posted May 15, 2008 at 14:53 EST in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: Tampa Bay -155, N.Y. Yankees +135; Total 8.5 (Under -115, Over -105)

The New York Yankees (20-21) make an attempt to get back to the .500 mark on Thursday afternoon when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays (23-17), who just had their six-game winning streak snapped, in an AL contest that is set to begin at 4:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field (artificial turf) in St. Petersburg.

Right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-2, 8.71 ERA) is back from the minors to start for the Yankees, while Scott Kazmir (1-1, 2.70 ERA) makes his third start since coming off the disabled list for Tampa Bay.

At BetUS Sportsbook, Tampa Bay is listed as a -155 favorite (New York is +135), with a total of 8.5 runs (the Under is -115, while the Over is -105).

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

* NY has lost five of its last eight games

* NY has played seven of its last eight games UNDER the total

* NY has played seven of its last eight road games UNDER the total

* TB has won six of its last seven games

* TB has played five of its last six games UNDER the total

* TB has won 11 of its last 12 home games

* TB has played ten of its last 11 home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* NY has won five of the last seven meetings

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

* NY has won five of the last seven meetings as the road team

* Five of the last six meetings in St. Pete have gone UNDER the total

You don't hear the word "pitcher's duel" very much these days, but that is what took place last night as the Yankees won a 2-1 decision over the Rays in what amounted to outstanding performances by veteran Mike Mussina and youngster James Shields. It was the second straight 2-1 game these two teams have played, and the seventh time in the last eight meetings that the total has gone "under."

Will we have more offense on Thursday afternoon?

Well, the Yankees are bringing Ian Kennedy back to the rotation. Kennedy, one of a trio of pitchers (Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are the other two) who was supposed to be holding the future of the franchise in their hands, Kennedy was rocked in his last three starts, giving up eleven runs in 12-1/3 innings, before being sent to Scranton at the Triple-A level. He started on game and threw 7-1/3 innings while giving up just one hit, and after one more brief appearance the Yankees decided it was time to get him back to the big club. Are his problems solved? Maybe not. But Kennedy did manage to pitch pretty well against the Rays, in St. Pete no less, on April 14, when he gave up just three runs in six innings. Of course, prior to that, he surrendered six runs in 2-1/3 innings to Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.

Kazmir's last three starts against the Yankees have been outstanding, as he's allowed just two earned runs in a total of 18-2/3 innings (0.97 ERA). After being roughed up a little by the Red Sox in his first start off the DL, Kazmir, the American League's strikeout leader last season, threw six scoreless innings at the Angels last Saturday, striking out six and giving up just three hits in the process. He's in form, and New York is just 4-6 against left-handed starters this season.

A great minor league outing does not necessarily convince us about Kennedy - not just yet. And we have a lot of confidence in Kazmir. In terms of value, perhaps this translates better into an "under," considering the trends between these two teams, and on their own. Let's go UNDER the 8.5 runs at -115 in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 8.5 (-115)

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