posted May 16, 2008 at 16:33 in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball betting odds: San Diego -115, Seattle -105; Total 8.5

Two teams who are struggling in their respective leagues will seek better luck as they mix AL and NL sports betting action, as the Seattle Mariners (16-26) play host to the San Diego Padres (15-27) in an interleague online betting matchup that is set to begin at 10:10 PM ET at Safeco Field (natural turf) in Seattle.

Chris Young (3-3, 3.94 ERA) will be the starter for San Diego, while Seattle counters with Miguel Batista (3-4, 5.72 ERA) in a battle between right-handers.

At BetUS online sportsbook, San Diego is listed as a -115 road favorite (Seattle is -105), with a total of 8.5 runs (Over is -115, Under is -105).

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

* SD has lost 17 of its last 23 games

* SD has lost seven of its last eight road games

* SD has played eight of its last ten games UNDER the total

* SEA has lost 12 of its last 15 games

* SEA has lost five of its last six home games

* SEA has played five of its last eight games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* SEA has won six of the last eight meetings

* Six of the last eight meetings have gone OVER the total

* Three of the last four meetings in Seattle have gone OVER the total

The opposition has batted .237 against Chris Young this season. That's pretty good, but it's not close to the two previous years, when the averages were .206 and .192, respectively. His strikeout-walk ratio, standing at 1.76, is also something he's not been used to.

San Diego just does not offer much in the way of offensive support for its pitchers. The Padres are 29th in the major leagues with a .233 batting average, and have scored just 3.33 runs per game. One of the guys who wasn't hitting was former All-Star center fielder Jim Edmonds, and so San Diego released him this past week. With three members of the rotation, including Young, sporting ERA's below 4.00, the Padres are wasting a lot of quality starts.

The Mariners are more productive than the Padres - barely. Seattle ranks third from the bottom in the American League with just 4.1 runs per game, and they have had a hard time getting a home field advantage, going 9-12 at Safeco Field. Miguel Batista has had a couple of very good outings, but those were the exception rather than the rule. Last time out he offered the White Sox far too many opportunities, allowing 13 men to reach base in 5-1/3 innings, and the M's were lucky to come away with a 6-3 win. Opposing hitters have batted .306 against him, although less than a third of the hits he's given up have gone for extra bases.

The price with Seattle is not particularly inviting, especially with this team's record at Safeco. But when you look at Young, his team has scored less runs for him per start (2.7) than they do for any of their other starting pitchers. It looks like we're going UNDER 8.5 runs as that total is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 8.5 (-105)

Go to the BetUS sportsbook today and take a swing at Major League Baseball online betting. We have the most current baseball odds and lines, as well as player, game and series props throughout the MLB baseball season. To help you bet on sports, check out the Free Picks section of the Locker Room for sports betting free picks and predictions. Join BetUS to experience the best in online sports betting action!

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