The marathon baseball regular season continues Friday with a full slate of games. Even though it is still early in the season, there are already a few races starting to take shape. Here’s a breakdown of four key contests on Friday’s schedule, with two games each in the American and National Leagues.

**Braves (Jurrjens) at Mets (Pelfrey)**

-Caesars Palace opened New York as a $1.30 home ‘chalk’ over Atlanta, with the total set at 9 ½ ‘under’ (minus $1.25). This National League East tilt is scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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-Atlanta pitcher Jair Jurrjens (2-2, 3.20 ERA) snapped a personal two-game losing skid by beating Los Angeles Sunday as a $1.10 home favorite, 6-1. The second-year veteran went seven innings, allowing the lone run on three hits (one home run) with three walks and eight strikeouts.

-The combined seven runs failed to eclipse the 9 ½-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to cash his last three starts.

-Jurrjens, a 22-year-old right-hander, has never started against the Mets in his brief major league career.

-New York righty Michael Pelfrey (2-0, 3.18 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Sunday’s no-decision against Philadelphia. The Wichita State product surrendered four runs on 10 hits (two home runs) with two walks and two strikeouts over five innings.

-The Mets eventually dropped that contest as a road ‘pick,’ 5-4, while the combined nine runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total. The ‘under’ has cashed his last two games.

-Pelfrey went 1-1 against the Braves last season in two starts, going a combined 11 innings while yielding five runs on seven hits (one home run) with five walks and 10 strikeouts. New York triumphed as a $1.20 road underdog, 5-1, while losing as a $1.02 home ‘dog, 7-3.

**Astros (Chacon) at Cardinals (Looper)**

-Caesars Palace installed St. Louis as a $1.35 home favorite over Houston, with the total listed at nine ‘under’ (minus $1.15). This NL Central contest is scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m. ET.

-Houston’s Shawn Chacon (0-0, 2.77 ERA) is still searching for his first decision of the year after Sunday’s effort against Colorado. The 6-foot-3 hurler was reached for three runs on seven hits (one home run) with a walk and three strikeouts over six innings.

-The Astros eventually prevailed as a $1.15 home favorite, 6-4, while the combined 10 runs slithered ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total. The ‘under’ had cashed his first three starts, all losses for Houston.

-Chacon went six innings against St. Louis April 8, surrendering three runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts over six innings. The Astros eventually dropped that affair as a $1.10 home ‘chalk,’ 5-3, while the combined eight runs went ‘under’ the nine-run closing total.

-St. Louis hurler Braden Looper (3-1, 5.49 ERA) is off his first loss of the season after Sunday’s setback to San Francisco as a $1.75 home favorite, 8-2. The right-hander was reached for seven runs on 10 hits (one home run) with no walks and a strikeout over just three innings.

-The combined 10 runs toppled the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 3-1 his four starts.

-Looper beat Houston April 9 as a $1.04 road underdog, 6-4, tossing 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. The combined 10 runs slithered ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total.

**Angels (Santana) at Tigers (Robertson)**

-Caesars Palace lists Detroit as a $1.15 home ‘chalk’ over Los Angeles, with the total set at 10. This American League contest is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Los Angeles pitcher Ervin Santana (3-0, 2.67 ERA) continued his winning ways by beating Seattle Saturday as a $1.45 home favorite, 4-1. The Dominican Republic native went eight innings, yielding the lone run on three hits (one home run) with no walks and eight strikeouts.

-The combined five runs never seriously threatened the nine-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 3-1 his four starts.

-Santana fell to the Tigers last season as a $1.40 road underdog, 12-0, allowing eight runs on seven hits (two home runs) with three walks and three strikeouts over just 3 2/3 innings. The 12 runs eclipsed the 9 ½-run closing total.

-Detroit counters with southpaw Nate Robertson (0-2, 7.48 ERA), who is coming off Sunday’s setback to Toronto as a $1.15 road underdog, 5-3. The Wichita State product tossed five innings while being reached for five runs on eight hits (one home run) with one walk and five strikeouts.

-The combined eight runs failed to topple the 9 ½-run closing total, ending a string of three straight ‘over’ outings for the seven-year veteran.

-Robertson fell to the Angels last year as a $1.30 road underdog, 11-6, surrendering eight runs on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. The combined 17 runs soared ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

**Athletics (Eveland) at Mariners (Batista)**

-Caesars Palace installed Seattle as a $1.15 home favorite over Oakland, with the total set at 8 ½. This AL West matchup is scheduled to start at 10:10 p.m. ET.

-Oakland’s Dana Eveland (2-1, 1.90 ERA) beat Kansas City Sunday as a $1.38 home ‘chalk,’ 7-1. The four-year veteran went 5 2/3 innings, allowing the lone run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

-The combined eight runs slithered ‘under’ the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ go 4-0 this season for the left-hander.

-Eveland has not started against the Mariners the past few years.

-Seattle pitcher Miguel Batista (2-2, 4.56 ERA) is riding a personal two-game winning streak after beating Los Angeles Sunday as a $1.35 road ‘chalk,’ 4-2. The right-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on eight hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The combined six runs failed to topple the 10-run closing total.

-The Dominican Republic native went 2-2 versus Oakland last season in five starts, going a combined 30 innings while surrendering 16 runs on 34 hits (two home runs) with 13 walks and 26 strikeouts. The Mariners prevailed as a $1.25 road underdog, 4-2, as a $1.10 home ‘dog, 6-5, and as a $1.45 road ‘dog, 4-0, while losing as a $1.22 home ‘dog, 9-0, and as a $1.30 road ‘dog, 3-2.

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