The Pittsburgh Pirates look for a win in their third try against the New York Mets in this series as the duo of National League teams will meet in Queens on Saturday. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Pirates-Mets prediction and pick will be made.
Although the Pirates have dropped the first couple of games of this series, Pittsburgh recently was in the midst of a four-game winning streak before traveling to the Big Apple. At 55-90, the Pirates season is most definitely over but a solid finish would most likely do wonders for a Pirates squad that could use the confidence heading into next season. On the mound for Pittsburgh in this one will be RHP Bryce Wilson, who is 3-8 with a combined 6.03 ERA on the season.
With that being said, New York is still in an intense battle with the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the NL East as the Mets' lead sits at only a single game. Getting the nod for this matchup against the Pirates will be Chris Bassitt, who will look to continue his strong season campaign with a 13-8 record and a 3.44 ERA.
Here are the Pirates-Mets MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Mets Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (+120)
New York Mets: -1.5 (-144)
Over: 7.5 (-118)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
Yes, it is quite obvious that the Pirates on paper should be expected to lose their third straight matchup to the Mets, but the players within that clubhouse would be quick to say not so fast. At first glance, the Pirates may not have many advantages over the Mets on Saturday, but let's not forget that Pittsburgh may have been playing the best ball of their season just a few short days ago.
Even with a 27-47 record out on the road in 2022, the Pirates completed an impressive four-game road sweep of the Reds in Cincinnati. During this triumph, the Pirates excelled at a strong balanced attack with the bats and from the pitching rubber. When it was all said and done, the Pirates had outscored the Reds 23-8 which was an inspiring stretch of play for the men wearing the black and yellow. If the Pirates can return to that kind of play later this evening, then they definitely have what it takes to cover the spread.
Additionally, it will be vital for expected starter Bryce Wilson to have his best stuff on display. It surely hasn't been a pretty season for Wilson, but the good news is that he has maintained a decent 4.00 ERA in two games against the Mets which is certainly good enough to give the Pirates offense an opportunity to do their thing.
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
For the Mets, quite the opposite is happening for a team with heavy World Series aspirations. Sitting with a 91-55 record, the Mets wholeheartedly believe that they can compete with any team in baseball that they suit up against. Obviously, the large sample size of the regular season has reiterated that exuberant confidence, which is impressive considering the fact that the Mets finished 2021 eight games under .500 with a 77-85 record. Clearly, it has been a magnificent turnaround for New York.
In regards to this upcoming home matchup versus Pittsburgh, this is the Mets' time to shine. Not to mention, but New York has been utterly dominant at home with a 48-26 record overall. Not only is this a reason why the Mets may cover the spread tonight, but New York has arguably a top-five hitting and pitching unit that is hard for opposing teams to overcome. At the moment, New York is second in the majors when it comes to on-base percentage and also possesses the fourth-highest batting average at .258.
On the other side of things, the Mets pitching staff has been nothing short of fabulous. With a 3.53 team ERA on the year, New York doesn't have many weaknesses to exploit. The Mets' sole reason why they may cover the spread will be because of Chris Bassitt, as he has become one of the top pitchers on a championship-contending team. Even though Bassitt is coming off of a rocky outing in which he only lasted 3 2/3 innings, he is still 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts when facing off with the Pirates.
Final Pirates-Mets Prediction & Pick
There are a ton of intriguing matchups around the MLB scheduled slate on this September Saturday, but I am afraid this is not one of them. New York has had their way with Pittsburgh in the first two games of the series and nothing should be expected to change this evening.
Final Pirates-Mets Prediction & Pick: Mets -1.5 (-144)
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