Bet on Baseball – Mets vs Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have a chance to split their four game series with the New York Mets this evening when they send lefthander Tom Gorzelanny to the mound. The NY Mets counter with their ace lefty Johan Santana.

The baseball betting line has the NY Mets as -165 favorites while the comeback on the Cubs is +145. The predicted game total is only 7 runs.

MLB Betting Data
April 22, 2010
Chicago Cubs +1½ -160 +145
Tom Gorzelanny – L
Game Total 7
New York Mets -1½ +140 -165
Johan Santana – L
Location: Citi Field – New York, NY
Game Time: 7:10pm
TV: WCIU, SNY

Tom Gorzelanny is still looking for his first win of the season (0-1, 1.93 ERA) but even without a win, the former Pittsburgh Pirates starter has been pitching very well. In his first two starts of the season, he has allowed two earned runs but he’s only pitched 9.1 Innings.

The Cubs are only 6-9 this season and Cubs supporters are down -4.71 if they bet them every game this season. While the pitching for the Cubs hasn’t been great, ace starter Carlos Zambrano was just sent to the bullpen, it’s been the hitting that has been the letting the Cubs and their fans down. Until last night’s huge nine-run output, the batters have been mired in a slump, scoring eight runs in four games, all losses.

The New York Mets Johan Santana has been solid in his three previous starts (1-1, 3.00 ERA) but he hasn’t show the magic that we have come to expect from him while on the mound. He’s only 31 and he’s still capable of a magical outing but unlike fellow over 30 ace Roy Halladay, you don’t get the feeling that Santana is capable of putting together a last magical season.

It’s a shame too, even if Santana could recapture his Minnesota magic, its unlikely the Mets could back it up. The heart of the Mets lineup has been a disappointment, David Wright and newcomer Jason Bay in particular who are hitting .240 and .241 respectively. Bay, who signed a $66 million contract in the offseason, has no homeruns and only three RBIs in 15 games. The Mets fans have already started to boo the Bay at every turn.

Now we know why the total is so low. With the pitchers being solid and the hitters far from it and you consider both pitchers are lefties there is a very good chance of this game being a tight 3-2 or 4-2 game.

Both teams need their hitters to come through to win this one and with Santana on the mound, it’s likely the Mets have a better chance of getting to Tom Gorzelanny than Cubs do chasing Santana, I’ll back the Mets in this game and the under 7 runs.

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