Posted on 5/16/2008 3:40:22 PM

MLB Baseball Betting - Milwaukee at Boston

By Charles Jay

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Boston -260, Milwaukee +220; Total 9.5

The Milwaukee Brewers (20-21), losers of two games in a row, are a team in search of consistency. On Friday night they will tackle another team that could be playing better, the Boston Red Sox (24-19), who have lost four consecutive outings, in an interleague online betting encounter that is scheduled to get underway at 7:05 PM ET at Fenway Park (natural turf) in Boston.

Right-handers take the hill, as Jeff Suppan (2-2, 4.63 ERA) of the Brewers meets up with undefeated Daisuke Matsuzaka (6-0, 2.45 ERA) of the Red Sox.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Boston is listed as a -260 favorite (Milwaukee is +220), with a total of 9.5 runs (Over is -115, Under is -105).

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

* MIL has lost nine of its last 13 games

* MIL has played seven of its last ten games UNDER the total

* MIL has lost its last six road games

* MIL has played five of its last seven road games UNDER the total

* BOS has lost its last four games

* BOS has played four of its last six games OVER the total

* BOS has won five of its last six home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD online baseball betting trends:

* BOS has won two of the last three meetings

* The last three meetings have gone OVER the total

The Red Sox needed a day off to gather themselves. Boston was beaten the last two of a four-game series against Minnesota, then was swept in a two-game mini-series against the Orioles. Now sitting at 24-19, one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the win column but two behind in the loss column, they are back at Fenway, where they have won five of their last six.

Jeff Suppan opposes them on Friday night. Suppan, who began his career with the Sox as a 20 year-old in 1995, hasn't faced them since 2005. But this season he is struggling like most of Milwaukee's pitching staff. Well, most of the time, anyway. Three times this season Suppan has pitched one-run ball over seven innings. It's just that each of the first two times he's done it, he's been bombed the next time out. His last start against St. Louis, on May 11, resulted in another seven-inning, one-run effort, and Milwaukee came away with a 5-3 win.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been out to the mound eight times, and each time the Red Sox have come away with a win. Only one time has he allowed more than three runs, and on six occasions he's yielded two runs or less. That's a level of consistency that is nearly spectacular. the only knock on Dice-K is that he has a tendency to walk too many batters; in the opener in Japan against Oakland he walked five in five innings, then on April 13 it was six in five innings versus the Yankees, and at Detroit on May 5 he issued eight bases on balls in five innings. However, he continually finds a way to pitch himself out of it. It also should be mentioned that he's allowed just 28 hits in 47-2/3 innings.

Considering Dice-K's stinginess, this total is generous. Remember also that four of Suppan's last five starts have gone under the total. We'll move UNDER the 9.5 runs, as it is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 9.5 (-105)

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)