Seattle Mariners (16-17) at Texas Rangers (18-14)

Wednesday, May 13

BetUS MLB betting odds:  Rangers -140, Mariners +120, Total 10.5

Southpaw Jarrod Washburn (3-2, 2.68 ERA) takes the mound for the Mariners on Wednesday, while the Rangers will hand the ball to right-hander Brandon McCarthy (3-1, 6.10 ERA).

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

* SEA has lost seven of its last eight games

* SEA has lost six of its last seven road games

* SEA has lost its last six games as an underdog

* TEX has won eight of its last ten games

* TEX has played five of its last six games UNDER the total

* TEX has won five of its last seven home games

* TEX has played five of its last six home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* TEX has won six of the last seven meetings

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

* TEX has won four of the last six meetings as the home team

* Four of the last six meetings in Arlington have gone UNDER the total

Texas won the first game of this three-game set on Tuesday night, riding the impetus of a two-run homer by Josh Hamilton, not to mention a very credible pitching performance on the part of Scott Feldman. The final was 7-1, and it was the seventh loss in the last eight games for the M's, who had started the season with some promise.

The win for the Rangers was obviously very good news since Hamilton made his return to the lineup after being out 13 games because of a strained muscle in his ribcage. Not that Texas was suffering without him; indeed, they won nine of 13 games while he was on the DL and rehabbing with minor league play. The Rangers have not had a big problem scoring runs, regardless of who is in the lineup, as they have tallied 6.8 runs per game at home, the best figure in the American League.

Things are not so "offensive" with the Mariners. Seattle has scored 16 runs in its last seven games, and ranks dead last in the AL in runs with 4.1 per contest. In 14 games they have scored two runs or less. Don Wakamatsu, the first Japanese-American manager in the majors, is frustrated, to say the least. "We're going to have to make some adjustments, or maybe look to make some changes," he said after Tuesday's game.

It's a good thing he has one of his two consistent starting pitchers - Jarrod Washburn - on teh mound tonight. Washburn has been blown up only once this season, in a game against the Los Angeles Angels, and he has been excellent in his last two outings, holding both Oakland and Kansas City to one run in seven innings. The Mariners have scored three runs for him in his last three starts.

Brandon McCarthy was not a stopper, but was at least serviceable for the Rangers up until his last start, when he gave up seven runs in four innings to the Oakland A's last Thursday. Each of his starts (six of them) has gone over the total this season.

Yes, we know it isn't popular to suggest that the Mariners could break out of their funk in this game, but with Washburn on the mound, the +120 underdogs in the BetUS American League baseball sports betting odds at least have a fighting chance.

JAY'S PLAY:  SEATTLE +120 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)