The New York Mets take on the Houston Astros in the first game of a three game series Monday night. This series will be the only time these two teams meet in the regular season. Below we will continue our MLB odds series with a Mets-Astros prediction and pick while we let you know how to watch, as well.

The Mets are one of the more disappointing teams this season. They are 33-38 and sit 12.5 games back in the NL East division. On the year, the Mets are led by Brandon Nimmo in batting average (.287), and Pete alonso in home runs (22) and RBI (49). New York has not been the best offensively, but they do have some pop. Their 85 home runs is 10th best in the MLB. On the mound, the Mets are in the bottom half of the league in most categories. Even with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the Mets can not seem to put it together on the pitching side of things.

The Astros are third in the AL West division. They have not been playing well as of recent. Houston is on a four game losing streak and 3-7 in their last 10 games. Yordan Alvarez is on the IL, and he was the Astros best hitter. Kyle Tucker leads the team in hits with 77 while Mauricio Dubon has a team best .286 batting average. On the mound, the Astros are one of the best in the MLB. They lead the league in ERA, eighth in WHIP, sixth in strikeouts, and they have put together the second most quality starts. The Astros pitching is what will keep this team in the division race.

The pitching matchup for this game will be Max Scherzer against Hunter Brown.

Here are the Mets-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Mets-Astros Odds

New York Mets: -1.5 (+168)

Houston Astros: +1.5 (-205)

Over: 7.5 (-114)

Under: 7.5 (-106)

How To Watch Mets vs. Astros

TV: SportsNet New York, AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Stream: MLB TV Subscription

Time: 8:10 PM ET/5:10 PM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread

Despite his struggles, Scherzer still ranks pretty well in the advanced metrics. He ranks highly in xBA, whiff percentage, chase rate, and xERA. Scherzer's last two starts have not been good, but before that he was having a good season. If Scherzer can flush those last two starts, the Mets will have success in this game. Keep in mind that the Astros are without Yordan Alvarez and their offense is worse without him. Scherzer should be able to shut down a struggling Houston team in this game and help the Mets cover the spread.

Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread

Hunter Brown has been very good for the Astros and is one of the front runners for American League Rookie of the Year. He has a 3.35 ERA on the season and 83 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings pitched. What is even more impressive is his ability to limit the long ball. He has allowed just six home runs all season. The Mets get a lot of production from their home runs, so this will be a tough matchup for Brown. However, if Brown can limit those home runs, the Astros will be able to cover this spread.

Final Mets-Astros Prediction & Pick

This pitching matchup should be a good one. Even though Scherzer is not having the best season, he is still a very good pitcher, as is Brown. The under would be a good bet in this game. With the Astros being the underdogs, it would also be a good bet to pick Houston to keep the game within a run, or win.

Final Mets-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros +1.5 (-205), Under 7.5 (-106)