Posted on 4/18/2008 2:06:59 PM

MLB Baseball Betting - Mets, Phillies Set For Series

By BetUS Staff

The mid-April series between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies was expected to be a battle for top spot in the National League East division, but anyone who had been doing some MLB betting lately knows that those two teams have been up-and-down so far (and trailing the surprising Florida Marlins in the race for first place).

However, Friday night’s series opener will still be one to watch, as the Mets will send lefthander Johan Santana to the mound for a duel with Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels.

Santana has been good so far in his first season in New York, but with a 1-2 record in three starts he’s been far from great. The Mets’ ace won his first start of the season against the Marlins, giving up just two earned runs on three hits over seven innings of work. In his next start, however, he was a hard-luck loser; Santana surrendered just a single earned run on seven hits over his seven innings pitched against Atlanta that day.

And last time out, versus the Brewers, the lefthander was tagged for four earned runs on six hits in 6 2-3 innings pitched to pick up his second loss. Overall Santana sports a 3.05 ERA over his 20 2-3 innings in 2008, and he’s fanned 18 batters and walked four.

Hamels, on the other hand, is coming off a stellar outing against the Cubs, in which he tossed seven scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. That moved the lefthander’s record to 2-1 on the season, and he’s allowed just two earned runs over his 22 innings of work in 2008. Hamels’ ERA stands at a miniscule 0.82, and he’s struck out 15 hitters.

Saturday’s Game 2 will see the Phillies send lefthander Jamie Moyer to the mound to take on Mets lefthander Oliver Perez. Moyer is 1-0 over three starts this season, with an ERA of 5.52; he gave up four earned runs in five innings versus the Cubs last time out. Perez is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA through three outings; he had a no-decision versus the Phillies earlier this season, but he just surrendered six earned runs versus the Brewers.

Sunday’s matchup will feature the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey taking on the Phillies’ Adam Eaton. Righthander Pelfrey beat the Phillies back on April 9, and he’s 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his two starts in 2008. Righty Eaton has given up three earned runs in each of his three outings this year (including on April 10 against New York), and he’s still at 0-0.

The first pitch for Friday night’s big Santana/Hamels matchup is set for 7:05pm ET. Saturday’s game will get underway at 3:55pm ET, while Sunday’s contest will begin at 8:05pm ET. Check the BetUS MLB betting lines section for all the latest odds for this weekend.

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!