The New York Mets will continue their battle with the Miami Marlins in the second of a three-game series Saturday evening in Miami. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Mets-Marlins prediction and pick we have laid out below.

New York, with a record of 62-37, sit atop the NL East, currently on a hot four-game winning streak. The Mets have weathered the absence of Jacob DeGrom admirably to an almost certain playoff spot. With reinforcements available on the trading block, New York will only get better.

Miami has yet to build on its surprise 2020 playoff appearance. This season has been much like the last decade, as Miami is 47-53, a distant six games out of a playoff spot. With the playoffs looking bleak, Miami has rumored to listen to trade offers for their starting pitchers.

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

MLB Odds: Mets-Marlins Odds

New York Mets: -1.5 (-110)

Miami Marlins: +1.5 (-110)

Over: 7.5 (-120)

Under: 7.5 (-102)

Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread

A 6-4 victory last night was highlighted by a valiant bullpen effort, three shutout innings with six strikeouts. Tonight, Carlos Carrasco will be the starting pitcher and brings with him a 4.07 ERA. Carrasco has been great in his last three starts, allowing two earned runs in 16.2 innings pitched. Impressively, Carrasco has forced batters to chase at a 35.7% rate, ranking in the 97th percentile in the league. A 3.59 bullpen ERA has been highlighted by Edwin Diaz's trumpets and 1.51 ERA with 21 saves. Adam Ottavino has turned back the clock a little, with a 2.29 ERA in his 39.1 innings, with 46 strikeouts.

New York's offense has been as great as the pitching staff, ranking sixth in batting average with a .253 mark. Fan favorite Pete Alonso is turning in one of his best years yet, with a .277 average, 26 home runs, and an NL-leading 84 RBI. Five Mets have reached double-digit home runs, with reinforcements coming in the forms of Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin. This is one of the most loveable teams in baseball, not just for the personalities, but for the dominant tendencies it possesses.

Why The Marlins Could Cover The Spread

Miami's pitching staff has long been envious of the majority of baseball, with their 3.87 team ERA ranking 12th in the league. However, a recent rash of injuries leaves Miami in an odd spot. Normally, left-hander, Trevor Rogers would take his turn, but he was recently put on the Injured List. Nick Neidert, who has not pitched in the majors this season, but owns a 4.70 career ERA in 44 innings, will take the ball. So, instead of talking about a starting pitcher, let's take the time to recognize Jake Fishman. Fishman was a 30th-round pick out of Division 3 Union College. After six years in the minors, Fishman was called up to the big leagues. He will add another component to a Marlins bullpen that ranks 18th with a 4.01 ERA.

Miami's offense has struggled, scoring just 403 runs in 100 games so far. Their 96 home runs rank 20th in the league, and a .238 average is good for only 21st. Only four Marlins have eclipsed double-digit home runs, and one of them, Jazz Chisholm, is out at least another month. Jesus Aguilar, who can be a cheap trade upgrade for some contending teams, has 12 home runs to go along with a .248 batting average. Garrett Cooper, another possible trade chip, leads the team with a .279 average. Hopefully, Neidert's relative inexperience is enough for the offense to eke out a win.

Final Mets-Marlins Prediction & Pick

Carrasco has been solid of late and seems to be turning the tide of his season.

Final Mets-Marlins Prediction & Pick: Mets -1.5 (-118), over 7.5 (-120)