posted April 18, 2008 at 14:35 in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Arizona -165, San Diego +145, Total 9 (Under -115, Over -105)

The San Diego Padres (8-8) take to the road on Friday to begin a three-game set with the NL West division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks (11-4) in a Friday night game that will begin at 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field (natural turf) in Phoenix.

That is, if the Padres are still awake.

Greg Maddux (2-0, 2.00 ERA), the future Hall of Fame right-hander, is scheduled to go for the Padres, while the D-Backs counter with another right-hander, Danny Haren (2-0, 2.50 ERA).

At BetUS Sportsbook, Arizona is listed as a -165 favorite (San Diego is +145), with a total of nine runs (Under is -115, Over is -105).

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

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

* SD has played three of its last four games UNDER the total

* ARIZ is 7-2 as a favorite

* ARIZ has won 10 of its last 12 games

* ARIZ has played five of its last six games OVER the total

* ARIZ has won five of its last six home games

* ARIZ has played five of its last six home games OVER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* SD has won five of the last eight meetings

* The last four meetings have gone OVER the total

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

* ARIZ has won six of the last eight meetings as the home team

* Five of the last seven meetings in Phoenix have gone OVER the total

The Padres played a marathon last night, to say the least. They had to go 22 innings and lost a 2-1 gut-wrencher to the Colorado Rockies, having to use seven pitchers in the process. Chris Young was supposed to get the Friday night start, but he was scratched. Instead San Diego will go with a guy ticketed for Cooperstown.

Greg Maddux will get the "wake-up" call tonight, and he's someone who has kept the Padres in games. The 42-year-old four-time Cy Young winner has been just outstanding in his last couple of starts, giving up just five hits in 12 innings. In his last two outings against this particular opponent, he has allowed just three earned runs and didn't walk anybody in 13-1/3 innings.

San Diego is not going to give him much help. The Padres have scored two runs or less in six of their last eight games, and that's not going to get it done, regardless of who is on the mound. Add to that the fact that they are traveling after such a long game, and they're in trouble against Danny Haren, the new acquisition from Oakland who has made a seamless transition to the National League, with three consecutive starts of six innings apiece in which he's given up just five earned runs.

Is it true that when you snooze, you lose? We think so. And so we'll lay the price of -165 with the D-Backs against the weary Padres in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ARIZONA (-165)

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