Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets will finish a three-game series on Sunday Night Baseball. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Dodgers-Mets prediction and pick.
This is an extremely important game for both of these teams. The Mets recently lost their hold on first place in the NL East to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, but New York remains only 1.5 games out of first place. A win here would mean the Mets inch closer to reclaiming first place. The Dodgers are in a similar position, but their deficit is a little bit bigger. Los Angeles is currently trailing the San Francisco Giants by four games in the NL West. The Dodgers need to continue to win at a very high rate to outpace their rival and the division crown, and their efforts will continue in this matchup.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Sunday's game.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Mets Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-171)
New York Mets ML (+157)
Over 7 1/2 runs (-117)
Under 7 1/2 runs (-103)
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Los Angeles has been one of the most stacked teams in the MLB throughout the entire season, but the Dodgers got even better at the trade deadline. Los Angeles managed to add starting pitcher Max Scherzer to the rotation, giving them one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball. Scherzer will make his fourth start in a Dodger uniform on Sunday night.
Scherzer has been elite all season long, earning a 2.67 ERA and a .89 WHIP. Those are Cy Young-level numbers. Helping Scherzer is the fact that he will pitch to one of the worst offenses in the MLB. The Mets rank in the bottom ten in baseball in batting average, OPS, and slugging percentage. It's easy to see Scherzer making short work of this offense.
The Mets will deploy starter Carlos Carrasco in this one, something that didn't work out well in Carrasco's first four appearances this season. The righty is still recovering from a long injury that put him out of commission until late July. Carrasco hasn't made it out of the fourth inning this season and got rocked for four runs in the first inning the last time he pitched. The Dodgers should be able to help Carrasco continue his cold streak.
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
The Mets have relied almost solely on their pitching to win games this season, and this game is no different. Carrasco has a tough task in front of him, but there's some reason to believe he can put together a decent outing. Only four of the Dodgers' hitters have ever faced Carrasco, and three of those hitters own a batting average of .167 or lower against Carrasco. The righty also has the advantage of playing on his home field, a factor that almost always helps the pitcher.
The Mets' lineup has a tough task in this game, but it helps that they have a lot of experience hitting against Scherzer. All eight of the New York starters have taken multiple at-bats against the Dodgers starter, with four of those hitters owning a batting average of .250 or higher against Scherzer. Familiarity is often an overlooked factor in baseball, but it could give the Mets the advantage they need to score on a Cy Young candidate.
Final Dodgers-Mets Prediction & Pick
This is a no-brainer pick. The Dodgers have an elite pitcher on the mound against one of the MLB's worst offenses, and they're facing a pitcher who hasn't had a good outing this season. Los Angeles is the obvious pick, as the Dodgers should walk away with a series sweep.
FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-171)
