Even though the baseball regular season is just a week and a half old, the biggest surprise so far is the Detroit Tigers. This club remains winless after seven games with Tuesday’s 5-0 loss to Boston.

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Detroit remains the 2/3 favorite to win the American League Central ahead of Cleveland (5/4) and Chicago (9/1). The Tigers also had the fourth highest ‘over/under’ win total heading into the 2008 campaign at 93 wins, just behind Boston (94.5), the New York Mets (94) and the New York Yankees (93.5).

There are still 155 games to be played this year and every team goes through peaks and valleys during the marathon baseball season, but starting the campaign on an eight-game losing skid is not a good sign. After dropping three home games against a weak Kansas City squad, things are not getting easier for the Tigers with road games against Boston and Chicago.

Another interesting early season trend involves the high-powered New York Yankees.  The 'under' is 7-1 for the Bronx Bombers after they fell to Kansas City Tuesday, 5-2.  Losing shortstop Derek Jeter will hurt the offense, but the Yankees captain played in their first seven games.  The 'under' has cashed the past four performances for New York.

Now let’s take a look at four key games on Wednesday’s baseball schedule.

**Cardinals (Looper) at Astros (Sampson)**

-Caesars Palace installed Houston as a $1.10 home ‘chalk’ over St. Louis, with the total set at 9 ½. This National League Central contest is slated to start at 8:05 p.m. ET.

-St. Louis pitcher Braden Looper (1-0, 1.50 ERA) beat Washington Friday as a $1.40 home favorite, 5-4. The right-hander was reached for one run on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over six innings. The combined nine runs landed directly on the closing total.

-The Wichita State product went 2-1 against Houston last year in four starts, going a combined 24 2/3 innings while yielding nine runs on 26 hits with six walks and nine strikeouts. The Cardinals won as a $1.37 home ‘chalk,’ 3-1, as a $1.25 road underdog, 8-6, and as a $1.10 road favorite, 7-0, while losing as a $1.30 home ‘chalk,’ 18-1.

-Houston counters with righty Chris Sampson (0-0, 2.70 ERA), who picked up a no-decision Friday against Chicago. The Astros eventually prevailed as a $1.70 road underdog, 4-3.

-The three-year veteran tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a strikeout. The combined seven runs went ‘under’ the 8 ½-run closing total.

-Sampson went 1-1 against the Cardinals last year in two starts, surrendering a combined six runs on 11 hits (one home run) with two walks and a strikeout over 12 2/3 innings. Houston prevailed as a $1.35 home favorite, 8-3, while losing as a $1.27 road ‘dog, 3-1.

**Braves (James) at Rockies (Redman)**

-Caesars Palace opened Atlanta as a $1.25 road favorite over Colorado, with the total listed at 10 ½ ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This contest is scheduled to begin at 8:35 p.m. ET.

-Atlanta southpaw Chuck James is making his first appearance of the season in this spot. He hasn’t started a game or come out of the bullpen the first week and a half of the season.

-The 26-year-old went 1-0 against the Rockies last year in two starts, going a combined 10 1/3 innings while being reached for eight runs on 12 hits (three home runs) with four walks and six strikeouts. The Braves triumphed as a road ‘pick,’ 9-7, and as a $1.30 home ‘chalk,’ 6-5. The ‘over’ cashed both times.

-Colorado’s Mark Redman (0-1, 6.35 ERA) fell to Arizona Friday as a $1.15 home favorite, 8-1. The 6-foot-5 hurler allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits (one home run) with three walks and four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. The combined nine runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total.

-Redman, a nine-year veteran, did not start against Atlanta last season.

**Tigers (Bonderman) at Red Sox (Lester)**

-Caesars Palace lists Boston as a $1.25 home ‘chalk’ over Detroit, with the total set at 10 ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This American League tilt is slated to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Detroit hurler Jeremy Bonderman (0-1, 5.68 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Thursday’s setback to Kansas City as a $1.80 home favorite, 4-1. The five-year veteran surrendered four runs on eight hits (two home runs) with two walks and a strikeout over 6 1/3 innings.

-The combined five runs went ‘under’ the 8 ½-run closing total.

-Bonderman picked up a no-decision in his only effort against Boston last year. The right-hander was reached for two runs on seven hits (one home run) with three walks and nine strikeouts over eight innings. The Tigers eventually won that affair as a $1.58 home ‘chalk,’ 3-2, while the combined five runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total.

-Boston’s Jon Lester (1-1, 3.38 ERA) is off last Wednesday’s victory over Oakland as a $1.30 road underdog, 5-0. The five runs went ‘under’ the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 2-0.

-The 6-foot-2 hurler tossed 6 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

-Lester, a three-year veteran, did not start last year against the Tigers.

**Orioles (Trachsel) at Rangers (Gabbard)**

-Caesars Palace opened Texas as a $1.55 home favorite over Baltimore, with the total set at 10. This game is scheduled to begin 8:05 p.m. ET.

-Baltimore pitcher Steve Trachsel (1-0, 3.18 ERA) beat Seattle Friday as a $1.20 home underdog, 7-4. The combined 11 runs went ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

-The veteran right-hander was reached for two runs on four hits (one home run) with two walks and a strikeout over 5 2/3 innings.

-Trachsel pitched for the Chicago Cubs last season, and did not start against Texas.

-Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard (1-0, 0.00 ERA) upended the Los Angeles Angels Friday as a $1.38 road underdog, 11-6. The combined 17 runs soared ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

-The left-hander tossed seven scoreless innings while scattering seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

-Gabbard got the victory in that infamous 30-3 game last year against Baltimore, tossing six innings while yielding three runs on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Needless to say, the combined 33 runs toppled the nine-run closing total.

Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com.