Baseball Betting Odds – Florida Marlins vs Philadelphia Phillies

The last time Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson dueled on the mound, it was a pitching duel for the ages, as the Phillies won 1-0, behind Halladay’s perfect game.

While it’s unlikely that anyone will be perfect in Thursday night’s matchup between the two, the game will still go down as a pure treat for baseball betting fans.

It was two Saturday’s ago that Halladay was simply magical in Florida, as the big righty pitched nine innings of perfect ball and striking out 11 in a victory.

Thursday, June 10: 7:05 p.m.

Florida Marlins (28-31 SU, 25-34 R/L, 29-27-3 O/U) at

Philadelphia Phillies (31-26 SU, 30-27 R/L, 24-32-1 O/U)

MLB Betting Odds:

Florida: +1 ½, -150, +150 (Josh Johnson-R)

Philadelphia: -1 ½, +130, -170 (Roy Halladay-R)

Total Runs:

Over 6 ½: +105

Under 6 ½: -125

He followed that with a highly disappointing (wink, wink) performance last weekend against San Diego, pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs, entering this game with a sparkling 8-3 record with a 2.03 ERA. Essentially, Halladay has been Superman on the mound for Philadelphia, but will his bats back him up on Thursday?

Because as good as Philadelphia has been on the mound, their offense has been abysmal of late. It seems like the Phillies have finally turned things around however, after scoring 10 runs to open this series on Tuesday (Wednesday’s game was postponed).

In it, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino both homered, in a 10-8 victory.

But as you get set to make your Thursday baseball bet, things likely won’t come as easy for Philadelphia. That’s because, for all the hype around Halladay, Johnson himself is having an All-Star season.

The Marlins right hander leads this team in every major statistical category you’d want if you’re backing him as a baseball bettor, with a 6-2 record and Halladay-esque 2.10 ERA. Johnson also has 77 strikeouts on the year, including six in seven innings pitched the last time out against Philadelphia.

Offensively the Marlins enter this game right in the middle of the pack offensively in baseball, as they average 4.56 runs (13th in the majors), and a team batting average of .261, which puts them 15th in baseball as well.

While Hanley Ramirez makes most of the headlines in South Florida, it is actually his double-play partner, second baseman Dan Uggla who is having the better offensive season. Uggla has belted a team leading 13 home runs and driven in 34 runs to boot.

So with two stud pitchers on the mound, what should be your approach to this baseball bet? First off, take the under run total.

Despite the 18 combined runs on Tuesday, these are two ballclub’s that are not hitting the ball particularly well right now. Expect a 3-2 or 2-1 final outcome.

Beyond just the run total though, take Halladay’s run line, as your second baseball bet.

As good as Johnson is, Halladay lives to pitch in these big games, going against the other team’s best starter, at home in front of an energetic Philadelphia crowd. Expect him to pitch deep into this game, maybe even another complete game, making you some nice money in your Thursday night baseball bets.

Aaron’s Pick: Philadelphia -1 ½, +130, Total Runs UNDER 6 ½