Is Arizona the Right Favorite to Back in the MLB Sportsbook on Friday Night?

Are the Arizona Diamondbacks the right team to back in the MLB Sportsbook on Friday night? The D’Backs, because they send Dan Haren to the mound, are -140 favorites in the sportsbook to beat the Florida Marlins.

It hasn’t exactly been a Dan Haren-type year so far for ‘Zona’s ace. Mr. Haren is 7 and 6 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He and his team have been awful lately. The D’Backs have lost their last 4 games that Haren has started. Haren is 0 and 2 in those 4 games with the other two games being no-decisions.

Can Haren prove he’s a legitimate baseball betting favorite in tonight’s game against the Marlins?

Florida Marlins vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

When: July 9 th, 2010 at 9:40 pm EST

TV: Florida – FS-F

Arizona – FS-A

Radio: Florida – WAXY 790, WAQI 710

Arizona – KTAR 620, KSUN 1400

MLB Betting Odds

Florida Marlins

Ricky Nolasco – R +1 ½ -165 +120

Arizona Diamondbacks

Dan Haren – R -1 ½ +145 -140

The wagering trends give a shot to both the D’Backs and the Marlins in this game.

• The Florida Marlins are 1 and 5 in their last 6 games after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
• The Florida Marlins are 13 and 3 in Ricky Nolasco’s last 16 starts on the road versus a team with a losing record.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks are 1 and 5 in their last 6 games at home.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks are 8 and 2 in Dan Haren’s last 10 starts as a favorite at home of -110 to -150.

The winner of this game could come down to the team that hits the ball best. Both pitchers have thrown very well in their last few games.

Against Arizona Diamondbacks, Nolasco is 5 and 1 with a 3.53 ERA. He’s also been very good in his last 3 starts. Nolasco won all three. He gave up a total of 9 runs off of 18 hits in those 3 starts. The main reason for the victories has been his teammates giving him run support.

The Marlins don’t figure to give him too much run support on Friday night. Haren just hasn’t been on the lucky side of things lately. For instance, in his last start, he gave up only 1 run off of 6 hits to the Dodgers yet the D’Backs still lost the game.

Against the Marlins, Haren’s ERA is great, 2.86, but he’s only 1 and 2 out of 4 starts. Recently, however, he’s been fantastic against the Marlins. In July, he struck out 10 of Florida’s batters in an 8 to 0 Arizona win.

The D’Backs had lost 5 games in a row before beating the Florida Marlins 10 to 4 on Thursday night. I believe with Haren on the mound they are legitimate favorites and deserve to be bet as such.

I’m going to actually take a swing and say that Haren dominates and that the D’Backs either get to Nolasco early or rough up the Marlins’ relievers. What does that mean? A bet on the run line, my friends!

MLB Betting Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -140