Posted on 4/28/2008 1:55:15 PM

MLB Baseball Betting - N.Y. Yankees at Cleveland

By Charles Jay

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Pick'em (-110 each way), Total 9 (Over -120, Under - Even)

The New York Yankees (13-13) and Cleveland Indians (12-13) close out their four-game series on Monday night at Progressive Field (natural turf), as the Yankees try to even things up at two games apiece. Scheduled game time is 7:05 PM ET.

Right-hander Mike Mussina (2-3, 4.94 ERA) gets the start for the Yankees, while southpaw Aaron Laffey makes his season debut for the Indians.

At BetUS Sportsbook, the game is a pick'em (-110 either way), with a total of nine runs (Over is -120, Under is even money).

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

(NOTE: These trends may also revert back to the 2007 season)

* NY has lost three of its last four games

* NY has played 14 of its last 23 games UNDER the total

* NY has played five of its last eight road games UNDER the total

* CLEV has won five of its last six games

* CLEV has played six of its last nine games UNDER the total

* CLEV has lost six of its last ten home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* CLEV has won five of the last seven meetings

* CLEV has won four of the last five meeting as the home team

* Four of the last six meetings in Cleveland have gone UNDER the total

These teams had an interesting matchup between aces Wang and Sabathia on Sunday, with the Yankees emerging with a 1-0 victory. Tonight they face another left-hander, albeit one with considerably less experience.

Did you know that there's someone in the major leagues who is one of only 23 pitchers EVER to have more than 220 wins and maintain a record that is at least 100 games over .500; a guy who's been an All-Star five times, a Gold Glove winner six times, has 14 post-season wins and has been in the top five in ERA and the top five in wins six times apiece, not to mention the top six of the Cy Young voting on EIGHT different occasions? He is also one of just 50 pitchers in the history of baseball with 1000 innings and 100 decisions with a 63% win rate.

Yet it's surprising how little talk there is about him as a future Hall of Famer, even though that 220 wins/100 wins over .500 club is one where all the other members are either enshrined or virtually guaranteed to be.

Of course, we're talking about Mike Mussina, Monday night's starter for the Yankees, who is a 252-game winner in his career, despite not winning 20 in a season, who will probably wind up in Cooperstown, and who hasn't done a lot to damage his legacy this year, with a 1.2 WHIP ratio and four walks in 27 innings. Mussina took some hard knocks from Boston in the last couple of weeks (nine runs in 8-2/3 innings) but rebounding pretty well against the White Sox on Wednesday, pitching five-hit ball over seven innings.

We'll resist the temptation to call him "Laffey the Lety," but we will say that Aaron Laffey has had very limited activity. Last year with Cleveland he was 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA in just 49-1/3 innings. he's got pretty decent control and doesn't let a lot of guys hit the ball in the air (64.5% ground ball outs last year).

Despite getting just four hits yesterday, the Yankees are still batting .284 against left-handed starters. Johnny Damon has done his best to ignite things in the New York lineup, hitting .400 over his last seven games. Maybe it starts to happen here for his team, which has scored only eight runs in the last three.

We don't feel all that comfortable backing a youngster who is making his first start this season. We feel a little better in the pick'em situation in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds with Mussina and the Yankees.

JAY'S PLAY: N.Y. YANKEES (-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)