in MLB Betting Trends

BetUS MLB betting odds: San Francisco -130, Washington +110; Total 7

Two teams who aren't going anywhere at the moment will get together in the nation's capital on Friday when the sports betting contest that begins at 7:35 PM ET at Nationals Park (natural turf).

Right-hander Jason Bergmann (1-2, 3.79 ERA) takes the mound for the home-standing Nats, while ace righty Tim Lincecum (6-1, 2.23 ERA) gets the start for the Giants.

At BetUS online sportsbook, San Francisco is listed as a -130 favorite (Washington is +110), with a total of seven runs (the Over is -120, while the Under is even money).

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

* SF has lost four of its last six games

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

* SF has won six of its last eight road games

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

* WASH has lost four of its last five games

* WASH has lost nine of its last 13 home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD baseball betting trends:

* WASH has won 10 of the last 14 meetings

* The last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* WASH has won six of the last seven meetings as the home team

* Four of the last five meetings in Washington have gone UNDER the total

Well, you certainly have to say that the Nationals are coming into this game on an "up" note, after Elijah Dukes hot a walk-off homer in the 10th inning to beat St. Louis 10-9 last night. Of course, that tends to make for an overworked relief staff, and Washington is admittedly pitching-thin.

Tonight's starter, Jason Bergmann, has indeed given them quality innings lately. Bergmann was bombed in his first two starts of the season, giving up 12 runs in less than eleven innings, but five weeks later, when he came back to the rotation, he went on a run where he tossed 26-2/3 innings of scoreless baseball over his next three outings, surrendering just twelve hits in the process. Obviously he has the ability to be overpowering; he's struck out 42 batters in 40 innings and has thrown 68% first-pitch strikes to opponents. Bergmann is not a guy to get ground ball outs; in fact, he lets hitters put it in the air about twice as much as they hit it on the ground. That can be dangerous in a park like this, which is designed to favor hitters.

Of course, you wouldn't know that from the way Washington has played at home, where they have scored just 3.7 runs a game. That might play into the hands of Tim Lincecum, who followed his outstanding rookie performance with an All-Star caliber season thus far. He has at times been spectacular, limiting opponents to a .231 batting average. But it is his consistency that has been most admirable. Lincecum has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his eleven starts. Last time out he gave up just one run and four hits over seven innings against the San Diego Padres.

Bergmann has received four runs of offensive support in his last four starts. These are teams that rank 14th and 16th in scoring in the NL. Washington is 29th in baseball in batting average. The pitchers are capable. The total reflects it. Still, we're going UNDER the seven runs as it is posted in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 7 (Even)

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com touches all the bases as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)