Posted on 4/10/2008 7:01:59 PM

NBA Basketball Betting Charlotte at Toronto

By Charles Jay

BetUS MLB betting odds: N.Y. Yankees -220, Tampa Bay +180, Total 9.5 (-110 each way)

The new-look Tampa Bay Rays (1-1) take a trip to the Bronx on Friday night, as they take on the New York Yankees (2-1) in American League action that will start at 7:05 PM ET at Yankee Stadium.

Andy Sonnastine will get the start for the rays, while Ian Kennedy makes his first start of the season for the Yankees

At BetUS Sportsbook, New York is listed as a -220 favorite (Tampa Bay is +180), with a total of 9.5 runs (you will lay -110 either way).

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

(NOTE: These trends also revert back to the 2007 season)

* TB has lost five of its last seven games

* TB has lost six of its last eight road games

* NY has won 10 of its last 14home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* NY has won six of the last nine meetings

* Fourteen of the last 20 meetings have gone OVER the total

* NY has won nine of the last 13 meetings as the home team

* Nine of the last 12 meetings in New York have gone OVER the total

Tampa Bay got postponed yesterday at Baltimore, so Andy Sonnanstine was held over as the starting pitcher. Sonnanstine had a very good spring, pitching in both a starting and relief role. His WHIP was under the 1.00 mark, which obviously was outstanding, and Rays' brass hopes he can make some progress this year from last, when he was called up perhaps before he was ready. Sonnanstine was 6-10 with a 5.86 ERA in 2007, and before that was mowing down hitters at Triple A Durham.

Ian Kennedy is one of a trio of outstanding young pitchers the Yankees hope will help cement their future - the other two being Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Kennedy was very impressive in three starts for the Brox Bombers last season, compiling a 1.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP ratio, giving up just 13 hits in 19 innings before experiencing back problems. Drafted in the first round two years ago, he is a huge prospect, and had a good spring, (2.00 ERA in 18 innings).

There is no question we are fond of Kennedy, but not enough, as it were, to lay this kind of number. Sonnanstine has a chance to become a great complement to Tampa Bay's top three starters (Scott Kazmir, James Shields and Matt Garza) and so we'll continue to try and cash in on some value with the Rays, grabbing the +180 price at BetUS Sportsbook.

JAY'S PLAY: TAMPA BAY

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com touches all the bases as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)