The Atlanta Braves are up north to take on the division rival New York Mets in an important game on Wednesday night. The Braves took two of the first three games of this series as the Mets have struggled on offense. Both teams will trot out extremely inexperienced starters, making this an interesting one to place bets on. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Braves-Mets prediction and pick.
Let's see how the bookmakers have set the line for tonight's game.
MLB Odds: Braves-Mets Odds
Atlanta Braves ML (+113)
New York Mets ML (-123)
Over 9 runs (+100)
Under 9 runs (-120)
Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread
While both teams will send an unproven starter to the hill, Atlanta has a slight advantage in the pitching category.
The Braves will be trusting pitcher Kyle Wright with the start. Wright has started once this season, going only four innings against the Chicago Cubs and allowing two runs. Luckily for Wright, the Mets have been abysmal at the plate recently, scoring only three runs in their last four games.
The details about Wright probably do not inspire any confidence, but they inspire more confidence than the Mets' starting pitcher does. Tylor Megill will get the start, the first of his major league career. Megill was solid in the minor leagues, but he isn't in the minor leagues anymore. Megill's start is the perfect opportunity for the Braves to start swinging the bat well again and welcome the rookie to The Show.
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
Despite a pitching disadvantage, there are some reasons for optimism.
The bullpen has been fantastic all year long, meaning if Megill can get through five innings with limited damage, the Mets have a legitimate shot at winning his first career start. New York's pitching staff has also been far better when playing at Citi Field, allowing only 2.10 runs per game, as opposed to 3.38 runs per game on the road.
Although there aren't many bright spots on the New York offense, one will return to the lineup for this one. Outfielder Michael Conforto is expected to return to the lineup from an extended absence, making the offensive outlook a little bit better.
Conforto missed five weeks with a hamstring injury, meaning that he never really got the chance to get going this season. He was fantastic in 2020, maintaining a batting average over the .300 mark all year long and finishing with an average of .322. Conforto will likely need time to return to form, but his presence in the lineup is a huge boost to the struggling Mets.
Another factor going the Mets' way is the state of the Atlanta pitching. Opposing starter Kyle Wright has made one start this year and didn't make it through five innings. The Atlanta bullpen has been far from strong this season, so the New York lineup will have a chance to pick things up against a weak bullpen that is likely going to pitch plenty of innings.
Final Braves-Mets Prediction & Pick
In what the public has decided is essentially a coin flip, I'm taking the Mets. It's a lot of trust to put in a pitcher making his major league debut, but the New York bullpen is strong enough to pick up some slack. Facing a weak starter on the mound and a shaky relief corps, the Mets should be able to pick things up offensively and defend their home turf.
FINAL PICK: Mets ML (-121)
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