Phillies vs. Braves Preview + Free MLB Pick

[Shame About Ray]

While the Philadelphia Phillies, (22-18, 16-24 RL) and Atlanta Braves, (19-19, 23-15 RL) each entered the 2008 sports betting season expected to compete for the NL East title if not more, each team has struggled with inconsistency in the early stages of the online betting regular season.

Atlanta’s 5-4 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday was the club’s fourth in its last five sports betting contests in the BetUS Sportsbook while the victory was just Philadelphia’s fifth in their last ten games.

The Braves will look to Hall of Fame-bound veteran left-hander Tom Glavine to help them get back to their winning ways tonight, though Glavine is winless since returning to the club where he first became a star this past offseason.

The 42-year-old Glavine (0-1, 4.03 ERA) has been victimized by poor run support and plain-old bad luck this season as his last start indicates. Glavine held the Pittsburgh Pirates to two runs on five hits in seven innings on Friday, but watched helplessly as the Braves lost 3-2.

"There's nothing else I can do," Glavine said after the Braves fell to 1-5 in his starts. "I want to win and be a part of what's going on around here. The flipside is, I'm happy with the way I'm throwing the ball. I'm giving us a chance to win, it just hasn't happened for me. If I keep throwing the ball the way I'm throwing it, I'll win my share of games."

Philadelphia will counter by sending inconsistent starter Brett Myers, (2-3, 5.33 ERA) to the mound hoping he can bounce back from getting his brains bashed in, in his last start after allowing a whopping seven runs, (six earned) on nine hits and three walks in just five innings, helping the Phillies to a dismal 8-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

"I can't put together back-to-back good starts and I don't know what the problem is," said Myers. "That's frustrating. ... I've just got to keep working and try to get through it."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel didn’t sound too pleased with Myers’ maddening inconsistency.

"He's got to pitch better than that," Manuel said. "He's got to get consistent. He plays a part in us winning.

He was our opening day starter and we want him to be consistent. He has to pitch and win for us."

Here is a look at tonight’s key online betting trends, followed by my analysis and MLB Betting Free Picks.

The Braves are 8-1 in Glavine’s last nine Wednesday starts.
The Braves are 19-7 in Glavine’s last 26 starts during game two of a series.
The Phillies are 8-2 in Myers' last ten Wednesday starts.
The Phillies are 30-12 in Myers' last 42 starts with five days of rest.
The Under is 7-0 in Glavine’s last seven road starts with the total set at 9.0-10.5.
The Over is 4-1 in Myers' last five starts following a team loss in their previous game.
The Under is 6-2-1 in Myers' last nine home starts vs. Braves.
The Braves are 10-4 in Glavine’s last 14 starts vs. Phillies.

Analysis: Unless Philly rocks Tom Glavine, which I don’t see happening, I say the Braves win this game by smacking around Philadelphia starter Brett Myers.

MLB Free Picks: Braves 6 Phillies 3

07:05 PM EST MLB Odds

Atlanta Braves
Tom Glavine - L +1½ -165

Philadelphia Phillies
Brett Myers - R -1½ +145

Over 10 -105
Under 10 -115