Lefty vs. Righty Showdown – Angels at Yankees

BetOnline MLB betting odds: Yankees -155, Angels +135, Total 10

Left-hander Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.96 ERA), who has been the standout on the Yankee rotation, squares off against right-hander Jered Weaver of the Angels (2-1, 2.45 ERA).

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

(Numbers may go back to last season)

* LA has won three of its last four games

* LA has played six of its last eight games OVER the total

* LA has lost seven of its last ten road games

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

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

* NY has won five of its last six home games

* NY has played five of its last seven home games OVER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* LA has won five of the last seven meetings

* NY has won four of the last six meetings as the home team

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

* Five of the last six meetings in New York have gone OVER the total

The Yankees have had their hitting shoes on lately. Over the last three games they have scored 26 runs, and in general they have to do that because of the inconsistency of the pitching staff. On Thursday they scored three runs in the eighth inning to drive past the Angels for a 7-4 win, with Phil Coke picking up the victory in relief of A.J, Burnett, who had allowed four runs in seven innings.

These two clubs are second and third in the American League in base hits and between them while averaging 10.8 runs per contest. On Friday night they send two starters to the mound who are shining lights in their respective rotations.

Andy Pettitte has made four very good starts for the Yankees, going at least seven innings in his first three and six last time out, which was a lost to the Red Sox by a 4-1 score. Pettitte gave up three runs in six innings, but had surrendered just six runs in his previous 21-1/3 frames. The 6’5" southpaw has a 1.10 WHIP ratio this season and all four of his starts have gone under the total. He is 12-8 lifetime against the Angels.

Jered Weaver did not have a lot of luck against the Yankees last season, allowing eleven earned runs in eleven innings over his two starts. This season, however, he is showing some of the form that saw him go 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA as a rookie in 2006. Weaver has made three very strong starts in four outings, and perhaps the best was his last appearance, when he went seven scoreless innings against the Mariners and gave up just three hits.

These teams have the two worst bullpens in the major leagues when it comes to ERA. They are allowing more than 13 runs per nine innings between them. That certainly represents a handicap to be overcome, but the recent form of these pitchers indicates that if they can go some innings, preferably seven apiece, the effect of the relief pitching could be minimized. We’ll go UNDER ten runs, as it is posted in the BetOnline American League sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: UNDER 10 (-105) ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)