Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants complete their three-game series in a Wednesday afternoon game at Oracle Park. These two ball clubs are heading in opposite directions. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Mets-Giants prediction and pick.
The Giants have had the upper hand in the first two games of the series, even though the Mets did keep it close in both contests. Meanwhile, the Mets are in a season-worst stretch, losers of five games in a row. They now find themselves 4 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East and any hope of a postseason berth quickly slipping. On the opposite end, the Giants continue to pile up wins onto their already league-leading MLB record of 78-42.
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the lines for Wednesday's game.
MLB Odds: Mets-Giants Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
New York Mets (+127)
San Francisco Giants (-137)
Over 8 1/2 runs (-115)
Under 8 1/2 runs (-105)
Why The Mets Could Win
If there ever was a “must-win” game for the Mets, this is it. Even if they win, the Mets playoff hopes are still dwindling. However, losing and getting swept for the second consecutive series would all but end the team's postseason aspirations. If the Mets can salvage a win here, end trip to the Bay Area on a high note, they may gain some needed momentum heading into another difficult series at the Dodgers starting tomorrow.
Luckily for the Mets, they have one of their best pitchers going on Wednesday. Rookie Tylor Megill has struggled as of late, but on the season, he still has a very solid 3.42 ERA. Megill has allowed three or more runs in three consecutive starts. However, he had previously allowed one run or less in his five starts before those tough outings. In a pitcher friendly park, look for Megill to get back to his July-self today. He was one of baseball's best pitchers in July, and it's hard to believe that was a fluke. After all, he did shut down three premium lineups: Milwaukee, Toronto, and Atlanta.
At the plate, so many things are not going right for the Mets hitters. The lone bright spot has been slugger Pete Alonso, who leads the team – by far – with 26 home runs in the 2021 season. In the first two games of this series against the Giants, Alonso has scored a run, gotten a hit, and knocked in two RBIs in both losses in San Francisco. Last night, Alonso hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to put the Mets back in the game, but unfortunately for his team, the Mets could not complete the rally. Alonso has been very vocal about Mets fans continuing to believe and that good things will happen for the Mets soon. And he really is doing his part to back up his own words. In continuing his good play in California, look for another big game by Alonso today. He has six career against today's Giants starting pitcher, Anthony DeSclafani, with one hit versus him. So he does have some experience against the Giants RHP, and has clearly already had some success at Oracle Park.
DeSclafani has struggled as of late, posting a 6.00 ERA in five starts since July 17. He's allowed three or more earned runs in all but one of those starts. If the Mets can get even just a few runs across the board, that could be enough to earn a win. That is also expecting Megill to return to his dominant form though.
Pete Alonso told Mets fans “to not just believe. Know.” If Mets fans want to truly know that this team isn't done yet, the lineup will will this team to victory. Yes, there is over a month of baseball still to be played, but it's really not an exaggeration to say that this is the most important game of the Mets season thus far.
Why The Giants Could Win
Simply put, there are many reasons why the Giants could sweep the Mets out of San Francisco today. On the surface level, the Giants are insanely good at home: they are 42-18 at Oracle Park this season. meanwhile, the Mets are just 23-37 on the road. Over the last ten games, the Giants are 9-1, while the Mets are 3-7. The Giants are getting power production from most of their lineup; they lead MLB in home runs despite their leader Brandon Crawford having just 19 homers. But they do have ten batters with ten or more home runs, so the power is there in the lineup from top to bottom. In the two games of this series thus far, Kris Bryant (2x), Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella, and Evan Longoria have already hit a long ball.
On the hill, the Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani ranks tied for 11th in the National League with a 3.29 ERA. Having faced other top-11 ERA pitchers recently: Walker Buehler, Kevin Gausman, Zach Wheeler, and Max Scherzer, the Mets have gone 0-4 and have looked lifeless at the plate. Expect more of the same with DeSclafani pitches against the Mets lineup today. He should be more than capable of putting in a quality start and limiting the Mets to no more than a run or two.
Despite being the best team in baseball, the Giants do have a chip on their shoulder too. They lead the NL West by four games over the Dodgers, but many baseball fans and those within the game seem to believe that the Dodgers will still win this division. Being overlooked despite their immense success is enough reason to motivate these Giants and prove to the league that they are for real. Sweeping the Mets and heading into Friday's Battle of the Bay in Oakland will be a sign to the league that the Giants are no fluke.
The Giants are 50-23 as favorites this season. They have been favorited 73 times for a reason- they are an incredibly talented baseball team. The Mets had their own run of success earlier this season, but this current version of the Mets is absolutely no match for the red-hot Giants.
Final Mets-Giants Prediction & Pick
The Mets kept it relatively close in the first two games of this series, but just like their series against the Dodgers, this third game of the series will be a blowout. This team is lost at the plate, and even if Megill pitches well, don't expect the lineup to produce. I see the Giants winning this game by a score of 7-1, with most of the runs coming off the bullpen. The Giants will win this game easy and I doubt it will ever be close.
FINAL METS-GIANTS PICK: San Francisco Giants, MONEYLINE (-137)
