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The New York Mets take on the Atlanta Braves. Check out our MLB odds series for our Mets Braves prediction and pick.
Max Scherzer goes to the mound for the Mets, while Max Fried gets the start for the Braves.
Here we go. It's a battle of elite pitchers in the first game of the most anticipated National League series of the 2022 season to date. Padres-Dodgers was interesting but ultimately lopsided. The balance of power between the Mets and Braves is much less certain, given the Braves' recent surge plus the question marks surrounding the Mets' starting rotation. Let's take you inside the pitching matchup as we start our Mets-Braves overview.
Max Scherzer had not pitched since May 18. When he took the mound for the Mets on July 5 against the Cincinnati Reds, no one knew exactly what to expect. It was certainly possible that Scherzer would dominate, but after one and a half months away from big-league baseball, some rust and raggedness would have been viewed as perfectly normal and understandable. Scherzer, though, is not a normal pitcher. He shut out the Reds in six innings, giving up just two hits and no walks while striking out 11. That's who he is. That's what he does. To be realistic about Scherzer's return, however, the Reds are not a particularly good team. The defending World Series champion Braves are a very different animal.
Max Fried has a 2.52 ERA for the season. He has been superb, as expected, for the Braves. He has allowed more than two runs in only three of his last 16 starts, never more than four runs in any start since Opening Day back in early April. In his last nine starts, Fried has been particularly strong, allowing no more than one earned run in six of them and no more than two earned runs in eight of them. He has pitched at least six complete innings in those eight sharp outings. He is in rhythm and will be a challenge for the Mets.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Mets-Braves MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Mets-Braves Odds
New York Mets: +1.5 (-192)
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+158)
Over: 7.5 (+104)
Under: 7.5 (-128)
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Why The Mets Could Cover the Spread
Max Scherzer is pitching for them. That's the short answer. The longer answer is that while the Braves have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past six weeks, they haven't gone through the Mets, their main challenger in the National League East. Everyone has been waiting for this showdown precisely because the Braves have soared, but now must go through a tough and formidable team in a highly publicized and scrutinized series. The Mets are a tough team with a good manager, and after facing Sandy Alcantara's electric stuff on Sunday, facing Max Fried will be less challenging by comparison. That's not a knock on Fried, merely a reflection of how awesome Alcantara has been. Mets hitters will not be overwhelmed here.
Why The Braves Could Cover the Spread
Max Fried is an elite pitcher. More than Scherzer, he has established a rhythm this season. Scherzer did pitch well against the Reds, but this is only his second game back from injury, and he is bound to have a few bumps in the road. Fried has been a machine for the past one and a half months. Why bet against him here? The Braves are confident and at home, and an energetic crowd will be behind them. The World Series champions are playing like it, while the Mets have been treading water for the past few weeks.
Final Mets-Braves Prediction & Pick
This is a dream series between two of the three best teams in the National League, the Dodgers being the other. This game is a clash of elite pitchers. If you think you know how it will go, step right up, but the advice here is to stay away, enjoy, and study these pitchers for a future betting pick. If you insist on making a pick here, take the Mets.
Final Mets-Braves Prediction & Pick: Mets +1.5
