The New York Mets take on the Colorado Rockies. Our MLB odds series has our Mets Rockies prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Mets Rockies.
The New York Mets have gotten off to a slow start this season, but it's easy to see why. Whereas other teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Guardians, and San Diego Padres have no good explanation for why they are several games under the .500 mark, the Mets hovering near break-even has a very simple cause: They haven't been healthy, especially their elite starting pitchers. Only recently did Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander pitch on consecutive days. They actually pitched on the same day — in two halves of a split day-night doubleheader — earlier this month.
This is how the Mets can get back into the thick of the National League wild card chase and improve their overall position in the National League East. Stacking Scherzer and Verlander every few days will enable the Mets to win back-to-back games on a lot of occasions. They can rest their bullpen. They can build momentum. They can win a lot of games in which their offense doesn't max out. At least, that's the concept and plan. We'll see if the Mets can win a Verlander game on Saturday in Denver after Scherzer won on Friday night.
Here are the Mets-Rockies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mets-Rockies Odds
New York Mets: -1.5 (-128)
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (+106)
Over: 11 (-115)
Under: 11 (-105)
How To Watch Mets vs. Rockies
TV: SNY (Mets) / AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Rockies) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:10 p.m. ET/6:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Mets-Rockies LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
The Mets have Justin Verlander on the mound. If he's pitching, he's obviously healthy enough to do so. One doesn't have to say a whole lot about Justin Verlander, a World Series champion and Cy Young Award winner who has remained a top-tier pitcher over a decade and a half into his career. Like other old fireballers from the past, Verlander has learned how to maintain velocity and effectiveness, making key adjustments and arriving at the important realization that a fastball pitcher doesn't have to hit maximum velocity all the time. What matters is being able to throw heat — well-located — in specific situations when something special is needed. Most of the time, location and pitch mixture will be enough. Verlander still has the quality and the savvy to thrive as a big-league pitcher. He should be able to contain a Colorado batting order which has largely struggled this season.
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
The Rockies' biggest advantage in this game is that the Mets' offense has struggled a lot in 2023. It often seems that if Pete Alonso isn't mashing, the Mets aren't producing. The New York offense runs through a few players who, if they're not on top of their games, limit this team at the plate. The batting order has too many holes to withstand a day when Alonso or Francisco Lindor are not hitting well. The frailty of the Mets' offense gives the Rockies a very good chance to win here, even though Verlander is on the mound for New York.
Final Mets-Rockies Prediction & Pick
Verlander against the Rockies is a mismatch, and it's that simple.
Final Mets-Rockies Prediction & Pick: Mets -1.5