Posted on
5/1/2008 2:08:32 PM
MLB Baseball Betting - Toronto at Boston
By Charles Jay
BetUS MLB baseball online betting odds: Boston -120, Toronto - Even; Total 9 (Over -120, Under - Even)
The Toronto Blue Jays (11-17) will try to avoid the three-game sweep when they take the field against the Boston Red Sox (17-12) in an American League game that is set to begin at 7:05 PM ET on Thursday night at Fenway Park (natural turf) in Boston.
Right-handers take the mound in this Thursday matchup, as A.J. Burnett (2-1, 5.65 ERA) gets the start for the Blue Jays, while the Red Sox will counter with knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield (2-0, 4.07 ERA).
At BetUS Sportsbook, Boston is listed as a -120 favorite (Toronto is even money), with a total of nine 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 matchup:
(NOTE: These trends may also revert back to the 2007 season)
* TOR has lost eight of its last nine games
* TOR has played six of its last seven games UNDER the total
* TOR has lost seven of its last eight road games
* TOR has played six of its last seven road games UNDER the total
* BOS has won 12 of its last 18 games
* BOS has lost five of its last seven games
* BOS has played its last five games UNDER the total
* BOS has won nine of its last 11 home games
In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:
* TOR has won seven of the last nine meetings
* BOS has won four of the last five meetings as the home team
* Four of the last six meetings in Boston have gone UNDER the total
* SEA has won three of the last four meetings
* CLEV has won three of the last four meetings as the home team
* Four of the last five meetings in Cleveland have gone OVER the total
With wins in the last two games with Toronto, Boston has now edged ahead of Baltimore and Tampa Bay into first place in the American League East. The Red Sox are a pretty solid 13-9 as a favorite, and have won 11 of their 15 home games.
A.J. Burnett has not exactly been anything to write home about, but he hasn't let his team get destroyed either. Against Detroit on April 20, however, he didn't seem able to find the plate, allowing six bases on balls, but got through five innings yielding three runs and Toronto came away with the 5-3 win. Burnett has pitched well against the Sox over the last couple of seasons; in his last three starts against Boston he has a 1.82 ERA, and a 1.01 WHIP ratio.
Tim Wakefield is obviously the kind of pitcher who can continually cross up opposing hitters, because he offers the ultimate change of pace - the knuckle ball. Wakefield is walking more people than usual (17 in 31 innings) but he has allowed more than three runs in only one start this season. And in five outings against the jays dating back to the beginning of last season, he has a 4.06 ERA against them.
Neither team is having a lot of success scoring runs - the Red Sox have tallied four runs in their last four games while Toronto has just 22 runs in its last nine contests. They are both on "under" streaks, naturally, with Boston playing five in a row under the total and Toronto nine of its last eleven.
I think you know which way we are going. It's UNDER the nine runs as that total is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 9 (Even)
(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com touches all the bases as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
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