MLB wagering interest swings to the Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh battle on Friday at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

Charlie Morton, with a record of 8-5 on the season, gets the ball for the Pirates, while the Phillies trot Roy Halladay to the mound in this one. He is 12-4 so far in 2011.



View Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Pirates were listed as +-250 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks. The total was set at 7 before betting started earlier on Monday.

Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Phillies at No. 1 in the National League and the Pirates at No. 12 in the National League heading into this contest.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Philadelphia's No. 6-rated National League offense, averaging 4.3 runs per game, against a Pirates defense that ranks No. 5 in the National League at 3.8 in runs allowed per game. The Phillies have averaged 8.5 hits per game so far, more than Pirates batters have averaged on the year (8.2 hits per game).

Comparing defensive stats, Pittsburgh owns the National League's No. 5-rated road mark, allowing 3.8 runs per game on the highway. Philadelphia, on the other hand, rates No. 5 in scoring at home.

The Pirates were a 5-2 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Braves. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Pittsburgh at +148 on the moneyline, while the total score (7) was good news for UNDER bettors. Pittsburgh rolled to a 5-2 win against Atlanta on Thursday, as Kevin Correia and the Pirates' bats led the team to victory at Turner Field.

The Phillies were a 4-1 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Giants. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got San Francisco at -124 on the moneyline, while the total score (5) was good news for UNDER bettors. The Phillies were saddled with a loss last time out in Kyle Kendrick's start, as they lost 4-1 against San Francisco on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.


Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Friday are 2-8
Before playing Philadelphia are 5-5
After playing Atlanta are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

Philadelphia Phillies Trends:
When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Pittsburgh are 4-6
After playing San Francisco are 4-6
After a loss are 9-1

A few Pirates at Phillies trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games at home


Next up:
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, Saturday, July 30