Marlins Diamondbacks Betting – Diamondbacks Strike, Snag Win Over Marlins

Online betting players should be getting ready for the next part of the MLB season as all of the rust is now shaken off, and teams are starting to really get serious about their position in the standings. Arizona and Florida are two teams looking to challenge the big dogs of the National League, and they’ll meet in Phoenix on Monday to kick off a three-game set; expect the Diamondbacks to start the week on a high note.

• What: MLB Betting
• When: Monday, May 30th, 8:10 PM ET
• Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
• Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks

Why Bet On Florida Marlins

Chris Volstad (2-3, 5.40) hasn’t won in five starts, racking up two losses and a trio of no-decisions during that time, but he pitched pretty well in a 7-6 extra-inning win in San Francisco, allowing a pair of runs on six hits over six innings of work, striking out six and walking two. It was his fourth straight start in which Volstad struck out five or more batters, and considering how many innings he’s pitching, that’s not a bad ratio. The Marlins will need Volstad to pick up his game a little in the immediate future with Josh Johnson on the sideline, but he’s still 24 and in his third full season after making 14 starts in 2008. He’s 1-2 in three career starts against the Diamondbacks with a 5.51 ERA, and he lost his lone start at Chase Field, allowing four runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings with three strikeouts and a pair of walks in a 7-1 loss in 2008.

The Marlins had won three in a row in San Francisco prior to a trip to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, and Mike Stanton had been on fire with three homers and eight RBIs in six games, and they should have Hanley Ramirez back in the lineup after a foot contusion caused him to leave Thursday’s game. However, the Florida shortstop hasn’t been hitting that well this season anyway, so his absence may not hurt the Marlins at the plate.

Why Bet On Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks counter with Joe Saunders (1-5, 4.65), and he earned his first victory of the year in a 5-2 win in Colorado by scattering a pair of runs on six hits over eight innings, while whiffing four batters and walking one. Saunders was taken deep twice, and he has now given up nine homers this season, but he has his first win of the season, and that could turn his fortunes around, which would improve Arizona’s MLB betting odds. But will we ever see the Joe Saunders from 2008-09 who went a combined 33-14 with the Los Angeles Angels? He is now 4-12 in 23 starts in Arizona with a 4.45 ERA, and Saunders was supposed to be their ace when he came from Los Angeles. It hasn’t exactly worked out that way. This will be the first time that Saunders will face the Marlins, and the 29-year-old southpaw has struggled at home in 2011, going 0-2 in five starts at Chase Field with a 6.26 ERA.

Arizona will be in Houston over the weekend before heading home to host the Marlins, and as of Friday the Diamondbacks were red hot, winning nine of their last 10. Kelly Johnson has been leading the way over the last week with three homers and 10 RBIs, and they’re now tracking down the Giants in the National League West. The Astros should be an easy target for Arizona this weekend, so look for the Diamondbacks to still have some momentum as the Marlins come to the desert.

How The Game Will Play Out

Arizona should be the MLB betting favorites at home in this contest, and the two have split their last 10 meetings, including a four-game set in Arizona last July. Five games have gone under the posted total, along with a push, and three of the games that went under were at Chase Field. This could be a high-scoring affair as the Marlins are giving Volstad plenty of run support (he’s eighth in the National League in run support), but the Diamondbacks are rolling right now, especially at home where they have won six of their last seven games. The edge has to go to the Diamondbacks at home in your sports betting picks