The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have separated themselves from the rest of the National League East, and on Wednesday night, they are set for a duel at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies are on a roll and a solid  bet to claim a crucial win. However, the Mets will trot out a two-time Cy Young winner who has done well against the Phillies in his National League debut season.

Johan Santana (12-7, 2.64) has not lost in his last ten starts, and five of those were victories. In fact, the 29-year-old southpaw has not allowed a run in his last 16 innings of work, as he tossed a eight-hitter over seven innings to lead the Mets to a 3-0 shutout of Houston at home. If it were not for a slumping bullpen and some offensive trouble, Santana would be challenging Arizona's Brandon Webb for the Cy Young award, as he is second in the league in ERA and innings pitched. “Johan the Great” has a 1-0 mark in three starts against the Phillies this season, posting an ERA of 2.74, while Philadelphia's powerful offense can only muster a .209 average against the crafty lefty.

Kyle Kendrick (11-7, 4.87) snapped a two-start losing streak with a great showing in a 8-1 rout of the Dodgers at home, scattering a run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. This was encouraging to the 24-year-old righthander who had given up 13 runs in his last seven innings, spanning two outings. If there is a knock on Kendrick, it is that he does not last very long in games, as he has gone past the six-inning mark in only five of his 26 starts. Kendrick has fared averagely against the Mets, going 0-1 in two starts with an ERA of 2.16, but New York is hitting .316 off of him. The Phillies are going to need a better performance to keep their  World Series odds up.

Heading into Tuesday's game, the Mets had won nine of 13 against the Phillies in 2008. Both of these clubs still have good World Series odds, but first they have to make it to the postseason. The Phillies will have to break down Santana, which is easier said then done. Meanwhile, the Mets would do well to get to Kendrick early in the game.

For more props and odds, visit BetOnline.com. BetOnline.com is a top rated online sportsbook providing reliable sports betting to millions of online betting customers. BetOnline.com also offers MLB football betting, live MLB betting lines, props and futures.