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posted May 27, 2008 at 16:10 in MLB Articles

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: N.Y. Mets -210, Florida +175; Total 8

The New York Mets (23-26), mired in the kind of slump that almost got their manager fired, will try to make the climb back to the .500 mark tonight as they play host to the team with the best record in the National League - the Florida Marlins (30-20) in National League sports betting action that is set to begin at 7:10 PM ET at Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadow.

Southpaws take center stage, as Florida's Andrew Miller (4-3, 5.33 ERA) squares off against Johan Santana (5-3, 3.36 ERA) of the Mets.

At BetUS online sportsbook, New York is listed as a -210 favorite (Florida is +175), with a total of eight runs (-110 each way).

Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this online betting matchup:

* FLA has won six of its last seven games

* FLA has played five of its last seven road games OVER the total

* NY has lost seven of its last eight games

* NY has played four of its last six games OVER the total

* NY has lost four of its last five home games

* NY has played eight of its last 11 home games OVER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* NY has won three of the last four meetings

* Ten of the last 13 meetings have gone OVER the total

* FLA has won nine of the last 12 meetings as the road team

* Five of the last six meetings in New York have gone OVER the total

In the wake of Monday's soap opera-style events around Shea Stadium, Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez said, "New York is burning."

Yes, maybe. But for now, Willie Randolph's job is safe. The Mets' skipper met with management and got a reprieve from firing, though most people think it's only temporary. Is Wally Backman, who spent four days as Arizona's manager some time ago, waiting in the wings? Or will it be Hall of Famer Gary Carter?

Randolph is getting kind of a bad rap; it is not his fault that Pedro Martinez and El Duque Hernandez have not been in the rotation, or that Carlos Delgado hasn't hit the ball. Or that Carlos Beltran got off to such a horrible start. But that's the way things are in the Big Apple.

The ace, Johan Santana, takes the mound tonight. The crafty southpaw has not been at his best in his last two outings, giving up four runs in seven innings against the Yankees on May 17 and then turning around five days later to yield 12 hits and three runs in seven innings against Atlanta. Santana may not be mowing people down, but the Mets have won six of his last seven starts.

Andrew Miller, a key component of the deal that sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera from Florida to Detroit, has been riddling opponents. Miller has posted a 0.95 ERA in his last three starts, giving up only 12 hits in 19 innings with 22 strikeouts and five walks. Is this pattern for real or will Miller sooner or later revert to being the undependable young southpaw who was rocked for 16 runs in his first 13 innings?

One of those rough outings was in the first series of the season against these Mets, who reached him for the first five runs in their 13-0 victory. Miller wants to make up for that gaffe. We like his chances, especially at the price. We'll go with the league-leading Marlins, the +175 underdog in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: FLORIDA (+175)

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)