posted May 5, 2008 at 16:17 in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: L.A. Angels -150, Kansas City +130; Total 9.5 (Under -120, Over - Even)

The Los Angeles Angels (20-13) are involved in a very tight online betting race in the AL West, and on Monday night they will try to improve their position against the young Kansas City Royals (14-16), who are in last place in the AL Central but are not far off the lead. This game is set to begin at 8:10 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium (natural turf) in Kansas City.

Right-handers oppose each other, as the Angels' Ervin Santana (5-0, 2.48 ERA) squares off against Brett Tomko (1-3, 6.40 ERA) of the Royals.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Los Angeles is listed as a -150 favorite (Kansas City is +130), with a total of 9.5 runs (the Under is -120, while the Over is even money).

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

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

* LA has won eight of its last 12 games

* LA has played four of its last six games UNDER the total

* LA has won seven of its last nine road games

* LA has played seven of its last 11 road games OVER the total

* KC has won five of its last eight games

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

* KC has lost seven of its last ten home games

* KC has played 15 of its last 18 home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* KC has won six of the last seven meetings

* Six of the last seven meetings have gone UNDER the total

* Sixteen of the last 20 meetings have gone UNDER the total

* LA has won six of the last eight meetings as the road team

* Seven of the last eight meetings in Kansas City have gone UNDER the total

Kansas City began its season very hot, winning three straight over the Tigers and six of its first eight games overall. However, the Royals went into a slump later on, losing seven consecutive games at one point, and have come back a little recently. Despite their record, they are just 2-1/2 games out of first place, as Minnesota, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit are all tightly bunched ahead of them.

Brett Tomko has not pitched well lately. The Kansas City starter, who represents one of the few veteran people on this staff, is not setting a good example, being lit up for 16 earned runs in his last three outings. And that's in less than 15 innings. In six of those innings, he's allowed two runs or more.

By contrast, Ervin Santana has been a model of consistency. Every one of his starts has gone at least six innings and he has not allowed more than three runs in any of them. Opponents are hitting just .207 against him.

Kansas City's offense is struggling, as the Royals have scored just 3.62 runs per game. And we don't want to pre-suppose that Tomko is going to stop the Angels. But we simply cannot ignore the cluster of trends that point us toward consideration of this total. Both teams are moving in that direction, Kansas City has played 15 unders in its last 18 at Kauffman Stadium, and sixteen of the last 20 between these teams has also gone under.

Let's see if we can't cash in on those percentages, and move UNDER the 9.5 runs as that figure is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 9.5 (-120)

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