posted July 11, 2008 at 18:48 in MLB Articles

The Cincinnati Reds (44-49 as of Thursday) look to go into the All-Star break with a head of steam starting Saturday when they tackle the Milwaukee Brewers (51-41 as of Thursday) in a National League Central division clash that is set to begin at 7:05 PM ET on Saturday at Miller Park (natural turf) in Milwaukee.

Rookie right-hander Edinson Volquez (11-2, 2.40 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds, while fellow righty Seth McClung (4-3, 4.41 ERA) is the starter for the Brewers.

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

* CIN has won five of its last seven games
* MIL has won five of its last seven games
* MIL has won 11 of its last 14 home games
* Seven of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total
* Four of the last five meetings at Milwaukee have gone UNDER the total

Milwaukee, a team with a small payroll, has nonetheless shown itself to be a tough customer, both last year, when it was in playoff contention, and in 2008, where the Brewers find themselves very much alive in the race for a division title and a wild card berth as the All-Star break approaches. In fact, Edinson Volquez came to Cincinnati from Texas in the trade that sent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers. Talk about a trade that helped both teams! This one may, when all is said and done, have produced the American League MVP and the National League Cy Young winner. Volquez is having that kind of season. The youngster started the season like another Roger Clemens, going his first seven starts without having given up more than one run. At that point he had compiled an ERA of 1.17. Volquez has not been able to keep up that pace, but he has helped bring numbers to the win column for the Reds, who may be five games under the .500 mark overall but are 13-5 when Volquez takes the hill.

However, Volquez has slipped a bit. He has now gone six straight starts allowing two runs or more. I know that sounds like a joke, compared to other pitchers, but in his last three outings he has a 6.32 ERA. And he's only had six strikeouts in his last 16 innings.

Seth McClung has made eight starts and has been roughed up twice - by Atlanta in his second start of the year and by Minnesota on June 27. His control sometimes gets the best of him, and a prime example of that was his last start, when he gave up five walks to the Rockies in 4-2/3 innings of work. That helped Colorado win a 4-3 decision. Eight of his nine starts have gone under the total.

As a favorite within the division, the Brew Crew is 16-4. And since Volquez doesn't look unhittable at this moment, we can see the home team walking away with a victory here. We'll go with Milwaukee in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: MILWAUKEE

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)