Posted on 4/2/2008 4:31:38 PM

MLB Baseball Betting Picks - Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians

By Charles Jay

BetUS MLB betting odds: Cleveland -155, Chicago +135, Total 9 (Under -125, Over +105)

The Chicago White Sox (0-1) will go after their first win of the season on Wednesday night when they lock horns with the Cleveland Indians (1-0) on the grass of Progressive Field in Cleveland in an American League game that starts at 7:05 PM ET.

It's a game where right-handed pitchers will face each other, with Javier Vasquez getting the call for the White Sox, with Fausto Carmona taking the hill for the Indians.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Cleveland is listed as a -155 favorite, with a total of nine runs (Under is -125, Over is +105).

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

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

* CHI has won four of its last six games

* CHI has lost 17 of its last 23 road games

* CLEV has won seven of its last eight home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* CLEV has won six of the last eight meetings

* CLEV has won 11 of the last 16 meetings as the home team

* The last three meetings have gone OVER the total

It was a nice comeback for Javier Vasquez last year, as he was just outstanding for the Sox, giving up twenty less hits than innings pitched, posting a 1.14 WHIP ratio and a 15-8 won-loss record. He is a power pitcher who has had an up-and-down career. Sox fans certainly hope last season represented a turnaround for him, but not everyone is so sure about that.

His opponent, Fausto Carmona, has had one great big league season, but it was REALLY great. Moved from the bullpen, where he was 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA in 2006, Carmona absolutely exploded as a starter, posting a 19-8 record, 3.06 ERA and 1.2 WHIP ratio. he arguably had a better season that teammate C.C. Sabathia, who walked away with the Cy Young Award. Was he a one-year wonder? Scouts seem to suggest he isn't.

Carmona made three starts against the White Sox last year, and actually surrendered 11 earned runs in 10-1/3 innings in the first two. On September 10 he came back strong to limit the Pale Hose to three hits and one earned run in seven full, picking up a 6-2 victory. Vasquez was pretty steady in three appearances against Cleveland, with six earned runs yielded in 17-2/3 innings.

We don't trust Vasquez, however, and would like to see more of him to convince us that he has turned things around. Carmona might approach his 2007 success, and if that's the case he's a bargain here. We'll go with Cleveland and lay the -155 price in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: CLEVELAND

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