posted May 1, 2008 at 18:23 EST in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Pick'em (-110 each way); Total 9 (Under -120, Over - Even)

There's a battle for first-place in the American League West on tap for Thursday, as the current front-runners, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (18-11) look to put a little more distance between themselves and the Oakland Athletics (17-12), over whom they have a one-game lead, in a matchup that is set to get underway Thursday at 10:05 PM ET at Angel Stadium (natural turf) in Anaheim.

Justin Duchscherer (1-1, 2.70 ERA) will take the hill for the A's, while Nick Adenhart will make his first major league start for the Angels, in what is a battle between right-handers.

At BetUS Sportsbook, the game is listed as a pick'em (-110 each way), with a total of nine 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)

* OAK has won eight of its last 12 games

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

* OAK has played seven of its last nine road games UNDER the total

* LA has won six of its last eight games

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

* LA has won five of its last seven home games

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

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* LA has won seven of the last ten meetings

* Seven of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total

* LA has won five of the last seven meetings as the home team

* Four of the last five meetings in Anaheim have gone UNDER the total

Are they Los Angeles, or are they Anaheim? That's the age-old question. Hey - if you're an Angels fan, don't complain - if you check back into your history, they could have wound up in Long Beach. Whatever they are, they are in first place in the AL's West division, an indication that Mike Scioscia's "small ball" still works a little.

On Thursday night, "small ball" takes on "moneyball" again, as the A's, who scored 14 runs in the first of this four-game set, then came back to tally just one run in the last two games combined, try to even things up - both in this series and the standings.

Justin Duchscherer has had unfortunate injury problems. Last year it was a hip injury that slowed him down, then ultimately sidelined him for surgery. This year, as he was getting his indoctrination into the starting rotation, it was a biceps injury that sidelined him for three weeks. That was tough luck for him and the A's, but he came back with a nice outing against Seattle five days ago, which was very encouraging. In two starts, he has given up ten hits and three runs in ten innings, walking just two.

The latter statistic is especially noteworthy, as it indicates the problems that threw him off course last year did not affect his control. He has a great history against this opponent, compiling a 5-0 record with a 1.21 ERA against the Angels, though only one of those games was in a starting role. He has gone the last 19 innings without allowing a run to Los Angeles/Anaheim.

Adenhart was just called up from the Triple-A level. He won all four decisions at Salt Lake City with a microscopic 0.87 ERA. he gave up 15 walks in 31 innings, though, and that could spell trouble, since major league hitters don't let you get out of jams that easily. Four years ago he had reconstructive surgery on his elbow, and has had only three days of rest since throwing almost a hundred pitches on Sunday.

That’s a lot of work, and considering Duchscherer’s record against the Angels, we're going the A's, at the pick'em price of -110 in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: OAKLAND (-110)

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