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posted April 23, 2008 at 20:14 in MLB Articles

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: San Diego -160, San Francisco +140, Total 7 (over -120, Under - Even)

Two struggling, staggering teams in the National League West will get together on Wednesday night in southern California as the San Francisco Giants (8-13), losers of five of their last seven ballgames, take on the San Diego Padres (9-12), who have dropped six of seven, in an NL game that is scheduled to begin at 10:05 PM ET at Petco Park in San Diego.

Right-handers oppose each other, as San Francisco's Matt Cain (0-2, 6.64 ERA) faces off against San Diego's Greg Maddux (2-1, 4.68 ERA)

At BetUS Sportsbook, San Diego is listed as a -160 favorite (San Francisco is +140) with a total of seven runs (Over is -120, while the Under is even money)

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)

* SF has lost five of its last seven games

* SF has played eight of its last 11 games OVER the total

* SF has lost 19 of its last 25 road games

* SD has lost six of its last seven games

* SD has played five of its last seven games OVER the total

* SD has lost four of its last six home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* SD has won 11 of the last 14 meetings

* Four of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total

* SD has won the last seven meetings as the home team

* Five of the last seven meetings in San Diego have gone UNDER the total

San Francisco was swept in its two-game series by Arizona, losing last night's game 5-4 when Brandon Webb, the opposing pitcher, drove in two runs. That's kind of demoralizing.

Matt Cain has always had a certain degree of problems with his control at the major league level, but this season he is simply not finding the strike zone. Thus far Cain has pitched 20-1/3 innings and walked 15 batters, something that has largely contributed to his 1.77 WHIP ratio. Even though he's thrown 60% strikes, he has had almost as many batters facing 3-0 counts (11%) as 0-2 counts (14%) and that is not good. He frequently loses concentration, and appears to have regressed from his efforts of two years ago, when he had a 13-12 record and was fifth in the rookie of the year voting.

San Francisco's bullpen has just not done the job. Opposing hitters are batting .314 aganst the Giants' relief pitchers. So Cain, who has gone about five innings per start, will leave thing in very unsure hands, in all likelihood.

Cain was just turning eight years old when Greg Maddux won his first Cy Young Award in 1992. And so far this season, although it is still early, he is on pace to register his best WHIP ratio in the last four seasons. But Maddux has a lofty 4.68 ERA, perhaps because half of the 24 hits he's allowed have gone form extra bases, which also accounts for the .468 slugging percentage against him.

Fortunately for Maddux, the Giants have averaged just 2.5 runs a game on the road, with only 23 extra base hits and the lowest slugging percentage in baseball in that role. Maddux has surrendered five earned runs in his last four starts against this opponent, and is enough of a veteran where he should be able to get a seven-inning, nine-run effort against high-scoring Arizona out of his system.

We'll take Maddux, and the Padres, the -160 favorite in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: SAN DIEGO (-160)

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)