Classic Rivalry - Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves

BetUS MLB betting odds: Braves -135, Phillies +115, Total 8

Southpaw J.A. Happ (5-0, 3.00 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies, while the Braves counter with right-handed hurler Javier Vasquez (5-7, 3.04 ERA).

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

* PHIL has lost 11 of its last 14 games

* PHIL has lost five of its last seven road games

* ATL has played eight of its last 12 home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* PHIL has won 15 of the last 24 meetings

* ATL has won eight of the last ten meetings

* PHL has won nine of the last 11 meetings as the road team

Philadelphia leads the National League in scoring on the road, tallying 5.8 runs per game. However, last night it was Atlanta's turn to go on a power surge, led by Chipper Jones and Matt Diaz. Jair Jurrjens pitched one-hit ball over seven innings in the 11-1 win that reduced the Philadelphia lead in the National League East to just a half-game over the Florida Marlins. The Braves made up ground too, pulling to within three games of first place.

J.A. Happ, a rookie, has been a pleasant surprise in the Phillies' rotation this year. It's not that every outing has been a very strong one, it's that he has been able to keep his team in the game almost every time out. In the three games he's started where Philadelphia (out of a total of seven starts) has lost, those losses have all been by one run. Happ's best performance of the season came five days ago against Toronto at the Rogers Centre, a complete game, five-hit shutout of the Blue Jays. He has pitched in 19 games overall, and was moved into the rotation because of ineptitude and injuries on the part of other Phillies' starters. His presence has been most welcome, and needed, if the Phils are going to successfully defend their World Series crown. He has a 3.25 ERA as a starter, and has allowed the opposition to bat just .186 against him on the road.

Javier Vasquez posted a strong effort against the Phillies on May 9, giving up just two runs and four hits over 7-2/3 innings. He struck out seven and didn't walk anybody in the game. He's been very good in his last two starts, allowing only one combined earned run against the Cubs and Red Sox. The sad part is that his Atlanta teammates haven't given him any offensive support. They have scored a grand total of ten runs in his last seven starts. That is just 1.43 per game.

If you've read any of my stuff, I put a lot of emphasis on the Phllies' prowess on the road, where they have won 26 out of 40 games, even though there has been a recent rough patch where they've lost five of seven. When they are a dog away from home, or even a reasonable favorite, they are well worth a look. Against this Atlanta team that cannot sustain offense for any significant period of time, the defending champs are the play. We're moving with Philadelphia, the +115 underdog in the BetUS National League baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: PHILADELPHIA

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