MLB Betting: Up in the Interleagues

We take a look at the Subway, Freeway and Lone Star series going down this weekend

May 15, 2008

By Carlisle Richards
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

It's that time of year again: interleague play.

The Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees, the Freeway Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Lone Star Series between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros all go down this weekend.

If you have deep pockets, you could simply play the odds and bet on the American League team every time. The AL has dominated the NL 154-98 in 2006 and 137-115 in 2007.

But if you're dealing with smaller margins and are looking for advantages in certain matchups, allow Bodog Nation to give you the 411 on some of the more historical series kicking off on Friday.

N.Y. Mets at N.Y. Yankees

History: Named the Subway Series because both the Mets and Yankees stadiums are only a piss-filled train ride away, it's probably the most popular interleague series overall. There has been New York vs. New York matchups since people went to work on horses. However, the Mets and Yankees franchises didn't actually meet until interleague play began in 1997. It’s been a battle of "which cap-bloated roster is better?" ever since.

Matsui's bat gets hot during interleague play. (AP Images)

The Yankees So Far:

Hank Steinbrenner won't shut up, so you know they can't be doing too well. The Yanks are second to last in the AL East with a record of 20-21, are looking up at the Tampa Bay Rays and are sorely missing offensive powerhouse Alex Rodriguez (they rank 23rd in runs scored). They come into this contest losing five of 10.

The Mets So Far: Another bloated payroll, another slumping New York team. The Mets are stacked offensively and defensively with star players like third baseman David Wright, shortstop Jose Reyes, and pitchers John Maine and Johan Santana. Unfortunately, they still sit behind Philadelphia and Florida (yes, the Marlins) in the NL East standings. These New York teams could learn a thing or two from the Florida squads.

Betting Trends: Pretty even matchup on the surface: Both teams have been playing .500 ball and both are below .500 versus the runline. But the Yankees lead the overall series 35-25 and will be playing at home. They've beaten the Mets in four of their last six at Yankee Stadium.

Fantasy Trends: Outfielder Hideki Matsui and shortstop Derek Jeter are both beasts in interleague play. Matsui's OPS (on base plus slugging) percentage jumps from .858 to 1.034, while Jeter has a lifetime average of .381 against the Mets. Jeter should set the table while Matsui knocks 'em down this weekend.

L.A. Dodgers at L.A. Angels

History: Hit the Interstate 5, sleepwalk through traffic for about 10 hours and you'll have a choice of watching either the NL's L.A. Dodgers or the AL's L.A. Angels (of Anaheim). That's how this matchup got the name Freeway Series.

The Angels So Far: The Angels are on top of the AL West with a record of 24-18, however, it's not like it's a competitive division. The 23-18 Oakland A's seem to be the only other team trying. The Angels are coming off being swept by Tampa Bay but came back and beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1 in a best of three.  

Hopefully, Vlad can pick up his slumping bat versus the Dodgers this weekend. (AP Images)

The Dodgers So Far:

Every team in the NL West is looking up at the Arizona D-Backs, and it doesn’t look like the Dodgers are going to catch them anytime soon. L.A. has lost five of their last six and are just one game over .500. Their stats say they should be doing better: They rank fifth in runs per game (4.95) and 13th in ERA (4.14).

Betting Trends: The Angels get hot come interleague time. They batted a blistering .330 with 10 home runs and 118 runs while going 14-4 overall in 2007. Against the Dodgers, they were 5-1 against the moneyline last year and lead the series 35-27 overall.

Fantasy Trends: Vladimir Guerrero hasn't exactly been the same ol' Vlad. He's batting just .265 with 20 RBIs through 40 games, but he could finally get hot during interleague play. Last year, he lit it up with 20 RBIs in 18 interleague games. Keep an eye on Dodgers rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt as well. The kid is leading all rookies with a .320 average and has 19 RBIs in just 34 games.

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers

History: Win a best-of-six series against your state rival and receive a big-ass silver trophy shaped like a boot. That’s the prize for competing in Texas' Lone Star Series. Although interleague play started in 1997, the Lone Star series didn't tip off until 2001, the series has been fairly even ever since (22 games won for Houston, 20 for Texas).

The Rangers So Far: It's been a long time since the Rangers were any good, so being just two games below .500 isn't that bad. They've gotten over a slump which included them losing 12 of 14 games and have racked up seven of their last 10. As usual, their offense is strong (ranked 11th with 4.76 runs scored per game) and their pitching is horrible (rank 27th with a 4.73 ERA).

The Astros So Far:

Berkman has been unstoppable all season. (AP Images)

They're in a tough race in the NL Central with the hot hitting Chicago Cubs and the hot pitching St. Louis Cardinals. However, they've managed to close the gap by winning eight of their last 10 despite a six-game road trip. Their bats remain hot (score 4.88 runs per game) and pitching remains solid (4.17 ERA).

Betting Trends: The Rangers are 4-1 in their last five interleague games and they beat the Astros in four out of six games last year, so the edge should go to them. But beware of the hot bats of the 'Stros. They've won five of their last six games on the road.

Expect a lot of runs in this series. Five of seven games have gone over the total.

Fantasy Trends: Regardless of what interleague stats might say, you'd be a fool not to keep riding Lance Berkman's blazing bat all weekend. The burly first baseman is probably the best fantasy player in baseball right now with a .388 batting average, 14 HRs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs and six stolen bases. With Texas' horrible pitches, there's no chance he'll slump this weekend.

TOP PHOTO: Derek Jeter is batting .381 against his interleague rival the New York Mets. (AP Images)