Battle of Big Righties – Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox

BetOnline MLB betting odds: Red Sox -140, Rangers +120, Total 10

Right-handers will oppose each other in this ballgame, as Kevin Millwood of the Rangers (4-4, 3.23 ERA) goes up against Brad Penny (5-1, 5.63 ERA) of the Red Sox.

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

* TEX has won 15 of its last 23 games

* TEX has won four of its last six road games

* BOS has won four of its last five games

* BOS has won 16 of its last 20 home games

* BOS has played five of its last seven home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD online betting trends:

* BOS has won ten of the last 11 meetings

* BOS has won the last seven meetings as the home team

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

One of the great things the Red Sox have in their favor is that they probably have the most reliable bullpen in the major leagues. General Manager Theo Epstein artfully acquired arms like Ramon Ramirez and Takashi Saito in the off-season, and they have joined people like Jonathan Papelbon and the most pleasant surprise, Hideki Okajima (16-1/3 straight scoreless innings at present), among others.

On an overall basis, the pen has a 2.82 ERA, which is best in the majors, and that must be a factor in handicapping any game. It obviously has really worked for the Sox, who are in a flat-footed tie with the New York Yankees atop the American League’s East division. The Red Sox are currently riding a four-game winning streak, having completed a three-game sweep of Detroit behind solid pitching by knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, and they return home to Fenway Park, where they are 17-6 on the season.

The Rangers are leading the Los Angeles Angels by 3.5 games in the American League West, Kevin Millwood is tenth in the American League in ERA, and his lifetime ERA in Boston is 3.38. His WHIP ratio of 1.23 has been outstanding as well. He leads an improved Texas staff in innings pitched, and this staff better be improved, because it lost seven straight games at Fenway last season, though, compiling a 9.14 ERA there over the last eight tries. There has been bad news for the Rangers in the last 24 hours, as it appears that Josh Hamilton, a prime candidate for the MVP award last season, may need surgery to correct his "sports hernia."

The Rangers recently went to the Bronx and lost two of three to the Yankees. Yesterday’s game was a bitter pill to swallow, as Texas got to Chien-Ming Wang for five runs in 4-2/3 innings, getting a homer from Nelson Cruz, then another one by Ian Kinsler which tied the game. But the Yankees went ahead with a two-run blast by Melky Cabrera in the eighth inning, as the bullpen couldn’t keep Texas afloat.

Relief pitching is a big edge for Boston, and Brad Penny is making progress, with as 3.50 ERA in his last there starts. He has won his last three outings at Fenway as well. His ratio of 34 strikeouts to 17 walks is actually better than that of Millwood. We’re laying a price, but Boston is still the right way to go, at -140 in the BetOnline American League baseball betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: BOSTON (-140) **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)