Posted on 5/9/2008 2:56:14 PM

MLB Baseball Wagering – Warm Indians Host Even Warmer Blue Jays

By Eric Williams

Despite losing to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 in a Thursday online betting matchup, the Toronto Blue Jays, (17-18, 10-23-2 O/U) have used some spectacular starting pitching to win six of their last eight sports betting games in the BetUS Sportsbook.

The Cleveland Indians, (16-17, 14-19 O/U) enter tonight’s contest coming off a 6-3 loss to the New York Yankees that I correctly predicted in the BetUS Locker Room yesterday, failing to complete a sweep of New York after taking the series’ first two games.

Tonight, the Indians will look to pick up just their fifth win in 11 games by handing the ball to 2007 AL Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia, (1-5, 7.51) who has looked nothing like the overpowering pitcher he was just one season ago when he won a AL-best, 19 games. Sabathia picked up another demoralizing loss in his last outing, allowing four runs in the seventh inning in Cleveland’s 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

"I feel a lot better than I did in the first couple of games," said Sabathia. "I needed to shut the door."

The Blue Jays will counter with their own staff ace in former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, (3-4, 3.00 ERA who is coming off a solid performance in his last outing as he limited the Chicago White Sox to three runs, (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings while leading the Blue Jays to a 4-3 victory on Sunday.

Halladay already has four complete games this season while no other major leaguer has more than one, not to mention the fact that he has 30 complete games going back over the last five seasons, more than 20 big league teams have managed to compile over the same period.

"It's never easy to take him out," manager John Gibbons told the team's official Web site. "But you've got to do what you think is right."

The Indians are scoring just 2.8 runs per game over their last 10 games.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my MLB Betting Picks.

The Blue Jays are 6-1 in Halladay’s last seven Friday starts.

The Blue Jays are 50-15 in Halladay’s last 65 starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Indians are 17-8 in Sabathia’s last 25 starts during game one of a series.

The Indians are 2-6 in Sabathia’s last eight starts as a favorite of -110 to -150.

The Under is 5-0 in Halladay’s last five starts overall.

The Over is 6-1 in Sabathia’s last seven starts during game one of a series.

The Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

The Blue Jays are 5-1 in Halladay’s last six starts vs. Indians.

Analysis: Let me see, the Blue Jays are playing better baseball right now than the Indians and have the better starter going tonight and the more productive offense, Yup, sounds like a Blue Jays win to me. Take Toronto in a close contest as Sabathia could unfurl a masterpiece in his matchup against Roy Halladay.

MLB Free Picks: Blue Jays 4 Indians 3

07:05 PM EST MLB Odds

Toronto Blue Jays

Roy Halladay - R +1½ -210

Cleveland Indians

C.C. Sabathia - L -1½ +175

Over 7½ -120

Under 7½ EV

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