Posted on 4/8/2008 12:42:44 PM

MLB Baseball Betting - Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets

By D.S Williamson

It’s the final opening day in the history of New York Mets’ baseball at Shea Stadium. Yes, the stadium that has hosted the Mets since 1969 will not longer be their home. Next year the Mets move into Citi Field currently under construction in the Shea Stadium parking lot. BetUS sportsbook believes this is a good thing as it was in Shea Stadium where the Phillies swept the Mets last year to start one of the biggest collapses in the history of baseball. With seventeen games left the Mets were up by 7 games over the Phillies. We all know what happened next - - the Mets ended up losing the division outright to Philadelphia.

It’s too early for us to tell if that might happen again, but this game does provide some drama. The Mets start Oliver Perez who was pretty good in his first outing of the year giving up 5 hits and striking out 8 batters. In that game Perez faced the Florida Marlins. The Mets took no prisoners by racking up 13 runs.

The Phillies counter Perez with 45 year old Jamie Moyer. Moyer was horrendous in his first start of the year giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. Moyer finished that game with a 7.36 ERA.

Let’s take a look at the BetUS lines.

Philadelphia Phillies

Jamie Moyer – L + 1 ½ - 155 + 135 O 9 ½

New York Mets

Oliver Perez – L - 1 ½ + 135 - 155 U 9 ½

Perez was sensational against the Marlins last week, but Philadelphia provides a whole host of issues for Perez. Philadelphia has a strong line-up and I seriously doubt that Perez will be able to blank the Phillies the way he did the Marlins.

Still, we have to like Perez’s chances as he faces an old pro with somewhat of a dead arm in Jamie Moyer. Moyer didn’t look good at all when he faced the Washington Nationals in his first start of the year. Moyer only lasted 3.2 innings in that one. That’s not good since there is no doubt that the Mets bring some heavy bats into this game.

Carlos Beltran, the Mets’ clean-up hitter, has already gone on record as saying that the Mets are the team to beat in the N.L. East. It’s time for the Mets to come up big and I think they will against Jamie Moyer who probably should hang up his glove soon.

The best wager in this game is giving up the 1 ½ runs to Jamie Moyer and the Phillies and taking Oliver Perez and the Mets. I expect Perez to get plenty of run support in the Mets’ home-opener.

The BetUS MLB Betting line is Oliver Perez – 1 ½ + 135 at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

I will give up the 1 ½ runs because I just don’t think Jamie Moyer has what it takes anymore. The Mets should make a statement in this game.

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