posted June 13, 2008 at 17:41 EST in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB Betting Odds: Arizona -140, Kansas City +120; Total 9

The floundering Kansas City Royals (26-41) will try to take some of the momentum from a rare victory when they take the field against the Arizona Diamondbacks (36-31) in an interleague sports betting contest that is scheduled to begin at 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field in Phoenix (natural turf).

Right-hander Zach Greinke (5-4, 3.77 ERA) is the starter for Kansas City, while southpaw Doug Davis (2-3, 4.88 ERA) gets the start for the D-Backs.

At BetUS online sportsbook, Arizona is listed as a -140 baseball wagering favorite (Kansas City is +120), with a total of nine runs (the Over is -115, while the Under is -105).

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

* KC has lost 19 of its last 24 games

* KC has played four of its last six games OVER the total

* KC has lost 13 of its last 15 road games

* ARIZ has lost 15 of its last 23 games

* ARIZ has lost four of its last six home games

* ARIZ has played six of its last nine home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* ARIZ has won three of the last five meetings

* The last four meetings have gone OVER the total

At the start of the season, it looked as if Kansas City might be on the verge of making some progress. They swept the Detroit Tigers, who many expected to be the front-runner in the division, in three straight games in the opening series, and later took three more consecutive games to build a 6-2 record. Since then it's mostly been downhill.

The Royals have lost 19 of their last 24 games, though they did get a homer from Alex Gordon last night to help them score a 6-5 win over Texas. And on Friday they have their ace going to the mound. Zach Greinke has been solid for most of the season, though it must be said that he looks to be in a slump after scorching the earth in the early going. In his first six starts, he had a sizzling 1.47 ERA. And indeed, the Royals won seven of his first nine outings. But they have lost the last four times he's been to the mound, and for good reason. Greinke has surrendered 21 earned runs in his last 24 innings, including a six-inning, eight-run effort against the White Sox nine days ago.

Greinke last faced the D-Backs in 2005, and it was disastrous, as he gave up a whopping 15 hits and 11 runs in just 4-1/3 innings in what turned out to be a wild 12-11 Arizona victory. That result, admittedly, carries little relevance now.

Arizona is not running away with the National League West like a lot of people though they might after a hot start, though they still hold a 4.5-game lead over the Dodgers. They have lost 15 of their last 23, though last night they beat the Mets and Johan Santana to capture two out of three in New York. Tonight's pitcher, Doug Davis, has obviously been an inspirational story as he is recovering after surgery for thyroid cancer. David has been hot and cold since coming back to the rotation, putting forth two very strong efforts and two very weak efforts. In his last outing, he gave up five runs and allowed eleven base runners in 3-2/3 innings against the Pirates five days ago.

We respect Greinke, but also recognize that he is not showing good form lately. And we have a hard time trusting a team that has lost 13 of his last 15 road games. as such, we see this price as one having value. We are going to go with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the -140 favorite in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ARIZONA (-140)

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