The Philadelphia Phillies will host the New York Mets in the second game of a three-game set. The Mets got out to an early 2-0 lead against Philly on Monday with Jacob deGrom on the bump. deGrom threw six shutout innings and handed the game to the bullpen to finish up. The Phillies just needed to see a new arm as they scored all five of their runs in the eighth inning. Philadelphia has won seven of their last 11 head-to-head matchups against the Mets. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Mets-Phillies prediction and pick.

Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Mets-Phillies odds.

MLB Odds: Mets-Phillies Odds

New York Mets -1.5 (+120)

Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 (-140)

Over 9 Runs (-105)

Under 9 Runs (-115)

Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread

The New York Mets finally played baseball in 2021 after having their opening series against the Washington Nationals postponed due to COVID. The Mets enter the season expected to be one of the most improved teams in the league with new ownership and a revamped roster. New York went 26-34 in 2020 and improved in many areas as a group. They made major moves in the offseason, headlined by the acquisition of slugging shortstop Francisco Lindor. The Mets signed Lindor to a 10-year extension on the eve of the 2021 season. New York was ninth in the league with 86 home runs last season and now has even more pop in the lineup.

New York will send out right-hander Marcus Stroman for game two of this three-game series in Philadelphia. Stroman sat out the 2020 season because of COVID concerns. He had a solid 2019 season, going 10-13 with a 3.22 ERA with the Blue Jays and the Mets. New York acquired Marcus at the 2019 trade deadline with hopes of him bolstering an already great starting rotation. He is in a nice spot in this game as he is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies.

Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread

The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the most intriguing stories of the young season. The Phillies are off to a perfect 4-0 start after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in their opening series. They secured a comeback win against these Mets on Monday to stay perfect. The pitching staff has led the way for Philadelphia this far. The Phillies have won every game despite scoring just 14 total runs on one home run as a team. They lead the league with a 1.46 team ERA and .169 opposing batting average.

The lineup is going to get it going at some point as they possess way too much talent to struggle for an extended period of time. Catcher JT Realmuto has been a bright spot, leading his club with a .385 batting average coming in. Chase Anderson will get the nod for Philadelphia in this game. Anderson went 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA with the Toronto Blue Jays last season. He did have an impressive 2019 campaign, going 8-4 with a 1.27 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers. Although Chase lost his lone start against New York last season, active Mets hitters are only batting .149 lifetime against the Phillies right-hander.

Final Mets-Phillies Prediction & Pick

I’m going to ride the hot team here. Philly’s recent success is impressive because the lineup hasn’t even gotten going yet. Philadelphia is a force to reckoned with in the NL East and knows the importance of taking care of business in the division. New York’s rust showed in just their first game of the season and it may take some time for this new group to gel. I see Philly attacking Stroman early and building on the confidence from last night’s eighth-inning onslaught. Chase Anderson had a solid spring and has had a ton of success against this Mets lineup in the past.

FINAL PICK: Philadelphia Phillies ML (+118)