Posted on 4/24/2008 4:11:01 PM

MLB Baseball Betting – Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals

By Eric Williams

There is a good news and bad news scenario in the online baseball betting action tonight. The good news for the Kansas City Royals, (9-11, 6-14 O/U) is that they avoided their sixth consecutive loss on Wednesday. The bad news is … they could pick up two losses tonight as Wednesday’s game was rained out and the clubs will play a twin bill tonight with this matchup against the Cleveland Indians, (8-12, 11-9 O/U) being the second game of the evening.

The Indians will turn to surprising starter Cliff Lee, (3-0, 0.40) the major league leader with his microscopic ERA.

Lee has allowed just eight hits and one earned run all season in the BetUS Sportsbook, walking only two batters in 22 2/3 innings.

"Definitely the best start to a season I've ever had. It's still early, though," Lee said. "We still got a long ways to go, but I'm going to go out and try to continue to pitch the way I have."

Lee limited the Minnesota Twins to just two hits in eight powerful innings of Cleveland’s 4-0 win on Friday.

"He's been about as consistent as you can ask a starting pitcher to be his last three starts," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "Tonight he was no different. He's just doing a really good job with his fastball. Before he controlled it. Now he's commanding it."

The Royals, will counter with their own talented right-hander, youngster, Brian Bannister (3-1, 2.42) who picked up his first loss of the season in his last start, allowing five runs on nine hits in five innings as the Royals lost to the Oakland A’s 3-2 last Friday.

"I could tell in the first inning that it wasn't going to be one of my electric nights where I felt really sharp, so I battled through it," Bannister said who beat the Indians twice last season.

Lee is 4-3 with a 7.28 ERA against the Royals in his last nine starts.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my analysis and MLB Betting Free Picks:

The Indians are 5-1 in Lees last 6 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.

The Indians are 11-3 in Lees last 14 Thursday starts.

The Royals are 10-1 in Bannister’s last 11 starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Royals are 11-2 in Bannister’s last 13 starts vs. American League Central.

The Over is 14-2-1 in Lees last 17 Thursday starts.

The Under is 9-1-1 in Bannister’s last 11 home starts.

The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

The Indians are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Kansas City.

The Over is 5-1-1 in Lees last 7 starts vs. Royals.

Analysis: I really like the Royals’ Brian Bannister and think he’s going to be a solid major league pitcher for years to come, (just like his dad, Floyd Bannister). However, the Indians are the correct pick here as they have the better batting order and starting pitcher in the scorching hot Cliff Lee. Take the Indians to win though I don’t think it’s going to be a cakewalk.

MLB Free Picks: Indians 5 Royals 2

09:10 PM EST MLB Odds

CLE Indians Game#2

Cliff Lee - L -1½ +130

KC Royals Game#2

Brian Bannister - R +1½ -150

Over 8 -120

Under 8 EV

American League

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