two least productive offensive teams in the major leagues - Kansas City is averaging just 3.6 runs per game, while the Orioles have tallied just four runs per contest. The Orioles are hitting .246 and the Royals have hit only 18 home runs as a team, five more than Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Daniel Cabrera has gotten progressively better for the Orioles. Since his first pair of starts, where he gave up six runs in four innings to Tampa Bay and four runs in six innings against Seattle, he has come on strong in his last four starts, posting a 2.57 ERA. The O's have won five of Cabrera's six starts and the last five have gone under the total.
Cabrera's last five outings against Kansas City have been more than respectable, as he's also chalked up a 2.57 ERA there, with only one start that was truly disappointing - two years ago, when he walked seven KC batters in four innings.
Luke Hochevar, who had a 2.13 ERA in four games with Kansas City last season, is another pitcher who got off to a rocky start. His first effort against Oakland on April 20 was a disaster, as he was banged around for six earned runs and 12 base runners in 4-2/3 innings. But in his last two, both wins, he's yielded just nine hits and three runs against the Blue Jays and Indians.
It looks like two pitchers who are on the upswing and two teams that have been less than productive offensively. Add that to the trends as you can see them above, which all point to a low-scoring contest, and we're moving UNDER the 8.5 runs as it is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 8.5 (-110)
Go to the BetUS sportsbook today and take a swing at Major League Baseball online betting. We have the most current baseball odds and lines, as well as player, game and series props throughout the MLB baseball season. To help you bet on sports, check out the Free Picks section of the Locker Room for sports betting free picks and predictions. Join BetUS to experience the best in online sports betting action!
(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com touches all the bases as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
