The Washington Nationals (7-14) visit the New York Mets (14-9) on Tuesday night! First pitch commences at 7:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Mets prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Nationals-Mets MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Mets Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-122)
New York Mets: -1.5 (+102)
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How To Watch Nationals vs. Mets
TV: MASN/2, SNY
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET/ 4:10 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 3-7 (Fifth in the NL East)
Run Line Record: 12-9 (57%)
Over Record: 9-10-2 (47%)
Washington predictably struggled early in the season. Clearly, in a rebuilding phase, no one expected the Nationals to contend in 2023. Consequently, Washington holds the third-fewest wins in the league this far. That being said, the Nationals are coming in hot following a 2-1 series win over the Twins. Although that marked just their second series win of the year, Washington carries a lot of momentum into game one of a three-game set with New York. Still, they face an uphill battle matched up against a Mets team they compiled an ugly 5-14 record against last season. Their offense continues to be the major issue as they average the fourth-fewest runs per game. As a result, it will likely come down to their offense that dictates whether or not they cover as road underdogs tonight.
Rigty Josiah Gray (0-4) makes his fifth start of the season tonight. Gray will be looking for his first win of the year despite three consecutive solid starts. Despite an 0-4 record, he holds a solid 3.74 ERA. That number is largely inflated due to a disastrous season debut. In five innings against the Rockies, Gray allowed five runs on seven hits. He settled down over his last three starts, however, allowing just four runs in 21.2 innings. The biggest issue with Gray thus far has been a lack of run support. His offense produced just a single run in his four games pitched thus far. While that can be attributed to luck, Gray's margin for error remains small. As a result, he needs to be near-perfect if the Nationals want any chance of covering tonight.
The lack of run support continues to be an issue for Washington pitchers. If they want to cover tonight they'll need someone, anyone, to step up at the plate. In recent games, that largely fell on the shoulders of first baseman Joey Meneses. The 30-year-old holds just a .247 average for the season but compiled six hits in 22 at-bats over the last week. That includes a home run and a team-best 11 total bases.
Catcher Keibert Ruiz struggled early in the season but showed signs of life over the week. The 24-year-old batted .313 over his last four games. Perhaps most encouraging were his strikeout numbers as he failed to strikeout over that span.
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 7-3 (Second in the NL East)
Run Line Record: 13-10 (57%)
Over Record: 10-12-1 (46%)
The Mets got off to a strong start thus far as they sit in second place in a stellar NL East. They've been particularly hot over the last three weeks – winning four of their last five series and tying the other against the Giants. Still, they lost their last two games in their most recent series with San Francisco and thus will look to snap a little skid in the series opener tonight. The Mets' offense looks sharp through the first month of the season as they rank 10th in runs per game while holding the fifth-highest on-base percentage. Their pitching, meanwhile, looks mediocre. New York holds the 14th-best ERA despite the fifth-highest walk rate. As a result, the Mets need a strong night from their staff while continuing to produce at the plate if they want to cover as home favorites.
While the Mets have yet to name a starter for tonight's game, they likely just need run support given the friendly matchup with the Nationals. New York's offense looks stellar through a month of games. While their 16th-ranked slugging percentage could improve, Mets' hitters showed tremendous plate discipline. They rank second in both strikeout rate and walk rate – culminating in the fifth-best on-base percentage in the MLB.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo continued his strong start to the season over the last week. Batting .350 for the season, Nimmo went 11/26 over his last six games. That included two home runs and a team-best 18 total bases over that span.
Final Nationals-Mets Prediction & Pick
Despite the uncertainty surrounding New York's starter, their offense should give them enough support to come away with an easy cover tonight.
Final Nationals-Mets Prediction & Pick: New York Mets -1.5 (+102)
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