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posted June 10, 2008 at 16:06 in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB Betting Odds: N.Y. Mets -145, Arizona +125; Total 8

The New York Mets (30-32) will try to snap a four-game losing streak when they play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks (34-30) in a National League game that is set to begin at 7:10 PM ET on Tuesday night at Shea Stadium (natural turf) in Flushing Meadow.

John Maine (6-4, 3.47 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets, while fellow right-hander Micah Owings (6-4, 4.63 ERA) gets the assignment for the D-Backs.

At BetUS online sportsbook, New York is listed as a -145 favorite (Arizona is +125), with a total of eight runs (the Over is -120, while the Under is even money).

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

* ARIZ has lost five of its last seven games

* ARIZ has played seven of its last nine games UNDER the total

* ARIZ has lost 13 of its last 17 road games

* ARIZ has played five of its last seven road games UNDER the total

* NY has lost four of its last five games

* NY has won five of its last six home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* NY has won 18 of the last 23 meetings

* Seven of the last nine meetings have gone UNDER the total

* The last five meetings in New York have gone UNDER the total

Arizona, which looked like it was going to run away with the National League West pennant, has hit some road blocks. The D-Backs have lost 10 of their last 14 games, and it is only the general ineptitude of the Los Angeles Dodgers that keeps Arizona three and a half games ahead of L.A. in the division. Last night was another disappointment, as Pittsburgh turned back Randy Johnson by a 5-3 count.

The Mets had started to play a little better after Willie Randolph survived a front office meeting with his job still intact, but New York has started a nosedive again. The Mets have now lost four in a row, and last night's offensive output of six runs (in losing 8-6 to San Diego) was the first time in those four games that they scored more than a single run. This is not the kind offense GM Omar Minaya shelled out over a hundred million dollars for.

John Maine has been one of the pitchers who has come through for the team, having gone the whole season without allowing more than four runs in any one start, and going a seven-start stretch at one point where he allowed no more than two runs. Last time out he gave up a single run in six innings against the Giants in San Francisco.

The D-Backs have lost six of Micah Owings' last eight starts. And he's given up ten runs in 9-1/3 innings over his last two outings. On June 4 (last Wednesday) he didn't even get to the fourth inning as the Brewers routed Arizona, 10-1.

One of the things that has killed Arizona this season is that it can't score runs on the road. The Diamondbacks have averaged just four runs per game away from home, which is 12th in the league. This is a factor for us, as is the fact that the Mets are not hitting either, as evidenced by three straight 2-1 losses prior to Sunday's game.

Let's go with UNDER eight runs at even money as it is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 8 (Even)

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com touches all the bases as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)