The Doc Gets the Nod as Jays meet Ponson, Yankees

BetUS MLB betting odds: Toronto -190, N.Y. Yankees +160; Total 8.5

The New York Yankees (67-59) and Toronto Blue Jays (65-61), a couple of teams all of a sudden battling for third place in the American League East, will clash again on Thursday night at the Rogers Centre (artificial turf) in Toronto. The Jays have the hot hand in this contest that is set with a game time at 7:07 PM ET.

Right-handers take the stage, as Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays (7-3, 4.19 ERA) faces Sidney Ponson.

At BetUS sportsbook, Toronto is listed as a -190 favorite (New York is +160), with a total of 8.5 runs (the Under is -115, while the Over is -105).

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

* NY has lost seven of its last 11 games
* NY has played seven of its last nine games UNDER the total
* NY has lost six of its last eight road games
* NY has played five of its last six road games UNDER the total
* TOR has won six of its last eight games
* TOR has lost four of its last five home games
* TOR has played 11 of its last 15 games UNDER the total
* TOR has played 12 of its last 15 home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* TOR has won four of the last six meetings as the home team
* Eight of the last 11 meetings have gone UNDER the total
* Five of the last six meetings in Toronto have gone UNDER the total

On Wednesday night, Andy Pettitte pitched a gem, allowing just a single run in seven innings of work as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays by a 5-1 score. Derek Jeter had a homer to help the cause for the Yankees, who have opened a two-game lead over Toronto for third place in the AL East. Of course, that's not necessarily the race the Yankees want to be in, but they are 5.5 games behind the Red Sox and ten games in back of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sidney Ponson is coming off an encouraging outing, as he held the Kansas City Royals to two runs in 6-1/3 innings five days ago. Ponson began the season with eight overs in his first nine starts. That trend has reversed itself as he has posted four consecutive efforts that have gone under the total. he has yet to face Toronto this season; his last start against the Jays was in July of '06, when he was hit hard for six earned runs in 2-1/3 innings.

Roy Halladay has been on a roll. The Blue Jays' righty, who won the American League Cy Young in 2003, has, in his last nine starts, posted a 1.80 ERA, which includes two complete game shutouts. One of those shutouts was a two-hitter against the Yankees on July 11, in which he struck out eight batters. In each of his last three outings he has given up just a single earned run. Last time out he went the distance again, scattering seven hits to the Red Sox in a 4-1 victory. Halladay has gotten his ERA to 2.64; that is third in the American League. He is also second in WHIP ratio (1.04), third in strikeouts, and is by far the AL leader in innings pitched.

Consequently you're laying a heavy price with him. But look - Halladay has also pitched four straight games under the total. He's sharp, and having the kind of season that has won him awards in the past. Both these teams have strong "under" trends, with Toronto going 11 of 15 that way and the Yankees seven of their last nine. So we don't mind going in that direction - UNDER the 8.5 runs, as it is posted in the BetUS MLB betting odds.