posted April 15, 2008 at 16:01 in MLB Free Picks

BetUS MLB baseball online betting odds: N.Y. Mets -170, Washington +150, Total 9 (Over -120, Under - Even)

The Washington Nationals (4-9) will try to grab their second straight win on Tuesday night when they take on the New York Mets (5-6) in National League action that will begin at 7:10 PM ET at Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadow.

Left-hander Odalis Perez (0-2, 4.91 ERA) will go to the mound for the Nationals, while Michael Pelfrey (1-0, 3.60 ERA) gets the start for the Mets.

At BetUS Sportsbook, New York is listed as a -170 favorite (Washington is +150), with a total of nine runs (Over is -120, while the Under is even money).

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

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

* WASH has lost nine of its last ten games

* WASH has played three of its last four games UNDER the total

* WASH has lost its last four road games

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

* NY has won three of its last five games

* NY has lost 12 of its last 18 games

* NY has played 17 of its last 25 games OVER the total

* NY has lost 12 of its last 16 home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD MLB betting trends:

* WASH has won five of the last six meetings

* The last eight meetings have gone OVER the total

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

* Four of the last five meetings in New York have gone OVER the total

Mike Pelfrey will get his second start of the season on Tuesday night, and he went five credible innings first time around against Philadelphia, giving up five hits and two runs. He'll go against a Washington team that is hurting on offense, as it was last year, averaging just 7.8 hits per game and less than four runs.

If you go back five starts with Odalis Perez, he really hasn't pitched badly against the Mets, turning in four starts where, collectively, he compiled a 3.33 ERA. But he was hammered last time he faced New York, giving up a whopping 12 base runners and seven earned runs in 3-2/3 innings.

Neither Jose Reyes nor Luis Castillo are hitting very well right now, and Reyes may be just coming back from injury. But the Mets are generating some offense, hitting .310 with runners in scoring position. That in and of itself represents better punch than Washington is capable of at this time.

We'll go with the Mets, the -170 favorite in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: N.Y. METS (-170)

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